Online Game Risks Every Parent Should Know

You want your kids to learn and have fun online, but you also must teach them how to be careful. It is a risk to chat to people and a greater risk when those people ask to meet up. Sometimes it could be innocent, other times it might not be. 

You can never be too careful with internet safety. Parents and children alike are responsible for adhering to some basic guidelines, many of which are grounded in common sense. Even though your children have grown up in the digital world, are quite used to it, and have developed strong attachments to it in general and online games in particular, it is still the duty of parents to keep an eye out for their children.

In this article, we want to remind parents and even children about the risks of online gaming that one must know of:

• Cyberbullying

Regrettably, many youngsters experience cyberbullying. Peers may ban the victim from participating in a certain activity or may harass them verbally in voice chat if they do participate. Players often express themselves in ways that they wouldn’t in real-world interactions since online gaming groups are anonymous.

• Inappropriate content

There are some parents who may be worried about the games their kids are playing because of the material they include. Even in age-appropriate games, your child may face offensive language, provocative characters, sexually provocative behaviour, or even worse.

• Data protection

There is a growing risk that your children may be deceived into disclosing private information to strangers online just because they have a common interest in a game. Just as you wouldn’t reveal sensitive information in any public forum, personal information shouldn’t be used for the same login credentials for several games, services, or accounts. Kids need to learn the importance of a strong password. 

• Online Predators

Online predators are mature players that prey on children via interactive media. This may lead to improper texts, webcam conversations, or even face-to-face contact that might lead to sexual exploitation. In fact, children aged 12 to 15 are the most targeted by online predators.

• Addiction

Much has been written on addiction to online gaming as one of the risk factors related to video games. What begins as a pastime may turn into an addiction, affecting your child’s sleep, temperament, behaviour, and even physical health.