How to Use Voice Chat Safely While Gaming Online
Video game voice chat lobbies have the potential to become toxic very quickly. Everyone’s on edge in a tense gaming situation, and it can only take one untimely death for some players to lose their cool.
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Use a Suitable Screen Name
One of the first things that any online community will notice about you is your screen name. That is how people know how to identify you, so it will be the first piece of information they seek out. Making sure your screen name is suitable for use in an online environment is extremely important.
It may not seem like a big deal when you’re picking your online username, but it can certainly have an impact on your online experience. If your nickname is offensive to anyone in any way, you are pretty much asking for trouble when you enter an online lobby.
It is also wise to avoid having your real name as your online username. You never know who you are going to come into contact with in an online lobby, so making sure you keep yourself safe by withholding any personal information is a good idea.
Never Give Out Any Personal Information
Your real name isn’t the only piece of personal information you should keep to yourself while gaming online. You should avoid revealing any sort of private information whatsoever, including where you live and any of your online passwords.
It can be easy to slip up and reveal an important piece of private information, especially if someone you know or are friends with in real life is in the voice chat lobby as well. But staying vigilant about never revealing your address or other information someone could use against you is the number one rule when it comes to using voice chat safely.
There are also plenty offree voice changing appsthat you can use to keep yourself even more anonymous while gaming online.
Never Meet Up With Someone You Don’t Know
This doesn’t just go for voice chat. Never meeting up with someone you don’t know is a rule that you should apply to every aspect of your online life. You never truly know who is lurking behind the screen or behind the microphone in voice chat, and the reality is that it could be anyone with unknown intentions.
Even if you have been in contact with someone over voice chat for years, and you truly feel like you know them, meeting up with someone who you met online is never without its warnings.
Avoid Triggering Subjects
One of the main things that can set gamers off in voice chat is the subject of conversation. Everyone has differing opinions in life, and they won’t always align with your own. Avoiding touchy subjects such as religion or politics is one of the best ways to avoid an argument in voice chat.
Those types of subjects don’t have anything to do with the game, anyway, so you will likely not be adding any value to your gaming experience by broaching them with your voice chat lobby. Eyes on the prize, gamers, eyes on the prize.
Don’t Stay in an Uncomfortable Lobby
It’s all well and good not to bring up touchy subjects yourself, but you’re able to’t control what other gamers talk about in a voice chat lobby. If you find yourself in a lobby where the conversation is getting heated, or you or anyone else is getting bullied in any way, the best thing to do is just leave.
You are not bound to any specific voice chat channel, and the chances are there are probably hundreds of other lobbies you could join instead, where you will find yourself having a much better time. Staying in a sour lobby can ruin your gaming experience, and the last thing you want to do is spend your time focusing on standing up for yourself or someone else rather than actually gaming.
Block or Report Any Suspicious Behavior
Every community has some bad eggs, and the gaming community is no exception. The reality is that if you play games on voice chat, you will often come across and experience some sort of toxic behavior while gaming online.
When gamers take it too far and start harassing, bullying, or engaging in any other abusive behavior on voice chat, it can have real-life consequences, and it is not tolerated.
Every gaming platform has a code of conduct that you, as a player, agree to abide by whenever gaming online. Voice chat or no voice chat. These guidelines are only put in place for the safety of people using these services, and they are pretty self-explanatory. Nothing in the code of conduct is unreasonable, but you still may come across gamers breaking these guidelines.
If you do, you are well within your rights to report or block them. Blocking a player gives you the reassurance that you will never have to come into contact with them again, and reporting them allows a moderator to review their account and see if they need to be banned or suspended.
Games likeValorant record all voice chatsfor this reason, but many other platforms like PlayStation allow you to take 30-second recording to support your case when youreport someone on your PS5or PS4.
Reporting abusive players online is encouraged by moderators and can help keep yourself and others safe, so don’t be afraid to use the service if you feel like you should.
Gaming Is Supposed to Be a Fun and Enjoyable Experience
When you sit down to play a video game, you want to have fun, not spend the coming hours defending yourself or someone else from voice chat warriors online. Voice chat exists so gamers can better communicate and coordinate attacks to enhance their gaming experience, not make it worse.
By using any or all of these tips and tricks, you can help keep both yourself and other gamers safe. Never giving out personal information or talking about sensitive subjects are great ways to stay safe online, and if you ever find yourself in an uncomfortable situation, don’t hesitate to remove yourself from it and block and report players if you have to.
Here are the best free voice chat apps for gamers, along with their pros and cons, to help you pick the best one.
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