Parents, teachers and lawmakers need to be more alert as online gaming gains more and more popularity.

Cyber Peace Foundation (CPF), a Ranchi-headquartered organisation that works in the field of internet governance and cyber security across the country, cautioned the stakeholders in a report published a few days ago.

“The report aims at creating an awareness about online gaming among various stakeholders,” CPF founder Vineet Kumar replied when asked.

“Online gaming became more popular during the lockdown but it should be used cautiously so that nothing untoward happens,” he further said, explaining the need of awareness.

The number of online gamers are likely to be around 270 crores across the globe by the end of this year, Kumar cited the report in support of his claim.

In India, the market of online gaming was increasing with a compound annual growth rate of 21 per cent and was likely to touch Rs 29,000 crore by 2025, the report added.

As online gaming gains popularity, cyber criminals also become active and try to pursue tricks to access personal information, location and financial data, the report cautioned.

Besides addiction that may lead gamers to face psychological problems, children and adolescents also often run the risk of downloading malware and even spending too much money for in-app purchases using their patents’ debit or credit cards.

A 13-year old boy in Madhya Pradesh committed suicide after spending Rs 40,000 by using his mother’s debit card earlier this year, the report informed, giving an example.

Children and adolescents who indulge in online gaming may also encounter inappropriate contents or even sexual predators who allegedly try to meet personally or obtain explicit photos, the report warned.

It also suggested certain dos and don’ts.

The report advised use of anti-virus and anti-spyware programmes, creating strong passwords and discouraging downloading softwares and games from unknown websites and clicking links, images and pop-ups from unknown sources.

It also strongly advised never to give personal and banking information while downloading games.

While the government can enforce stricter regulations, teachers can make children aware about the threats involved and parents can convince them to open up whenever they experience something disturbing, the report suggested.