Online games are a great source of entertainment. Not only children but even adults are hooked to the online games. While entertainment is one aspect of playing online games, the safety of children is another.
There might not be any danger physically when playing online games, but the children are exposed to the virtual dangers that are lurking on the internet.
Here are some tips that can help you keep your children safe when playing online games:
1. Never divulge complete information: the internet is a virtual world where the identity of a person is hidden under a pretentious profile. Children have to be taught the basic rule of using the internet and that is of not divulging any information that can identify them. Such information includes full name, address and phone number.
2. Monitor the online activities: parents must monitor the internet activities of their children. This includes researching about the online gaming sites which are mostly visited by their children. They should ensure that the gaming sites do not contain malicious content. In addition, they can check that the websites have safety features that protect the kids from being harassed.
3. Communicate with known people: often gaming sites enable usage of live chat or other devices that can help people talk. Parents can keep their kids safe when playing online games on such sites by educating them on the internet safety and asking them to not communicate with strangers. However, it is possible on the internet to use someone else's identity, so kids must be taught to block or ignore requests if they are being harassed or bothered.
4. Not send any private content: kids must be taught they must not send any private or sensitive content on the gaming sites as this could jeopardize their identity. In addition, children should also be prevented from using the internet from public places as any information sent from such places could be misused if fallen into the hands of hackers.
5. Build confidence: to keep your kids safe when they play online games is to inculcate a sense of confidence. Children must have the confidence to divulge any secrets to their parents without the fear of rejection or over reaction. This helps them communicate about any harassment or stalking that they might be facing digitally.
Parents can monitor the activities of the children and help them feel comfortable. They should be able to judge if something is wrong and help them out. Online games are meant to be fun and entertainment. They need not become bothersome or troublesome.
Therefore, as parents it is your responsibility to monitor the activities of your kids. You can help them find some good gaming sites that offer user friendly, fun games. You can read reviews on blogs and forums that can help you find good gaming sites. In addition, you can sit with your kids while registering to play online games.
This way you can ensure that your kids are safe when they are playing online games. The point is to build confidence so that your children can come up to you in case of any problem.