5 safety tips for metaverse gaming

There are new safety tips for metaverse gaming we will have to embrace with the rise of virtual worlds. Metaverse gaming can be revolutionary for those interested in virtual worlds or interested earning money while playing games. 

Gaming can also serve as a significant driver in terms of metaverse growth. Here are five safety tips for metaverse gaming you may want to consider before spending too much time in virtual worlds.

Protecting personal information

There’s one aspect of Web 3.0 that isn’t much different from Web 2.0: you will have to protect your personal information. We don’t yet know what data privacy will look like in virtual worlds, but many digital rights advocates are already concerned.

There’s simply no reason to offer up info that can personally identify you, and users asking for that information could be bots or cybercriminals hoping to capitalize on your data. It might sound like common sense, but it’s still one of the most important safety tips to remember.

Protect your virtual space

The metaverse might be promising, but it is already home to some serious issues. Several women have already reported that they’ve been groped in the metaverse, which is a major issue if the metaverse wants to thrive.

Meta has already introduced a “personal boundary” setting that prevents another avatar from invading your space. While this feature might not yet exist in every metaverse, try to ensure other users respect your personal space during your metaverse gaming sessions.

Establish physical limits

One of the most promising aspects of the metaverse is that it offers full immersion. This does have other implications, though. No one wants to be so immersed in the metaverse that they end up harming themselves by walking into a wall or accidentally hurting their pet while gaming.

The best solution? Designate a safe space before diving into the metaverse for gaming experience. This might be one of the most important safety tips for metaverse gaming, and it should be considered before the rest. Remove any objects (think tables with sharp corners) from your gaming space that might cause physical harm.

Taking breaks

The rise of different metaverses means that more human beings will be interacting in virtual worlds. This process is more immersive than the average gaming experience, which also means it’s more important to take some time away from virtual worlds from time to time.

Video game addiction is already a real problem. There are billions of gamers, and anywhere from 1-10% of them can be classified as addicts. With the rise of the metaverse, more breaks will be necessary to ensure metaverse gamers don’t become too burned out too quickly by virtual worlds.

Reporting harassment

One of the major issues with the gaming world is that it’s also known to be quite toxic. Gamergate marked a cultural shift in the online world. For those who don’t know, Gamergate refers to a harassment campaign from 2014 to 2015 that raised new questions about privacy, online harassment, “internet mobs,” extremism, and more.

It’s easy to see how someone can harass someone else in the metaverse. Even if their physical avatar does not grope another avatar, someone can verbally harass other individuals in virtual worlds. For example, there have already reportedly been rape threats in the metaverse.

If we want the metaverse to truly welcome everyone, there will have to be some way to go beyond just muting or blocking other avatars. Free speech advocates might not like it, but there has to be some way to ban metaverse gamers who are repeatedly harassing others.

What are some future safety tips for metaverse gaming

The Future Today Institute predicts many people will be participating in the metaverse by 2030, whether it’s for work or personal reasons, such as gaming. One fact must be stated: the metaverse can’t be safe unless there’s some sort of global framework to decide on rules, regulations, rights, and ethics in the metaverse. Until then, it’s likely the concept of “safety” will vary from one metaverse to another, depending on who is there and for what reasons.