It’s more than a game, It’s more than a game, it’s your lifeit’s your life

On?

Aims for this Safer Internet Assembly:Aims for this Safer Internet Assembly:

• To create awareness of our ‘virtual lives’ ‘virtual lives’ – what does this mean?

• To understand the benefitsbenefits of online games and social networking

• To discover the dangersdangers of online games and social networking

• To promote responsible, safer and ethical behaviour ethical behaviour online

• To explore how our ‘virtual lives’ can affect our affect our realreal lives lives and the real lives of others

• To know how to stop cyber bullying stop cyber bullying and abuse

• To have some fun!fun!

Hi. My name is Sam and I am an avatar. I am the animated 3D image of a real person. I communicate with my friends online all the time and I am also an online gamer. In this assembly you will learn how what you do in the virtual world, can have a good and bad effect on your life, now and in the future.

So, what do So, what do youyou understand by the term understand by the term ‘virtual life’? ‘virtual life’? Did you think of any of these?

• Communicating and playing online

• Not my real life

• My online life

– Social networkingSocial networking

• Facebook

• Bebo/MySpace

• IM (instant messaging)

• SMS (texting)

• Twitter

– GamingGaming

• On your own

• In your home with family and friends (multi players)

• On the WWW/Internet (multi players)

Some facts and figures of life online:Some facts and figures of life online:Did you know?

o Gamers spend on average 8 hrs weekly playing online

o Young people sleep 2-3 hrs less per night than 10 years ago

o In January 2010, 18 million accounts were registered on Second Life

o Facebook reports more than 500 million active users

o Users spend 700 billion minutes on Facebook each montheach month

o There are 13 million players in World of Warcraft (WoW) – world’s largest MMORPG (massive multiplayer online role playing game)

o Up to 250,000 players are playing online WoW at any time

o Money exchange and sales of virtual goods in virtual worlds were estimated at £17 million in 2009

How easy is to run up a Bill ?

Benefits of life online – able to:Benefits of life online – able to:• Keep in touch with friends and family, anywhere in the world

• Develop social skills; share lives; develop decision-making

• Make new friends, have fun and be entertainedhave fun and be entertained

• Develop independence and builds resilience

• Develop collaboration and team player skills

• Develop key and real-world skills; problem-solving

• Create content

– users take part in activities and discussions on a site, and showcase content – music, film, photography or writing

• Enjoy physical exercise, dance mats, Wii Fit/Sport, Kinect

Dangers of life online 1:Dangers of life online 1:Today young people spend a good part of their lives on activities Today young people spend a good part of their lives on activities

ranging from social networking to online gaming. In doing so they ranging from social networking to online gaming. In doing so they face multiple challenges related to their face multiple challenges related to their privacyprivacy, , reputationreputation andand healthhealth

• Many games are designed for adults – containing adult themes and explicit imagery. (Games should carry labels indicating age they are appropriate for)

• Too much time is spent online – gaming or social networking

• Games can become addictive

• Real money is spent online in games – buying virtual goods, e.g., on eBay – this has created an opportunity for ‘virtual crime’!

• Privacy at risk- viruses, worms, trojans, which can send information back to the hacker

• Computer security at risk – lack of firewall, anti-virus program, attack by adware, spyware etc to gain control of your computer

Dangers of life online 2:Dangers of life online 2:

• Social risks

– Identity stolen: use an avatar/imageavatar/image and nicknamenickname

to hide behind

– Personal information stolen

– Credit card or bank details stolen

– Paedophiles contacting young people by pretending to be another child, setting up meetings, grooming them, tricking them into revealing personal information so they can follow or abduct them

• Virtual mugging – some players create bots which defeat other players’ characters and take their items/virtual goods

• Cyber bullyingCyber bullying – in a social network, by texting or in a multi player game. This is the This is the biggestbiggest problem to young people online. problem to young people online.

School based Protection – Securus & VLE

SCREEN Shots – register the time, the computer and the user instantly !!!

Conclusion on ‘virtual life’:Conclusion on ‘virtual life’:

The virtual world has many positivepositive things. It has become a major source of fun and entertainmentmajor source of fun and entertainment, developed new industries, jobs and sources of revenue. It has also inspired the human imagination of millions of people

However, it is important to know and guard against guard against the risksthe risks associated with ‘virtual lives’ to keep keep them safe and enjoyable them safe and enjoyable for all

CEOP – has a lot of helpful advice about internet safety for you and your family

!!