{"id":170387,"date":"2023-06-05T04:41:30","date_gmt":"2023-06-05T11:41:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/?p=170387"},"modified":"2024-11-20T21:39:45","modified_gmt":"2024-11-21T05:39:45","slug":"the-best-way-to-stay-safe-while-gaming","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/family-safety\/the-best-way-to-stay-safe-while-gaming\/","title":{"rendered":"The Best Way to Stay Safe While Gaming"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">When my boys were in the thick of their teen years (pre pandemic), bad mouthing their seeming gaming obsession was almost a sport amongst my mum friends. And it would sound something like this:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u2018They just waste so much time on those stupid games\u2019. \u2018No matter what I try, I just can\u2019t seem to get them off that silly Xbox\u2019. \u2018Can you believe they want to spend all their pocket money on the new version of COD?\u2019 \u2018I am so close to throwing all their gaming stuff in the bin!!\u2019<\/span><\/i><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Fast forward to life post pandemic and I think it\u2019s fair to say that most of us have changed our attitude around gaming. There is no doubt that gaming helped many of us survive the incredible loneliness that resulted from protracted quarantine periods and seemingly endless lockdowns. It took just a few days of lockdown for things to change real fast in our house: daily gaming time caps were scrapped; screen time limits became a thing of history as survival became our top priority!<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Exactly How Much Gaming Is Happening In Australia?<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">But now that life has returned to our \u2018new normal\u2019, have our gaming habits and attitudes really changed? Well, a 2022 report, entitled <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/igea.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/DA22-Report-FINAL-19-10-21.pdf\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Digital Australia<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, has done a deep-dive into the gaming lives of Aussies and the insights are quite fascinating. Here are the most interesting takeaways:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:360,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">17 million Aussies play games.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:360,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">35 years is the age of the average player.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:360,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"3\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">83 minutes a day is what most players spend gaming.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:360,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"4\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Gaming is the 2<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">nd<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> most popular \u2018online\u2019 household activity after streaming TV and movies.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:360,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"4\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">36% of participants have made friends through gaming.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:360,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"4\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">80% of participants believe gaming has a positive effect on their mental health.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:360,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"4\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">76% of parents play online games with their kids with the majority nominating connection as the motivation.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:360,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"4\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">2\/3 of parents set rules for game play.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:360,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"4\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">70% of parents use parental controls.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The Best Way to Stay Safe While Gaming<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">So, there\u2019s no doubt that gaming has become both a more regular and widely accepted part of our daily lives. But that doesn\u2019t mean that we can take our eye off the ball. While there is a lot to love about gaming, there are still steps we should all take to ensure the experience is safe and positive for everyone, particularly our kids. Here are my top tips:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">1. Passwords<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">If you read my blog regularly, I have no doubt you\u2019re rolling your eyes! Yes, I\u2019m talking about passwords again!! And here\u2019s why \u2013 if you (or your kids) use the same password for each of your online accounts and one of those accounts get hacked, then you risk losing control of your entire digital life. Yes, I know it sounds dramatic but that is the reality. The easiest way of avoiding this scenario is by ensuring each of your online accounts, including your gaming accounts, has its own unique password. Now remember, passwords need to be at least 10 characters, have a combination of numbers, symbols and upper and lower-case letters and have no connection to anything about you at all. I\u2019m a fan of a long, nonsensical sentence but, I\u2019m an even bigger fan of a password manager that can both create and remember these unique passwords for you. Check out <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/en-us\/identity-theft\/protection.html?path=blogs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">McAfee+<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> \u2013 it will make your life so much easier!<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559685&quot;:360,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">2. Consider a VPN <\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Keeping your location on the \u2018down low\u2019 when you game online is an important way of securing your privacy and a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/en-us\/vpn.html\">Virtual Private Network<\/a> (or VPN) can do that. When you connect using a VPN, your location is concealed making it impossible for hackers or stalky types to find you. A VPN can also protect you against <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cloudwards.net\/what-is-ddos-in-gaming\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">DDoS attacks which can be used by gaming opponents<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> when the competition stakes are high! McAfee\u2019s True Protection security software offers a VPN, check it out <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/en-au\/antivirus\/mcafee-total-protection.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">here.<\/span><\/a><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559685&quot;:360,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">3. Say Yes To Two Factor Authentication<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u2018Yes please\u2019 needs to be the answer if your online gamer is offered 2-factor or multi factor authentication from a game or distributor. This adds another layer of security by adding an additional stage to the login process. Usually, a code will be sent to an email address or mobile phone number that needs to be entered before the user can access their account. And it appears as though distributors are getting behind player security with some games even offering in-game rewards to those who sign up for it. How good!