Cultural nostalgic: the D&D panic

The fear surrounding Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) in the 1980s—often called the “Satanic Panic”—was a cultural phenomenon rooted more in moral anxiety than in reality. During this time, many parents, religious groups, and media outlets became convinced that fantasy role-playing games like D&D could lead young people toward violence, suicide, or occult practices.

This fear began after a few high-profile but unrelated tragedies involving teens who happened to play D&D. The most famous case was that of James Dallas Egbert III in 1979, a gifted college student who went missing in steam tunnels beneath Michigan State University. Media reports—fueled by a private investigator’s speculation—wrongly linked his disappearance to the game. Though Egbert’s struggles were later found to be related to personal issues, not D&D, the story spread rapidly and sensationally.

As the game grew in popularity, conservative religious groups began to claim it promoted Satanism and psychological harm, citing its use of demons, magic, and fantasy violence. Television specials and talk shows amplified these fears, portraying D&D as a corrupting influence on youth.

In reality, research and later sociological analysis found no connection between D&D and violence or suicide. Instead, the game fostered creativity, cooperation, and problem-solving among players. The 1980s panic reflected broader cultural anxieties about youth independence, changing media, and imagination itself—fears that fantasy worlds might blur moral boundaries.

In hindsight, the D&D scare reveals more about society’s discomfort with emerging subcultures than about the game’s actual effects.

The same can be said of modern technologies and video games.