The world is full of risks- there are dangers in nearly everything that you take on these days. Playing games online might seem like a perfectly safe activity, and for the most part it is, but there are still some safety considerations to take for your enjoyment and safety. These tips include:

1) Do not reveal personal information like where you live. Generic tidbits like "Boston" are fine, however descriptions of neighborhoods or house numbers are not.

2) Do not disclose your full name online. Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in the United States, and it only takes a full name to get an experienced hacker on the road to taking everything from you.

3) Make sure that the site you are playing games on is secured before giving out any of the above information or your credit card numbers.

4) Monitor the online activity of all children, including teens, who will be more lax about giving out personal information and talking to people who might be potentially dangerous to them.

5) Do not engage in or tolerate inflammatory, insulting or threatening speech while on the message boards or in the chat rooms. Report any violations of these to the site manager, especially if they are directed toward you.

And finally, to protect yourself financially, make sure that you are playing a free game, or that you understand the charges that will incur for a pay game. Is it a pay as you play, a one-time fee, or a monthly membership? If you do not know, then you could be seriously surprised when your huge gaming bill comes. For instance, for a pay per play game, you will rack up a charge for every time you restart the game. If you do not understand, then you should seek resolutions and further answers before you play the first game.

Also, for your own protection, you should make sure that you know how to ask these questions, or any others that might arise, or to make complaints if that should be the case. If you have signed up for a membership on an online game site, do you know how to cancel if something should come up? Are there restrictions to cancellations? If you play twice for the new month and then have to cancel, will you be entitled to a refund?

Know as much as you can before you play, and keep aware of your personal information at all times. You are there to have fun, without having to worry.