<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559685&quot;:360,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">4. Only Download Games (and Cheats) From Reputable Sources &#8211; No Exceptions!<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Scammers know we love gaming, so they have spent much energy creating websites that offer free downloads of the most popular online games. But unfortunately, visitors to these websites won\u2019t be getting free games anytime soon as these websites are all about extracting vital personal information from gaming hungry types. So, ensure your kids understand this and that it is essential that they only download games, third-party add-ons, or cheat codes from reputable sites otherwise they risk introducing viruses or game malware into their beloved machines.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559685&quot;:360,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">5. Choosing The Right Games<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">If you\u2019ve got kids, then helping them choose the right games to play is essential. Instead of taking an authoritarian approach here, why not think of it as a collaboration? Ask them to do some research on the games they would like to play and ask them to include the recommended age, an overview of the content &amp; whether there are privacy settings available. I then suggest reviewing the list together to see whether the potential games are good for problem solving skills, creativity, or purely social interactions. I also recommend checking out the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classification.gov.au\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Australian Classification Board\u2019s<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> review of potential games plus top notch digital parenting sites like <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.commonsensemedia.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Common Sense Media<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> before making your final decision.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559685&quot;:360,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Without doubt, the best way you can keep your kids safe while online gaming is to ensure the lines of communication are open and clear. If they know they can come to you if they experience an issue while gaming (and that you won\u2019t immediately punish them and ack away the Xbox) then you\u2019re ahead. Not sure how to kick start the communication? How about a family session on the Xbox. I promise, it will be time well spent!<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Happy digital parenting!<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Alex\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When my boys were in the thick of their teen years (pre pandemic), bad mouthing their seeming gaming obsession was&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":932,"featured_media":170402,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[5514,5513,15836],"coauthors":[5150],"class_list":["post-170387","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-family-safety","tag-gaming","tag-gaming-safety","tag-online-gaming-safety"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>The Best Way to Stay Safe While Gaming | McAfee Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"When my boys were in the thick of their teen years (pre pandemic), bad mouthing their seeming gaming obsession was almost a sport amongst my mum friends.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Best Way to Stay Safe While Gaming | McAfee Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"When my boys were in the thick of their teen years (pre pandemic), bad mouthing their seeming gaming obsession was almost a sport amongst my mum friends.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/family-safety\/the-best-way-to-stay-safe-while-gaming\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"McAfee Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/McAfee\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/CybermumAU\/?ref=br_rs\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-06-05T11:41:30+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-11-21T05:39:45+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/300x200_Blog_060623.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"300\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Alex Merton-McCann\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@cybermum_au\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@McAfee\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Alex Merton-McCann\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/family-safety\/the-best-way-to-stay-safe-while-gaming\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/family-safety\/the-best-way-to-stay-safe-while-gaming\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Alex Merton-McCann\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/#\/schema\/person\/bc6a576667318b5e4668d03276459b6f\"},\"headline\":\"The Best Way to Stay Safe While Gaming\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-06-05T11:41:30+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-11-21T05:39:45+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/family-safety\/the-best-way-to-stay-safe-while-gaming\/\"},\"wordCount\":1054,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/family-safety\/the-best-way-to-stay-safe-while-gaming\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/300x200_Blog_060623.png\",\"keywords\":[\"gaming\",\"gaming safety\",\"online gaming safety\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Family Safety\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/family-safety\/the-best-way-to-stay-safe-while-gaming\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/family-safety\/the-best-way-to-stay-safe-while-gaming\/\",\"name\":\"The Best Way to Stay Safe While Gaming | McAfee Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/family-safety\/the-best-way-to-stay-safe-while-gaming\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/family-safety\/the-best-way-to-stay-safe-while-gaming\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/300x200_Blog_060623.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-06-05T11:41:30+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-11-21T05:39:45+00:00\",\"description\":\"When my boys were in the thick of their teen years (pre pandemic), bad mouthing their seeming gaming obsession was almost a sport amongst my mum friends.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/family-safety\/the-best-way-to-stay-safe-while-gaming\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/family-safety\/the-best-way-to-stay-safe-while-gaming\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/family-safety\/the-best-way-to-stay-safe-while-gaming\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/300x200_Blog_060623.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/300x200_Blog_060623.png\",\"width\":300,\"height\":200},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/family-safety\/the-best-way-to-stay-safe-while-gaming\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Blog\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Family Safety\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/family-safety\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"The Best Way to Stay Safe While Gaming\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/\",\"name\":\"McAfee Blog\",\"description\":\"Internet Security News\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/#organization\",\"name\":\"McAfee\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/mcafee-logo.