TruthScape.com  9  The Truth About Personal Health and Safety in RuneScape

How to Handle Sexual Harassment, Racism and Other Serious Verbal Abuse Maintaining Mental Health in RuneScape

Physical injuries from RuneScape? Well, it is a video game, so it's not like you're going to break a leg or dislocate a shoulder or anything. Even so, there are some physical conditions that can arise from playing - especially if you overdo things. Here are a few to watch out for.

As the name implies, a repetitive stress injury (RSI) is one that occurs from repeating the same motion too often over a prolonged period of time. This is probably the most serious risk for most RuneScape players: many activities require repeated mouse movements and clicks, which can lead to injuries of the wrist, hand and fingers. One common type of RSI is carpal tunnel syndrome, in which the nerves in the carpal tunnel of the wrist become compressed, leading to pain, numbness, tingling and or weakness in the arm and hand.

These injuries are not something to be taken lightly, because in some cases the damage can be long-lasting. Here are some specific suggestions for avoiding RSI:

• Play at a Proper Computer Station: Use a good chair and desk that are positioned at appropriate heights. Playing in an awkward position - say, using a notebook on a sofa - increases strain on the body. Figure 78 shows a typical recommendation for an ergonomic working environment.
  

  Figure 78: Ergonomic Computer Use

  This diagram from OSHA should give you some ideas of what you should be aiming for in terms of ergonomic computer use. You may not have a proper workstation but can still work on good posture and positioning. (Click the link for much more details on this.)

  
  
  
  
• Ensure Good Posture: You should sit upright in your chair, without hunching over. Hold your wrists and hands straight in line with your forearms without excessively bending the wrist.
  
  
• Take Breaks: Do not play RuneScape (or any other game) for hours at a time without stopping for breaks. (This is also good advice for other reasons.)
  
  
• Alternate Between Skills and Activities: Some skills and actions on RuneScape put much more stress on the hands and fingers than others, especially ones that include many repetitive clicks or movements. Fortunately, Jagex has been changing the game engine so that making potions, assembling complex food items and stringing bows no longer takes hundreds of clicks. Even so, there are other activities that still can cause strain, so spend a bit of time on them, then do something else that doesn't require so many clicks.

Above all, pay attention to your body! If your hand or fingers start to feel numb, tingly or weak, stop playing. Change your playing habits and computer setup, and if the problem persists, see a doctor.

Flashing patterns and lights can induce epileptic seizures in some people, a condition called photosensitive epilepsy. In many cases they have already been diagnosed with epilepsy, but not always—again, RuneScape appeals to children and teens, who may not have exhibited symptoms of epilepsy before.

Symptoms of an epileptic seizure can vary widely. They may include twitching, loss of body control, involuntary muscle contractions, tingling, dizziness, numbness, and odd effects on vision.

If you experience any of these symptoms while playing RuneScape, stop playing and get medical help immediately. Note that some people may experience an “aura” (visual or auditory changes or strange feelings) before a seizure starts—always pay attention to your body!

Those who are prone to this problem may wish to avoid one infamous area in RuneScape: the lair of the Slayer monsters called killerwatts. The area where these are located features frequent lightning flashes. Fortunately, Jagex put a warning about this issue before you enter the area, once it became clear that they were an issue for some people (see Figure 79).

Incidentally, playing on low detail eliminates some of the extra “gadgets” in RuneScape's graphics, which may be of assistance to those who are sensitive to light.

Spending too much time looking at a computer screen can cause eye strain. This is made worse if the lighting conditions are poor, or your monitor is poor in quality.

Suggestions for avoiding this problem:

• Take Breaks: Again here, problems are normally caused by overdoing things. You shouldn't sit at a computer screen for six hours straight.
  
  
• Ensure Adequate Lighting: Eliminate or reduce sources of glare, and also make sure the room isn't too dark or too bright, both of which cause strain.
  
  
• Check Screen Resolution: The RuneScape window is fixed in size. If your monitor has too high a resolution, this may make it hard to see details in the game.

If you continue to experience eye strain or vision problems, you should see an eye doctor and get yourself checked. It is possible that you may need glasses or other correction to your vision.

How to Handle Sexual Harassment, Racism and Other Serious Verbal Abuse Maintaining Mental Health in RuneScape