Tips to staying safe whilst gaming
- Take regular breaks – make sure you get up, stretch, and walk around for at least a few minutes every hour
- Limit your streaming length – only stream for a few hours if you’re going solo, or share a 24-hour stream with others
- Keep hydrated – make sure you have plenty of water and healthy snacks
- Look after your eyes – give your eyes a break away from the screen, at least for a few minutes every hour
- If you’re not feeling well, stop the stream – even if you’ve committed to more hours, stop the stream and look after yourself
You should also be mindful that you don’t feel compelled to keep playing over other activities, or at detriment to yourself. The World Health Organisation has recently recognised gaming disorder as a medical issue. Although not common, this is something to be mindful of. If you are concerned you can find more information and support here.
If you’ve chosen a violent game or one that is rated 18+ you also need to make sure you mark your stream age appropriately on Twitch (or the streaming platform you’re using). Similarly, if you will not be having a PG stream based on the language you use you will need to make sure you make this clear.