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| Photograph by Tim Pierce |
On December 21, 2015, a somewhat popular “Let’s Play” YouTuber named LionMaker tweeted unacceptable images of an underage admirer, whom he connected with via Minecraft. Unfortunately, this is not the first time LionMaker took advantage of an emotionally vulnerable teen, and it is far from the first time the insanely popular game has been used for inappropriate activities.
Minecraft is indeed beloved by millions of gamers around the world; it is now the second best-selling video game in history, and it is quickly gaining on the number-one spot. Minecraft is even more popular among children, as the wide-open world encourages connection and creativity unlike any other game on the market. Yet, it is precisely this seemingly uncontrolled environment that has many Minecraft players (and parents of Minecraft players) concerned about safety.
Minecraft has the potential to be exceedingly beneficial for children and adults, but as with any online social experience, players must understand and abide by safety precautions to get the most from their games. Here are some helpful hints to make any Minecraft game as safe as it is exciting.
Know the Facts
Every game ― from tabletop dice games to MMORPGs ― comes with age restrictions to help players understand the difficulty and scope of included content. Minecraft’s terms and conditions strictly state that the game that the game is intended for players over 13 years. However, children 13 and younger are not prohibited from play: Their parents simply must agree to their actions before the child may sign in.
Minecraft’s privacy settings are limited, but there are ways to restrict who you interact with online. For example, you may opt for single player, which prevents anyone from entering your world or communicating with you in any way. Additionally, you can choose to build a local area network (LAN) game, where only people you know in the same room can join your game. Private multiplayer games are a step above that, limiting entry to your world to acceptable guests, and public multiplayer games have absolutely no constraints regarding who comes and goes.
As yet, Minecraft does not have a “report” feature for you to protest certain users’ behavior. Fortunately, some servers and modifications contain options to flag offensive users, who will be banned by a moderator; to understand these options further, read on.
Choose Servers Wisely
Online multiplayer servers provide some of the most exciting opportunities for play, as users can explore others’ worlds and gain inspiration from others’ creations. However, not every server is right for every player. Playing alongside strangers will always add some risks to your game, but if you choose Minecraft servers committed to your play style, you should be relatively secure in finding fun and appropriate environments.
Generally, the best advice for playing on trustworthy servers is creating your own, but most Minecraft players don’t have the know-how to do so. Instead, you can opt to join servers operated by people you know and trust, or you can find lists of family-friendly servers.
Understand Mods
One of the most thrilling aspects of Minecraft is its flexibility. Nearly anyone with some coding experience can build his or her own mods that change the world in unique and interesting ways. However, not every mod is tried and tested, and plenty of them can make your game unstable ― slow, glitchy, and prone to crashing ― or worse, unsuitable ― full of objectionable, rude content.
Some players don’t mind playing in a world without mods, but if you are curious about adding onto your game, you should follow a few smart and simple modification rules:
- Always have a strong security program installed on your computer.
- Only download mods from reputable sources, like The Minecraft Forum or the MCF Modlist.
- Limit the number of mods you have functioning at one time.
- Back up your game files before adding or updating mods.
Monitor Extra-Game Interaction
Perhaps the place players are likeliest to encounter inappropriate content is not actually within the Minecraft game itself, but rather the world outside. Minecraft is more than a game ― it is a global community of players striving to create and add to the exciting phenomenon. All over the Web, users are generating images, videos, songs, and articles about the game. However, just because a website is devoted to an all-ages game does not mean that website is for all ages.
All younger players should have supervision when they venture online for Minecraft tips and tricks, and adults should review any YouTube channels or game-related blogs before allowing their kids unlimited access to the resource. No Minecraft player should follow in the footsteps of LionMaker’s adoring fans, who were unfairly abused for their love of the game, so all Minecraft players should be smart whenever they enjoy Minecraft in its various forms.