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/mcafee-logo.png\",\"width\":1286,\"height\":336,\"caption\":\"McAfee\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/McAfee\/\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/McAfee\",\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/mcafee\/\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/McAfee\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/#\/schema\/person\/bc6a576667318b5e4668d03276459b6f\",\"name\":\"Alex Merton-McCann\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/3f8e8c4e285279e7f392131aa1531514\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Alex.-June-2020-96x96.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Alex.-June-2020-96x96.jpg\",\"caption\":\"Alex Merton-McCann\"},\"description\":\"McAfee\u2019s Cyber Safety Ambassador for Australia and New Zealand, Alex, is a mother of four boys who juggles family, work, home life, hobbies and her children\u2019s ever growing social lives (on and offline). Like many parents, Alex has concerns about the safety of her children, who are growing up online world. Alex\u2019s blogs are about internet safety issues and sharing her own experiences, insights and lessons to help keep kids and families safe online. To learn more about Alex and McAfee\u2019s Family Internet Safety Centre, go to www.mcafee.com\/cybermum, follow Alex on Twitter @Cybermum_AU or on Facebook @CybermumAU.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/CybermumAU\/?ref=br_rs\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/cybermum_au\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/author\/cybermum-australia\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"The Best Way to Stay Safe While Gaming | McAfee Blog","description":"When my boys were in the thick of their teen years (pre pandemic), bad mouthing their seeming gaming obsession was almost a sport amongst my mum friends.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"The Best Way to Stay Safe While Gaming | McAfee Blog","og_description":"When my boys were in the thick of their teen years (pre pandemic), bad mouthing their seeming gaming obsession was almost a sport amongst my mum friends.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/family-safety\/the-best-way-to-stay-safe-while-gaming\/","og_site_name":"McAfee Blog","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/McAfee\/","article_author":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/CybermumAU\/?ref=br_rs","article_published_time":"2023-06-05T11:41:30+00:00","article_modified_time":"2024-11-21T05:39:45+00:00","og_image":[{"width":300,"height":200,"url":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/300x200_Blog_060623.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Alex Merton-McCann","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@cybermum_au","twitter_site":"@McAfee","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Alex Merton-McCann","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/family-safety\/the-best-way-to-stay-safe-while-gaming\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/family-safety\/the-best-way-to-stay-safe-while-gaming\/"},"author":{"name":"Alex Merton-McCann","@id":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/#\/schema\/person\/bc6a576667318b5e4668d03276459b6f"},"headline":"The Best Way to Stay Safe While Gaming","datePublished":"2023-06-05T11:41:30+00:00","dateModified":"2024-11-21T05:39:45+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/family-safety\/the-best-way-to-stay-safe-while-gaming\/"},"wordCount":1054,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/family-safety\/the-best-way-to-stay-safe-while-gaming\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/300x200_Blog_060623.png","keywords":["gaming","gaming safety","online gaming safety"],"articleSection":["Family Safety"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/family-safety\/the-best-way-to-stay-safe-while-gaming\/","url":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/family-safety\/the-best-way-to-stay-safe-while-gaming\/","name":"The Best Way to Stay Safe While Gaming | McAfee Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/family-safety\/the-best-way-to-stay-safe-while-gaming\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/family-safety\/the-best-way-to-stay-safe-while-gaming\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/300x200_Blog_060623.png","datePublished":"2023-06-05T11:41:30+00:00","dateModified":"2024-11-21T05:39:45+00:00","description":"When my boys were in the thick of their teen years (pre pandemic), bad mouthing their seeming gaming obsession was almost a sport amongst my mum friends.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/family-safety\/the-best-way-to-stay-safe-while-gaming\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/family-safety\/the-best-way-to-stay-safe-while-gaming\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/family-safety\/the-best-way-to-stay-safe-while-gaming\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/300x200_Blog_060623.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/300x200_Blog_060623.png","width":300,"height":200},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/family-safety\/the-best-way-to-stay-safe-while-gaming\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Blog","item":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Family Safety","item":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/family-safety\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"The Best Way to Stay Safe While Gaming"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/","name":"McAfee Blog","description":"Internet Security News","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/#organization","name":"McAfee","url":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/mcafee-logo.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/mcafee-logo.png","width":1286,"height":336,"caption":"McAfee"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/McAfee\/","https:\/\/x.com\/McAfee","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/mcafee\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/McAfee"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/#\/schema\/person\/bc6a576667318b5e4668d03276459b6f","name":"Alex Merton-McCann","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/3f8e8c4e285279e7f392131aa1531514","url":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Alex.-June-2020-96x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Alex.-June-2020-96x96.jpg","caption":"Alex Merton-McCann"},"description":"McAfee\u2019s Cyber Safety Ambassador for Australia and New Zealand, Alex, is a mother of four boys who juggles family, work, home life, hobbies and her children\u2019s ever growing social lives (on and offline). Like many parents, Alex has concerns about the safety of her children, who are growing up online world. Alex\u2019s blogs are about internet safety issues and sharing her own experiences, insights and lessons to help keep kids and families safe online. To learn more about Alex and McAfee\u2019s Family Internet Safety Centre, go to www.mcafee.com\/cybermum, follow Alex on Twitter @Cybermum_AU or on Facebook @CybermumAU.","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/CybermumAU\/?ref=br_rs","https:\/\/x.com\/cybermum_au"],"url":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/author\/cybermum-australia\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/170387","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/932"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=170387"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/170387\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":205032,"href":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/170387\/revisions\/205032"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/170402"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=170387"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=170387"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=170387"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=170387"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}