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Online gamers (Image Via PC Gamer on X)
With an increase in the number of gamers across the world, the incidents of online bullying across multiplayer video games have also seen a sharp increase. So, much so that even some of the most developed countries like Singapore are also suffering from it.
In a door-to-door survey by the Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI) in Singapore from October 2022 to February 2023, some shocking revelations were made. During this time, 810 gamers from the ages of 10 to 18 who were engaged in online games were questioned.
Among that, 17% of the gamers between the ages of 13 and 18 revealed that they were victims of bullying from other players. That’s 1 in 5 gamers getting bullied in online games. For those who think the number might be low, the number refers to targeted harassment, with almost half of them (48%) keeping this to themselves till the survey.
Parents asked to be more aware
The survey also revealed that About one out of three children admitted to playing with strangers while half of the parents had no or vague idea who their child played online games with, making the children vulnerable to predators, identity theft and most commonly online scammers.
Parents who were aware of this were restricted the game time but were lied to in 24% of cases by the children. To further support the parents, the MCI along with tech companies launched an Online Safety Digital Toolkit for parents after the survey.
Deal with it?
A general response from many is to just deal with the situation or mute them. However, this does not solve the core problem. Online games with multiplayer are usually oriented towards teamplay and communication, and some of the most popular games boast the most toxic gaming community. A few examples are Roblox, League of Legends and Dota 2.
Sadly, despite finding ways to resolve these issues and protect young children, there is currently no definitive solution for this as of now. While punishments are a great way to minimize these types of players, it does not lower their numbers, as these people try to come up with workarounds for the safeguards.