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The risk of children in South Africa becoming involved in online gaming is multifaceted, especially concerning safety, exposure to inappropriate content, and the potential for exploitation, including human trafficking or kidnapping.
RISK FACTORS:
ONLINE PREDATORS AND GROOMING:
Online games often have chat functions, where predators can pose as fellow gamers to build trust and form relationships with young players.
Children and teens may share personal information with these online "friends," making it easier for predators to exploit or target them.
Grooming tactics can escalate to requests for in-person meetings, especially if children are led to believe they are meeting a fellow gamer of a similar age.
LACK OF PARENTAL SUPERVISION AND EDUCATION:
Many parents may not be fully aware of the online risks associated with gaming platforms.
Limited supervision can lead to children accessing games unsupervised, making them vulnerable to harmful interactions.
Additionally, many parents are not equipped with the knowledge on how to set privacy controls or educate their children on online safety, which is critical to prevent exposure to strangers with malicious intentions.
PERSONAL INFORMATION SHARING:
Young players may unknowingly share identifying details (e.g. school name, city, social media profiles), which could lead to their location or routines being discovered.
Some games also ask for location access or include built-in mapping features, which can be exploited by malicious users if children are not cautious with settings.
HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND KIDNAPPING RISKS:
South Africa has seen cases where online communication leads to real-world trafficking incidents.
Human traffickers may use online platforms, including gaming, to recruit, manipulate, or deceive children and teenagers.
Kidnapping risks are heightened when children share their location or engage with strangers, who may be able to track them through social media and gaming profiles.
ACCESS TO INAPPROPRIATE CONTENT AND CYBERBULLYING:
Online games expose children to various risks, including cyberbullying, where they may be harassed or threatened.
Children may also encounter content or interactions that encourage violent or illegal behaviour, which could make them more vulnerable to other risks, like exploitation.
Raising awareness about these risks and ensuring children understand safe online practices are critical steps in protecting them from potential threats in the online gaming world.
South Africa's gaming industry is experiencing rapid growth, particularly in mobile gaming, which accounts for 91% of the country's gaming revenue. In 2023, South Africa's gaming industry generated R7.3 billion, with 26.5 million gamers across the country. About 85% of these gamers play on mobile devices, while the remaining 15% use PCs or consoles.
The high penetration of smartphones (79% in 2024) and affordable access to games are driving this trend.
Unlike in the U.S.A., where gaming spans multiple platforms relatively evenly, South Africa's market is more concentrated in mobile gaming. PC and console gaming are smaller segments but remain popular among hardcore gamers for titles like FIFA, Call of Duty, and Grand Theft Auto. Additionally, the PlayStation dominates the local console market, accounting for 66% of console sales.
This growth aligns with global trends of increased gaming across all demographics, suggesting that gaming in South Africa
is becoming a dominant form of entertainment, particularly among young people aged 14-28.
While online gaming can provide quality social interaction, there is also a darker side. From cyberbullying to online predators to hidden costs, there are many concerns when it comes to playing video games online, especially for children.
The most important thing a parent can do is establish a dialogue about safe online usage at
a young age and build upon that as your children age.
When they understand the risks and the importance of security, children are more likely to come to you with red flags,
alarms or smaller things that worry them.
PROMINENT DANGERS:
CYBERBULLYING:
For many kids, the ability to escape into an online world offers relief from real life—no one knows who they are, what school they attend or what they look like.
This anonymity cuts both ways, however.
This may start out as the gamer version of poor sportsmanship.
As noted by "Get Safe Online", some players take advantage of their anonymity to "grieve" other players by deliberately making the game less enjoyable.
This could include "kill stealing," which is when griefers conquer or capture needed quest targets before other players can get to them, or "chaining" groups of high-level challenges to block the progress of low-level players, causing them to die.
In some cases, "grief" escalates to cyberbullying.
Although cyberbullying sadly has countless forms, some forms are particular to gaming platforms.
In "whispering," cyber bullies target players directly with hurtful and harmful messages or by spamming global chat channels with derogatory comments about their victims.
It is critical for kids and parents to understand their options.
Most games allow players to "block" chat and messages from other users, and in some cases, the bully's words or actions may violate the game's terms of service.
It is always a good idea to write down or take a screenshot of any offensive conversation and report it to game administrators.
PRIVACY PROBLEMS:
Kids should also never create usernames that are derivatives of their real names, or that might reveal any other personally identifiable information (PII), such as their location or age.
It is critical to remember that the social nature of online gaming allows cybercriminals to manipulate conversations.
They may single out your child in a general chat channel and then send personal messages asking for detailed personal information.
