NSTeens

Digital Information Literacy

Interactive Gaming

Play the Game but Don't Get Played

Are you guilty of any of these behaviors?
  • You posted a not-so-politically-correct comment in the message forum when you got beat down in your game by another player.
  • You included your age, gender, hometown, and picture in your gamers profile.
  • You played a game rated 'M' for Mature on your game console or a violent game online.
  • You stayed glued to your couch or monitor playing games until 5 AM and went to school wearing the same nasty shirt, with mangled fingers, an orange tongue from all the mindless snacking, and greasy hair under some scented hair gel. You also forgot your homework.

If you answered "Yes" to any of the above, read on. (You can thank us later.)

What is interactive gaming?

Whether you're playing on a game console or a computer, there are certain risks that every gamer should at least be familiar with. Game consoles like the Xbox 360TM and multi-player games online allow a gamer to play with friends, teammates, and opponents all over the world. New communication features include voice and video chatting in addition to the standard text message boards and chats; this is called interactive gaming. All these cool options are meant to enhance your gaming experience, but if you don't use these features properly, several issues can ruin your game time and worse, harm you emotionally and physically.

So what are these dangers?


CYBERBULLYING

Ever been cyberbullied? The bullies, also called griefers in the world of interactive gaming, use profanity and inappropriate language to taunt, trash talk, and harass unsuspecting gamers, especially n00bs or newbies. Here are some ways to deal with griefers:

  • Ignore them! If you don't fight back and acknowledge they exist, they'll eventually get bored and go away. In the meantime, you can mute and block any unwanted messages.
  • Only play with people you know. Start your own private game and invite only players you know in real life.
  • Avoid using screennames or gamertags that can provoke griefers to target you.
PROTECTING YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION

Most interactive games ask the player to create a profile as a first step. Be aware that information you post in this profile can be visible to anyone connected to the game network. As a general rule, you never want to include your name, location, photo, and contact information like your E-mail address and phone number. But it's also not a good idea to reveal your age and gender, especially if you are young and/or female. Get to know your gamer profile settings, give only your friends the privilege of viewing your profile, or block everyone. It's up to you to protect yourself by keeping your personal information private.

WHO ARE YOU REALLY TALKING TO?

Unless you know this person in real life, there's no way to really tell who is on the other end of your voice or text chat. Remember when your teacher told you never to judge a book by its cover? Well in the world of interactive gaming, this couldn't be more true. No matter how cool and harmless people may seem after you have communicated with them, read their profile, and judged their mannerisms, this person may be looking to harm you. Needless to say, never meet in person with anyone you first met online. Talk to a trusted adult if anyone asks you to meet in person.

INAPPROPRIATE GAMES

Playing certain video games with the "M" rating and other games that are inappropriate for young people may affect you in ways you hadn't thought of.

  • These games may cause you to feel guilt and make you regret ever playing.
  • You may become associated with a group of people you know nothing about; it could cast you in an unfavorable light among your friends and family.
  • These games may affect and change your behavior in real life. The rush of playing a violent game could carry over even after you're finished playing the game and compel you to act unlike yourself.
  • Negative consequences out of your control may follow you even after you're finished playing the game, such as being put on a racist mailing list after playing a racist game.
ADDICTION

Feeling played by your game console lately? If your gaming takes time away from essential activities such as sleeping, eating, studying, or spending time with friends and family, you may have a bit of gaming addiction on your arthritic little hands. Practice self control and make better choices by prioritizing your activities and setting time limits for yourself.

Prevent, before it becomes a problem!

Remember these tips during interactive gaming:
  • Communicate with people you know in real life; block or mute the rest.
  • If you must communicate with gamers you don't know on your headset, use voice-mask so they can't tell your age or gender.
  • Only add people you know in real life to your friends list.
  • Profile and photo sharing should only be done with people on your friends list.
  • Talk with a trusted adult or the game administrator if you don't know how to deal with another gamer or gaming issue.
Game on!!