iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Dr. Rachel Kowert @drkowert.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Happy Newsletter Day! Research, news, and other comings and goings you may have missed in the world of video games/game studies over the last month substack.com/@psychgeist/...

substack.com

TL;DR September 2026

A compendium of the comings and goings in research, development, and news about our digital playgrounds from September 2026.

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Alanah Pearce @alanahpearce.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Are you or have you ever been a narrative designer (as your official job title)? I would like to interview you for a video! Pls reply to this if you’re interested ❤️.

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Dr. Rachel Kowert @drkowert.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

This triforce analogy continues to hold strong in the work that I do. What triforce analogy, you ask? This one: substack.com/@psychgeist/...

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Dr. Rachel Kowert @drkowert.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

I'm off again and will be speaking about the DLC Leadership Program at GCAP (Games Connect Asia Pacific) the first week of October! You can learn more about the event here: gcap.com.au

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Dr. Rachel Kowert @drkowert.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

What a wonderful couple of days learning, laughing, and galavanting across Helsinki for the first TIGG summit! Extra special shout out to our generous hosts Supercell, it was the perfect venue to give the first public presentation of the pilot data for the DLC Leadership Program.

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Future Dr. V @vgtxresearch.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

DIGRA featured my experiment on their page! There’s something so fulfilling about seeing your work be supported by an organization that you respect as much as I respect DIGRA. Special s/o to @drkowert.bsky.social for the suggestion And a special s/o to all of whom have shared my study!

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Dr. Rachel Kowert @drkowert.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

The DLC Leadership Program is the first evidence-based certification for the people who hold digital communities together and the people whose decisions shape it. Developed for gaming communities. Applicable far beyond them. FREE TO TAKE. Join the waitlist. www.dpcleadership.org

dpcleadership.org

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David M. Perry @lollardfish.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

obviously yes

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Dr. Steve Mallory @drstevemallory.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Call for Proposals! The Psychgeist of Pop Culture: Star Trek: The Next Generation – Play Story Press share.google/9rhq5CMeLLVH... There's still time to submit a proposal!

static.klipy.com

Star Trek TNG: Riker & Data's Mirror Fun

ALT: Star Trek TNG: Riker & Data's Mirror Fun

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Dr. Rachel Kowert @drkowert.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

My goal for 2026 was to hit 4k subs. I'm so close! If you like video games with a side of psychology, this one is for you! Also included: 🔎science without the student loans 🎮 obscure 90s video game references 🎬 my progressively improving iMovie skills www.youtube.com/psychgeist

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Dr. Rachel Kowert @drkowert.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

Happiest of name days...to me! Apparently I've hit the age where brain teasers are the recommended gift 🤣

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Dr. Rachel Kowert @drkowert.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

HAPPY NEWSLETTER DAY! This month we are talking about: 🇩🇪 Getting lost at gamescom 🎮 Games and play are the key to happiness 📚 Lots of new research (and a psychgeist of pop culture announcement!) rachelkowert.substack.com/p/tldr-augus...

rachelkowert.substack.com

TL;DR August 2026

A compendium of the comings and goings in research, development, and news about our digital playgrounds from August 2026.

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Dr. Rachel Kowert @drkowert.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

To all the parents worried about the impact of #videogames... We have been led astray by a biased information ecosystem. Games are wonderful places to grow, learn, and connect and are not destroying a generation of young people (truly). youtu.be/8tDesUJG-gI?...

youtu.be

From Panic to Partnership: Making SPACE for Engaged Parenting | Rachel Kowert | G4C2026

YouTube video by Games for Change

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Dr. Rachel Kowert @drkowert.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

The Psychgeist of Pop Culture is a series from Play Story Press that combines the three things I love most: science, fandom, and equitable access to information (all PDFs are free). You can learn more at www.rkowert.com/books

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Dr. Rachel Kowert @drkowert.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

Blessed we shared the timeline with such incredible humans. Devastated we no longer share the air with them. Dolly was an angel among mortals. Tim has had my full heart since I was first introduced to him in 1998. The world is a little dimmer. But their light will live on 🥰

