For quite some time, gaming online was deemed to be something of a wild west. The chats and social features were often unmoderated, and gamers had little recourse to block others or move away from toxic behavior outside of stopping their play completely.
Luckily, most developers understand their responsibility today, providing more tools for gamers of all stripes to manage their social exposure and private settings. But, as ever, that doesn’t mean personal responsibility and careful handling won’t do the most to help you avoid unwanted and unhelpful content.
That’s not to lay the blame for poor treatment on your shoulders of course, only to be realistic about what we can do when such difficulties might reach us. Let’s consider the following:
Set Your Privacy Filters
Gaming platforms today come with quite detailed privacy settings to keep your online profile safe. Take time to look through them properly, as they control everything from who can message you to who sees when you’re online. Many people leave these on default settings without realizing how much control they actually have. It’s true that sometimes developers mess up such as the recent drama with FFXIV’s MMO privacy settings, but many gaming sites platforms offer ways to manage who can see your activity or interact with you. Setting these up early saves headaches later.
Block & Report When Needed
Sometimes people cross lines that shouldn’t be crossed. Most platforms now make blocking quick and simple, and it usually takes just a couple of clicks. Don’t feel bad about using these tools when someone makes gaming less enjoyable. Reporting serious problems helps moderators spot repeat offenders too. The gaming community grows better when everyone plays their part in keeping things civil, and when discrimination, bullying or harassment are absoluetly reported to those who can withdraw service to those engaging in such behaviors These tools exist for good reason, and using them actually helps make games better for everyone. Better yet some even offer feedback reports, so you may see how your action made the virtual space better for everyone.
Set Up Content Controls
No matter if you’re playing an online FPS or socializing with Spinni Casino, content filters do more than just catch bad language but can gate what content your account accesses. This might help you filter out specific topics, and even control when gaming time is available. Parents especially benefit from these tools, but adult gamers use them too. Some people prefer keeping their gaming time focused on the actual game rather than side chats or social features, and good content controls let you choose exactly what kind of experience you want, without cutting off helpful communication completely. Just be sure to look through all the settings available so you can more easily understand where the options lie, and how to curate your experience. It’s okay if this changes over time too, we all play different games for different moods!
With this advice, we hope you can continue to remain safe when gaming online, no matter what.