As the use of the internet grows wider and internet users increase, there has been the need to expand the scope of gaming online to incorporate as many users as possible. Just recently, it was estimated that there are at least 2 million users engaged in online gaming at any given time.

Measures taken to curb unscrupulous persons

As the online presence of people increases, so has the number of unscrupulous persons that seek to exploit online gamers. Parents in particular are advised to be extremely vigilant especially when their underage children engage in online games. These unscrupulous people are also blamed for undermining interpersonal relationships in families and made the users neglect their duties. Some proactive measures have been proposed to curb this effect.

• Limiting Play Time

This involves instituting a timetable detailing the amount of time a child should spend on each activity. The time spent on playing online should be limited to enable the child do their homework, do cleaning and interact with other children outdoors. The measures should especially be given to children who play free online games, since there is no financial limit to these games.

• Be wary of the given information

It is important that users do not disclose their private details online, particularly financial accounts. This prevents internet fraud and identity theft. Similarly, users are advised to use nicknames in their games to avoid identification by fraudsters and violation of their privacy. In addition, if they notice any suspicious person, they are advised to block them and post a report to the game site operator. In the case of paid games, users need to be careful when giving out financial details, such as paying to move to another level in a game.