Something that I like to discuss is the ease with which individuals open themselves up to cyberstalking. A lot of people don’t even realize the detail they are revealing during online conversations and gaming sessions. While these online gaming tips should be considered by adults, the goal of this checklist is to create a conversation point for parents and children (and teenagers).

Online Gaming: The Setup

What video game are you playing?

Different video games have different levels of interaction. Some games, such as first person shooters, sports games, and casual games are less likely to have high levels of interaction. While MMOs (Massively Multiplayer Online Games) and MOBAs (Multiplayer Online Battle Arenas) are likely to have higher levels of interaction.

What video game platform are you using?

Video games played over console have many benefits when it comes to online privacy. Mostly, the communication platform is built into the console. You don’t have to worry about data exposure from external platform usage. At the same time, everything is tied to a paid account and you associate closely with that profile, often linking other accounts to your console identity. Knowing where this data is associated is key.

What is your online username or persona? Does the game tie your username to your in-game name?

Many games will have a username that is separate from your in-game name. Others will use your email for login and display the username to everyone. I personally encountered this issue when I created a Blizzard account. I picked my usual ‘treguly’ username, assuming I’d then pick an in-game name. Unfortunately, they displayed that name in game and I had to reach out to support to have them change my username to something less identifiable.

Additionally, people tend to assume an online persona and (Read more...)