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/noclip @noclipvideo.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

/ten years. /over 200 documentaries. /all powered by our community. Summarizing a decade seemed like a daunting task so we asked our community to sum it all up. September 12th is the big day. We'll tell you all about our plans for the next decade then. The mission continues. youtu.be/EY-HmdHrUN8

youtu.be

Remembering 10 Years of /noclip

YouTube video by /noclip

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Dr. Rachel Kowert @drkowert.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

Post the same video across three platforms this morning. Tiktok, 3.8k views Instagram, 1k views YouTube, 23 views

static.klipy.com

Confused White Cat Asks Why

ALT: Confused White Cat Asks Why

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Dr. Rachel Kowert @drkowert.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

Excited to be heading to my first gamescom this week. If you're there and you see me say hi! ...and if I look lost, send help 🤣

static.klipy.com

John Travolta Confused Meme ft. Elon Musk

ALT: John Travolta Confused Meme ft. Elon Musk

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Double Fine @doublefine.com · 21/08/2026

PSA: A heads up for those (kindly) supporting us with game purchases today: 1. Kiln and Keeper are getting permanent price changes soon! 2. All our games on Steam are getting international price adjustment reviews! 3. It's Psychonauts 2's birthday next week, which means a sale!

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Dr. Rachel Kowert @drkowert.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

Yes, you can get a PhD in video games. But it's probably not what you think it is. youtube.com/shorts/WOqKR...

youtube.com

You Can Get a PhD in Video Games

YouTube video by Psychgeist

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Dr. Rachel Kowert @drkowert.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

Playing Final Fantasy 8 made me want to build a school (I had a whole plan). Today, I run the DLC Leadership Program with the incomparable @kellidunlap.bsky.social So ofc I bought gunblade earrings when I saw them last weekend. A true full circle moment. Now we just need a sweet card game.

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Dr. Rachel Kowert @drkowert.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

Forever inspired by the words of Robert Steen. I have been fortunate enough to share two Games for Change festivals with him and each time I take away something new. If you haven't watched The Remarkable Life of Ibelin yet, this is your sign. youtube.com/shorts/uNJ97...

youtube.com

Stop asking your kid how many hours they played

YouTube video by Psychgeist

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Dr. Rachel Kowert @drkowert.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

Set up shop today in my local community and am pleased to report it is full of nerds who love science + pop culture.

Rachel sitting behind a table with a psychgeist table cloth covered in the Psychgeist of Pop Culture books

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Dr. Rachel Kowert @drkowert.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

"No screens" isn't the *safe* choice, it's a trade that most parents don't know they are making. youtube.com/shorts/4TgQy...

youtube.com

No Screens Isn't the Safe Option

YouTube video by Psychgeist

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Dr. Rachel Kowert @drkowert.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

The AAP has moved away from the long standing "two hours of screen time" rule youtube.com/shorts/r5ZvS...

youtube.com

Pediatricians retired the 2-hour screen time rule

YouTube video by Psychgeist

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Dr. Rachel Kowert @drkowert.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

The DLC Leadership Program is a certification for moderators, community managers, and guild leaders — the people holding online spaces together. 💸 Free to participants 🔓 Once you're in, you're in — lifetime access 🤝 A community of practice, not just a course www.dlcleadership.org

dlcleadership.org

DLC Leadership Program | Development. Leadership. Community.

The first evidence-based, community built certification for the moderators, community managers, and guild leaders who hold digital communities together.

