Children frequently use online gaming platforms, and since the pandemic use has increased even more. All though there can be many positives to online gaming such as being a part of a community and being able to contact your friends. But as with any internet platform there are also many risks that you need to be aware of and talk about with your family and friends. Not only are there gaming platforms you need to be aware of but there are other communicating and streaming applications related to the games being played. These are some news stories about online gaming that we think you should know about!.
In a recent CBC News report there is an increase of explicit content being pushed on the kids online gaming platform Roblox. After reports of this information first dropped a few months ago the company responded by saying that any content of sexual nature is strictly not allowed and usually taken down with minutes. They also reported that these gaming rooms are generally hard to come by on their own, and links to them are usually sent or posted on other social media and communication platforms. The best way to protect yourself from stumbling upon this type of content is to increase the privacy and safety settings within these games. As well as being cautious of the links you click outside of the program.
Spectrum News 1 has created an article detailing tips on how to keep you safe on Discord. Discord is a popular application that allows you to communicate with others in gaming communities, as well as many other topics. Some of these Discord servers related to games like Fortnite have over 800,000 users active in them. These servers allow you to stream games, voice chat, text chat and many other features to keep you connected with others that play the same game as you. The issue with this is that it opens you up to risks like inappropriate content, phishing scams and much more. You can be safe on this platform by finding age appropriate servers, not accepting random users as friends and as always be careful when clicking links. Read more about how to stay safe on Discord here!
Although it can seem as if the internet and online gaming are only full of dangers there are many positives to them as well. According to a study by PsyPost after surveying 5000 children aged ten to twelve that users who played online games for two years for an average of an hour a day scored an average of 2.5 points higher in an IQ test then those who didn't play daily. Although these benefits are quite slim, if harnessed in the right way, could be very beneficial. Such as introducing an educational game to their daily usage. In the same study they saw that social media did not have this same effect, only online gaming. We recommend trying our new game CyberGuardians, which is a fun, unique learning experience. You can read more about this study here.
We hope this helps you to learn a little bit more about the risks of online gaming, the benefits and how to protect yourself! Make sure that you are following Kids Shield on all online platforms to never miss out on important information and resources. While you’re at it sign up for our email list to be notified whenever a new blow drops. Thanks for being a part of the Kids Shield growing community. Be educated, be connected and be safe!
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