You can’t spend all your time on academic work – you need time to engage in activities that let go of some steam. One excellent activity that has become popular in this respect is online gaming. Gaming comes with loads of other benefits, including making it easier to find friends with the same interests, promoting the spirit of competition, and improving creativity.
However, gaming online has some risks. For example, those you play with online can resort to harassing you as a way of getting back to you when you defeat them. Identity theft is another serious risk that online gamers face. You can also experience instances of phishing and online game addiction. So, we’ve curated some safety strategies for student online gaming enthusiasts.
Choose Secure Games
There are thousands of online games you can play online. However, some aren’t safe – they are platforms used for phishing. Thus, you shouldn’t just download and play any game you find online. Assess it carefully before you engage in it.
How do you ascertain the game you go for is safe for you? Research extensively on a game before you download it – the fact that a game is on an app store you’ve always trusted doesn’t automatically mean the said game is legitimate. Look at reviews on the game, as they can tell you if to keep it off or to try it. It’s like when looking for an essay writing service; checking reviews helps to know the quality of papers to expect if other people who used the service were satisfied with what they got, and if you’ll be safe using the service.
Also, you need to ensure you aren’t exposed to inappropriate content online as you play your games. The best way to go about this is to ensure you play age-appropriate games. You should know that your safety when gaming online is mostly your responsibility. So check the age rating of a game before you download it.
Keep Yourself Safe From Addiction
Addiction is a serious threat when it comes to online gaming. Other aspects of life will suffer when you become addicted to gaming. For instance, you’ll begin spending most of your time gaming instead of doing academic work. You’ll fail to complete your assignments within deadlines, submit low-quality papers, and fail to study for tests. Consequently, your academic performance will start to dwindle.
Ensure you have gaming time limits and decide wisely when to game. For example, you can schedule your gaming in your spare time – don’t skip classes or postpone an assignment to game. Also, don’t stay up all night gaming.
You should also know when you’re drifting towards online gaming addiction. The first sign you’re becoming addicted is when you notice you’d rather game instead of engaging in productive activities. When you notice you don’t have the motivation to do anything else apart from gaming, it’ll be time to pump the brakes.
Keep Your Personal Information Safe
Some people like sharing their personal information online in the course of playing games. For instance, someone can opt to use their real name on a gaming account. Others share their locations. The risk with this is you expose yourself to identity thieves and harassment.
Keeping your personal information safe enhances your safety. Don’t let people know about where you live or where you go to school; it’s imperative for improving your physical safety. Besides, other online gamers shouldn’t know your real name – they can use such details to steal your identity or damage your reputation. Moreover, you should take note of mysterious links. They could be from phishing websites. Don’t click on them or proceed with caution.
Play Anonymously
In most cases, when gaming online, you play with people you don’t know. However, some of them may be just across the street – that doesn’t mean they are good people. If you don’t know about their identities, don’t reveal yours.
The best way to stay anonymous is to use a pseudonym; don’t use your real name. The same applies to your profile pictures – no one should know how you look. Using your real photo can cause a lot of unwanted attention and pressure towards you. You can still enjoy gaming even when other participants don’t know you. Stay anonymous and stay safe.
Also, be cautious when interacting with people online. Don’t disclose any information you aren’t comfortable with. An example is an instance where another gamer requests you to open your webcam – don’t if you aren’t sure about their intentions.
Remember, you’re at liberty to block any player you want. If you feel there is a gamer making you feel uncomfortable, use the “block” button. Such a simple step could save you from a lot of problems.
Safeguard Your Gaming Account With a Strong Passcode
Avoid using passcodes that people can guess, such as your date of birth and your username. Make it difficult for unauthorized people to access your account and your personal details, including your payment information.
How do you ensure you have a robust gaming account password? Create it by blending different characters (lower- and upper-case letters, numbers, and special symbols). Also, change the passcodes regularly – don’t use one password for too long.
Safeguard Your Physical Well-Being
Gaming safety also entails protecting your health. Gaming for too long could have negative physical effects. For instance, you may begin to experience vision problems because of spending too much time in front of the screen. Also, your posture may begin to suffer and you’ll start experiencing neck and back pains. The reason behind this is that, normally, gamers, especially those who don’t use good gaming chairs, tend to slouch into a rolled position by slumping their shoulders and leaning forward. When done over time, the neck muscles become weak, and the back muscles tighten. Hence the change in posture and neck and back pains.
The first tip to take care of your physical well-being is to find a good gaming chair to maintain a comfortable sitting position. Also, you should take breaks from gaming to rest your eyes and stretch. Gaming is supposed to be fun – don’t let it be physically taxing.
Shutting Down
Online gaming is fun, but you can make it even better if you improve your safety. Play the right games, avoid addiction, and don’t share your personal details. Also, use strong passcodes and safeguard your physical well-being.
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