Category

Online gaming

Category

Worldwide, online gaming is considered as one of the best ways to reconnect and socialize with people apart from the ones we know in our lives. It is also an excellent stress-buster for all the students to take a break from their academic routines. Aside from all these perks, gaming online offers a ton of genres from which the students can make their favourite choice of games.

That said, online activities are generally associated with risks and risk factors. As a part of the responsible citizenship, it is imperative to abide by all the safety rules and regulations put forward by the government. It is essential to stay safe while gaming online to secure ones privacy and dignity.

Let’s start by highlighting the concerns and the risks involved when students (or anyone for that matter) are gaming online.

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Risks Involved

  • Most players online are strangers to one another, playing from different parts of the world. Hence, it is easy for them to fake their identity and be dishonest in terms of name, identity, city, country, gender, and what not!
  • The chat feature present in most games can expose students to an inappropriate subject for a chat and the use of abusive language.
  • Fake friendship from gamers affects their mental health.
  • Students may be victims of malicious activities like cyberbullying and online grooming.

Tips to overcome the risks

It is imperative to follow the following safety measure and tips before exposing any student to the ocean of online gaming, to alleviate the risks mentioned above and activities

  • The importance of playing age-appropriate games ought to be discussed with the students interested in online games. They also should be encouraged to maintain open lines of communication to maintain a healthy relationship between the guardians/parents and the students.
  • Monitoring the kinds of games played by the students is essential because it provides a way to keep track of the content they’re exposed to, in the real world.
  • Multiplayer games are dominating in the gaming world, and the students need to follow online safety tips and guidelines to keep their sanity online. This includes not revealing any personal location, personal information, online passwords, mobile numbers, OTPs sent on mobile phones and many more. They should also be guided in ways to mute or block the conversations that are not in their best interest or otherwise offensive.
  • Students ought to be digitally smart; otherwise, they should be taught in that subject before they start playing these games. This is important because it helps them download games from credible sources, instead of falling prey to pirated games and information online.

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Bottom Line

In addition to those mentioned above, it is also the primary responsibility of the schools and other educational institutions to take notice of these actions and guide the students in the right direction. Gaming online is for entertainment and to take the mind off from the street, but should not become a particular headache in the students’ life.