About the social importance of online games and playing together

Online gaming is a crucial part of today’s video gameplay. The true challenge comes from playing together with real people. But online gaming platforms have become the hunting ground of less desirable characters as well.

There are really cool things about playing video games with multiple players, like chatting with friends and playing way better together.

But there are a lot of downsides about multiplayer gaming as well. For example Minecraft has become a hotspot for pedophiles and kidnappers.

There are many different ways to communicate with other players, but in Minecraft most of the people communicate via chat so their voices can’t be recognized. If you want to play Minecraft with your friends I’d highly recommend to use Skype. In that way nobody except your friends or family can chat with you.

Single player missions in Destiny are cool, but multiplayer maps are more challenging.

I like to play Destiny with my friend and we use parties to communicate. You may wonder what a party is. It’s a private chat which you can only be invited to, that means only if you’re friends with a person you can join him. Many children get tricked in multiplayer games. Here is a story that happened to my friend when he was playing Destiny. He was playing a mission with other people he didn’t know and he wanted to ask something, so he turned on his mic. As soon as his teammates heard his voice they all left the game, because they realized that he was just a kid. The online world is really cruel, so be very careful while playing together.

Playing together and chatting together

Minecraft a hotspot for pedophiles? Sean is referring to an ugly case that happened in Switzerland in June 2016. A twelve year old boy called Paul got lured by a pedophile, who worked as an administrator on a Minecraft server. The 35 year old cook Werner C. kidnapped Paul and kept him for eight days in his apartment in Duesseldorf, Germany. The pedophile sexually abused the Swiss kid and was recently sentenced to five years in prison. He will be sent to a closed psychiatric facility for indefinite time. Why? The grade of his illness is practically untreatable and the chances of a relapse are very likely.

Anonymity in chats can be tricky.

The case shocked many parents and kids. Once again video games got a bad rap. But the sad case of Paul is not about Minecraft. It is about the social aspects of online culture. Anonymity draws out the worst in people- Just think about costume parties, where people can hide behind masks. The same goes for online nicknames. Check out forums and be amazed about the harsh judgements, racist comments and misogynistic points of views.

For kids and teenagers that roam around online, there are certain rules to follow, if they don’t want to fall into the child grooming trap:

1. There are exceptions to the rule, that people are nice and friendly.
2. Play and chat with people you personally know.
3. If you want to make online friends, you have to worry, if the following questions start popping up:
   – Are you alone at home / in front of the computer?
   – What are you wearing? Did you ever have sex?
   – Where can I find pictures of you? Do you own a webcam?
   – What’s your real name? Where do you go to school?
   – Why don’t you give me your cell phone number? Do you use WhatsApp?

Rarely these questions will appear in the first few minutes. Sexual predators want to gain the trust of their victims first. They will listen to the problems of kids, promise them gifts or other benefits like money, concert tickets, the chance to become a photo model, an actress…

Games are a part of every day life

This said, parents should not panic and first of all don’t ban online gaming or the use of social networks. They are part of our every day life and integral for the relationships of us and our kids. It is very interesting to see, that Sean for instance still has very close contact to a former school mate even though they go to separate schools now. They share Destiny as well as Overwatch as games online and chat also about non game related topics through the party chat feature of PSN. On the other hand Sean rather rarely sees his former best friend, who also enjoys playing computer games, but not the same one’s like Sean.

In this mobile world, where families move from country to country or city to city, an online platform like a social network or multi-player online game, even a simple one like Clash of Clans, can serve as a rock in a stormy sea of faltering relations. Gamers know they can return to the game and their “friends” and share a similar interest.

Even simple games like Clash of Clans can serve as an anchor in a mobile world.

Getting your kids safely through this constantly changing and evolving digital world, parents need to guide them with their knowledge and experience from the “real” world. Especially younger kids need guidance. Like learning to ride a bike, you can only do that by riding a bike, not by looking at it. You may fall, get bruised, but you will stand up again and eventually ride your bike safely. You may also compare diving in to the digital realm, with getting to know your way around a big city and it’s traffic. There are certain rules to follow like “wait, watch, listen” before you step out into the road, preferably using a cross-walk. Other basics like “Don’t talk to strangers” apply to the online world as well. Stick to the people you know online or at least voip-chat, so that you can hear whether it’s a kid or an adult.

To my fellow parents I say: Don’t give up, just because you may not have all the technical skills required. If you need help, ask your children, maybe they have the necessary know-how.