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Dr. Rachel Kowert @drkowert.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

Online video games get talked about 5x more negatively than positively. So no wonder they've become the go-to scapegoat for everything bad. youtube.com/shorts/AOcdX...

youtube.com

Parents See 5x More Negative Messaging About Games

YouTube video by Psychgeist

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Dr. Rachel Kowert @drkowert.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

We teach online safety as a list of don'ts. We spend a lot less time on the fact that what you post has a lifespan you don't control. New short on digital footprints as a digital literacy skill. More games + brains stuff on my YouTube 👇 www.youtube.com/psychgeist

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Dr. Rachel Kowert @drkowert.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

Everyone knows the best quests are side quests. Let's talk about Games for Change, the TIGG summit and the DLC Leadership Program (also GTA HYPEEEEE) open.spotify.com/episode/599g...

open.spotify.com

Safety Is [Redacted] with Rachel Kowert | Side Quests: Games for Change, Frameworks & the Fight for Physical Media

Safety is [REDACTED] · Episode

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Dr. Rachel Kowert @drkowert.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

As we draw closer to fall, I'm receiving more emails from game studies students asking What should I study? Where should I apply? How do I even get started? So I made a video about it 🤣 If you're considering this path (or you know someone who is) send it their way. youtu.be/8zMTMmvPMNE?...

youtu.be

Academic Advice: Studying Games & Making It a Career

YouTube video by Psychgeist

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Dr. Rachel Kowert @drkowert.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

"...the concerns that parents have today in 2026 are the same concerns that parents have had for the last 50 years [which] tells me as a researcher that we’ve done a very poor job at getting the information out... about what games are and what they aren’t.” variety.com/2026/gaming/...

variety.com

Why Parents Are Still Afraid of Video Games After 50 Years and How a Gaming Nonprofit’s New Workshops Are Trying to Help

It's been nearly six decades since the first mainstream video games came out and parents are just as worried about kids gaming now as they were then.

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Laki @lakitukl.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

Damn... 300% higher yields for peppers 200% for tomatoes. 65% lower water use for jalapenos. #agsky #agrivoltaics ,🌱🌞🔌..

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Ryan Marino, MD @ryanmarino.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

More people died from heat between April 1, 2026 thru July 19, 2026 than in the ten entire preceding years combined

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Dr. Rachel Kowert @drkowert.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

Over the last few days, we've seen new reports indicating that the social media bans are not really working as intended. This feels like a good time to revisit the evidence. youtu.be/nzylD8yGUj4?...

youtu.be

The Social Media Ban Was Never About Social Media

YouTube video by Psychgeist

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Dr. Rachel Kowert @drkowert.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

Loved the new Spider Man. LOVED. But if people are still wondering why people don't really go to the movies anymore, it literally cost me $180 between tickets and snacks to take my family of 5 to the movies. ...but at least the movie was good?

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Dr. Rachel Kowert @drkowert.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

It's been a minute since I shared this collection! Science + videogames? Say less. #gamestudies go.bsky.app/Vp95Zio

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Michael Iantorno☔️🕹️ @michaeliantorno.com · 30/07/2026

Once more, I share with you all this radical starter pack featuring Canadian game studies scholars. Let me know if you or someone you love should be added.

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Dr. Rachel Kowert @drkowert.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

HAPPY NEWSLETTER DAY! This month we are talking about: 🔠 My acronym era - SPACE, EFFECT, CHEER... oh my! 🏫 Libraries lending games? 🎮 Supporting players is not a one and done: player support, reporting tools, and more! open.substack.com/pub/rachelko...

open.substack.com

TL;DR July 2026

A compendium of the comings and goings in research, development, and news about our digital playgrounds from July 2026.

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Dr. Rachel Kowert @drkowert.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

My Games for Change keynote is up! In this talk, I discuss why the conversation about kids and video games is stuck, what the research actually shows, and how we get from panic to partnership. #gamestudies #videogames www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tDe...

youtube.com

From Panic to Partnership: Making SPACE for Engaged Parenting | Rachel Kowert | G4C2026

YouTube video by Games for Change

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Matt Burgess (WIRED) @mattburgess1.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

NEW: A glimpse at how AI image generators are used. Researchers set up a fake image editor on Hugging Face and within a week received 1,000 prompts. 73% of them were sexual and 83% of those were asking for people (women) to be “undressed”. Around 6% of the sexual requests also targeted minors

wired.com

Hugging Face Has a Deepfake Nudes Problem

Researchers tested top image editing models on Hugging Face and found they could easily create explicit deepfakes—and 1,000 image editing prompts show how people use the software.

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