By piecing together data from games and other sources, hackers may be able to access other existing accounts, such as social media or establish new accounts - even entire digital identities - in your child's name.
As in any online forum, never give away any personal information and be sure to vary usernames and passwords across different games, platforms and accounts.
PERSONAL INFORMATION ON CONSOLES, COMPUTERS AND DEVICES:
Another danger of online gaming comes from consoles or PCs themselves.
When they have outlived their usefulness, many families take these devices to the local electronics recycling centre or sell them on swap sites.
Users often forget how much personal information is in the files saved to these devices and fail to delete their profiles and information, putting their financial and private data at risk.
Before getting rid of any computer, game console, tablet or smartphone, you should wipe all personal data from them and then perform a factory reset.
The specific tools or procedures needed might vary depending on the type of device, so it's important to research this for each device.
Also, remember that some devices might include storage areas unaffected by the device's erase functions.
If a device uses computer-compatible storage drives, like SD cards, connect them to your computer and securely erase the data.
Don't rely on the "Delete" function or even reformatting for computers.
These features are designed to permanently erase all user data from disk drives.
Instead, you should use a program that completely removes data by overwriting the data multiple times.
WEBCAMS:
Webcams have been hacking targets since they entered the scene.
At first, webcams were physically separate peripherals, manually added by end users, and often left unprotected and with their default factory settings. The exploits were many and easy.
Today, with many devices, from laptops to tablets to smartphones, featuring built-in webcams, reports of webcam hacks continue to be regular events.
Whether internal or external, any connected recording device - such as a webcam or microphone - can be controlled remotely by attackers and used to exploit your children.
To help mitigate this risk, use cyber security software that provides real-time and scheduled system scans for malware.
Ensure that all webcams use "off" as their default setting and use physical shields, whether built-in camera covers or even a piece of opaque tape.
ONLINE PREDATORS:
Online predators are typically older gamers who use video games to lure and groom younger victims.
This can culminate in inappropriate messages, webcam chats or even face-to-face meetings that could lead to sexual exploitation.
According to Internet Safety 101, online gaming gives predators the chance to build a kind of shared online experience, in effect becoming the child's defender, teammate and ally.
After defeating a tough opponent or exploring a new level of a game, predators form a bond with younger gamers based on these common experiences and leverage them to venture into more personal territory.
In many cases, predators seek to isolate children by splitting them from their parents and real-life friends by taking up the mantle of the "only person who really understands them."
Combating this problem means talking to your children about online risks and monitoring their gameplay closely.
HIDDEN FEES:
Dangerous online games have many forms and tricks.
Some online games use the "freemium" model, which means they give you some content for free; however, payment is required for full game features, functions, and access.
So-called free mobile games are big business, generating over $61 billion in 2018 alone.
A few years ago, the freemium business model offered to remove in-app ads for a modest one-time fee.
Since then, the freemium model has rapidly evolved to offer subscriptions, expanded functionality, virtual currencies, weaponry, special abilities or other accessories in exchange for credit payments.
In most cases, these games require users to attach a credit card to their gaming profile.
Their card is automatically charged whenever users purchase new items or services.
The solution is simple.
Never give out your card number for any freemium games.
If your child is playing more traditional subscription-based games or games that run through services like Apple or Google Play, activate the purchase password feature these providers offer in their account settings menu.
Regularly checking your credit card bills is a good idea to ensure you are not being charged for purchases you did not approve.
If you allow your children to use your smartphone or tablet, you should consider switching off "in-app updates" to prevent your children from racking up huge bills for in-app purchases without even realising it.
MALWARE:
Trojans may modify a legitimate app and upload the malicious version to Google Play or another legitimate marketplace.
Malware such as adware and Trojans that convert infected machines into zombies in larger botnets continue to plague even the most reputable app marketplaces.
Often, malware operates on a delay timer, so victims don’t connect their online gaming to the attack.
The lesson here is to be mindful of which apps you download.
Malware can be hosted by or simply masquerade as a legitimate app.
Three basic steps to minimizing malware risks are as follows:
Pay attention to recent reviews and news stories,
Research the game developers as well as the vendor or marketplace,
Use your cyber security software to scan the files when you download them to your computer or mobile device.
Make sure you discuss and approve all your children’s gaming and downloads.
The importance of reputable cross-device cybersecurity software cannot be overstated.
Playing online is not all fun and games - children are at risk from bullying, identity theft, credit card fraud and even sexual exploitation.
Make sure to talk to your children about these risks.
They will be prepared to avoid these threats by establishing a dialogue at an early age.
Look for warning signs, understand the risks and take an active interest in your kids' online gaming habits.
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