10 Online Gaming Commandments Every Kid Should Know

When kids start playing online games, here are some commandments they need to follow so they stay safe

Filipinos are avid online gamers. While today’s kids are playing Roblox, many Pinoy gamers have made their careers through playing online games like DoTA, League of Legends, and even Mobile Legends. Whether as an actual competitor or simply a content creator/streamer, they are still part of a gamer community. And when there’s a community, there are commandments to follow.

It’s not easy to come up with the rules since a lot of them are rather “unspoken.” If the kids are gamers or are just spending an outrageous amount of time on Roblox, here are some commandments they need to follow so they can stay safe online, written by a gamer, for gamers:

1. All conversations should stay in the context of the game.

Every online game has a chat function. It’s for players to ask questions about certain aspects of the game or announce in-game events, in-game things they’re selling, or even ask for other players to join them in completing a certain in-game activity to get the rewards.

So whenever someone starts talking about something that’s not part of the game, don’t engage. Leave them alone. Games are meant to entertain, not be a security breach.

And no, it’s not rude to ignore someone when they start asking personal questions like, “What country are you from?” and the like. Feel free to “block” them also; it’s usually just a right-click away.

2. Never engage a trash-talker.

Filipinos love to trash-talk when playing online games. It’s come to a point that other gamer communities have nicknamed Pinoys as “pee-noise” because they do nothing but insult, ruining the game for everyone. Trash-talking can look like them using the words “bobo mo” or weird-looking variations of it. Jejemon, such as “b0b0 m0,” is their usual go-to to bypass the language filter.

However, some gamers use “trash-talking” as a tactic to “psych out” the enemy. Once the person bites the bait, they forget about the fight because they’re too busy typing an entire paragraph.

So, if ever a player calls someone “bobo” or whatever iteration of the word, ignore them. They’re not actually part of the game’s mechanics anyway.

3. You don’t need to join a chatroom if you don’t want to.

In some online games, gamers insist on people joining a chatroom so they can do “callouts” better. For them, typing takes too much time, which is why they have Discord as their go-to.

But predators can infiltrate chat rooms as well. They can seem like a friendly veteran player before they grab them. Sometimes, they’ll even use the game’s mechanics to make the interactions look more friendly and legitimate.

The best advice any gamer would give is just to learn the mechanics of whatever activity it is they’re doing. It’s just as good, safer, and available on YouTube.

4. Be careful when using third-party apps to make gaming more fun.

Third-party apps are any applications that weren’t part of the game to begin with. Most of these are probably mods, voice chatrooms, and the like—things that gamers use to make things more convenient. For example, Discord is considered a “third-party” for Roblox because it’s made by somebody else. Therefore, any rules in Roblox are not applied to whatever happens in Discord.

Always use ones that are trusted by the community. Every online game has a community forum where players post all sorts of things. No need to interact with anyone on the forum; just read through the interactions and find the info one needs.

5. Don’t just “throw” money at the game.

It’s very tempting to spend money to get ahead in a game. Most gamers even complain that today’s games have become more “pay to win.” Meaning, gamers can just buy things that’ll make flooring opponents so much easier.

But unless one sees themselves playing the game for five years or more, throwing money at the game is pointless. All the more if they’re just playing the game to be with friends—it may not be worth spending on.

6. Only chat with those you know in real life.

It may be tempting to make friends, but it’s not worth the risk. We don’t know who’s on the other side. The only thing we do know about everyone else in the game is that they’re gamers and they like the game. That’s not exactly a lot to go on when learning about someone.

So, keep the chatrooms shut unless a real-life friend goes online. When we say real-life friend, it means someone we actually met in school, know their parents, and probably have lunch with them every month at a minimum.

7. Remember: “Screenshot, Report, and Block.”

While video games do have cybersecurity measures, it’s only to prevent accounts from being hacked. They do nothing for hostile players who use legitimate avenues like chat rooms to find their targets.

When that happens, a screenshot does wonders. It serves as evidence that something fishy is going down. Though most moderators may not get to it in time or ever, it’s good to keep that in case things do get ugly. After that, feel free to “report” and “block” the player. That way, gaming can stay as it is: a fun experience for everyone.

8. Don’t click any random link!

No matter how confused one is about a certain puzzle or activity in the game, don’t just click links. Search it up in the search engines instead. Most likely, someone on YouTube already did it, or the official wiki (or guide page) has some verified sources and maybe even a guide.

9. Don’t just join any gamer community social media group.

Every game will have a Facebook group where players who like the game will gather and post content. But not all Facebook groups are managed properly. Remember: moderators are usually just volunteers, and they don’t get paid. Most of these are rarely verified by the actual game developers and publishers themselves.

Instead, follow the game’s official social media accounts. That way, at least it’s trusted since it’s from the company itself.

10. Remember: every game has a toxic part of their community

No game is perfect. There will always be gamers who enjoy the game too much and hate others for “ruining their fun.” Most of these are gamers who play the more competitive aspect. While it’s rude to be toxic out of nowhere, responding to them just makes the game more stressful to play.

The best thing to do, just don’t talk to them. Ignore them. Don’t even chat them. It ain’t worth it.

From An Older Gamer To The Younger Ones:

Online games are fun, but there will always be a scary part in the game: the community. Since it’s powered by the internet, cultures all over the world will gather onto one world that’s guided by a certain set of mechanics. And so long as they follow those mechanics, it’s difficult for any developer, moderator, or even cybersecurity expert to catch them.

So always protect oneself. Trust no one on the internet. Let’s be honest: the only way one’s going to catch all the bad people on the internet is if they’re paid and expert hackers. So, when playing, focus only on what the game has to offer. Any other questions need not be answered.

More about gaming and kids?

A Gamer’s Guide On How Teens and Kids Can Cope With Gamer Rage
How To Deal With Our Gamer Kids’ and Teens’ Rage
Online Gaming Culture Series: A Parent-Friendly Guide To “Trash-talking”