What you can do to help your children play safe?

The actions you take to keep your child safe will depend on their age and stage. Younger children will need more supervision, while teens will need less. You can also play your child’s game with them to better understand it – and learn why they enjoy it. Although online games can be fun and teach valuable skills, it’s important you provide guidance so that their gaming doesn’t interfere with other parts of their lives such as school work, sleep or physical health.

Your children will sometimes play with people they don't know

Naturally, most people prefer to play online with their friends - gaming is one of the modern ways of socializing for many kids. Most games on computers and phones nowadays have a multiplayer option where gamers can interact with their friends. When friends aren't available, your children could potentially get matched with strangers all over the world. Most of the times, it will be kids of similar ages but you never know! Some games also have private messaging features, particularly if it’s a game that allows contact with other players.

What are the benefits of gaming?

It’s easy to dismiss online gaming as a waste of time, but there are more benefits than you might think. Some games help to develop and hone skills like communication, teamwork, collaboration, strategy and hand-eye coordination. When you talk to your child about gaming, try to understand what it is that they like about playing. This will help your understanding, and help them to feel like you care about something that is important to them.

In any case, playing multiplayer online games is safer than running on the streets unsupervised, especially for troublesome teenagers!

Why do people like online gaming?

Many people cite these reasons when they explain why they enjoy gaming

1. The challenge of coming up with a strategy to win
2. Playing with others in a team environment
3. Talking and communicating with other players
4. A sense of accomplishment after winning
5. The creativity and imagination of playing in an online world
6. The autonomy and independence to accomplish goals
7. Being good at something and seeing themselves improve over time

What can you do before allowing your children to play?

There are a few things you can do before downloading a game for your child. This includes:

Check the age restrictions. Similar to how movies are rated G, PG, and R18, computer games also have certain age restrictions. PEGI rating on a game confirms that it contains content suitable for a certain age group and above.  So a 7-rated game is suitable for everyone who is seven or older, while an 18-rated game is deemed suitable for adults only. The age categories are: 3, 7, 12, 16, 18 and ‘Parental Guidance Recommended’ (which is used for certain apps).

Using parental controls. Both mobile and traditional gaming platforms offer parental control features which require you to approve any game your child tries to download.  Depending on the age of your child and any other factors that may come into play (e.g religious or cultural beliefs) it is worth looking into this.  If the game needs to be linked to an email address, it is recommended you provide your email address so you are across any correspondence.

Check ratings and reviews: Before your child downloads any game, check the age rating and read reviews from other parents.  Websites like Common Sense Media offer game reviews by parents for parents.  You could also consider playing the game yourself first to get a feel for the online player community and familiarise yourself with any reporting or blocking procedures.

Set boundaries: Talk to your child about the game before they get started and set some boundaries including how many hours you think is appropriate to play. It’s a good idea to discuss the basics of online safety behaviour and remind them to never share personal or private details with someone they meet online – this includes not using personal information in their username.

Make a plan in case something goes wrong: It’s important to go through any terms of service or community guidelines with your child. Talk with them about the types of behaviour they may experience from other players while playing the game. Make sure they know how to use block and report features and let them know that they can always talk to you if they encounter something that makes them feel uncomfortable or upset.

What should you do after downloading a game?

It’s important you continue to talk to your child to understand the online activities and experiences your child has. Take the time to tune into the conversation – what might seem like just a game to you might be the way your child is connecting and interacting with people they don’t know. Regular proactive conversations help to minimise the damage if things do go wrong online. The other things you can do:

Set up privacy settings: Learn how to configure privacy settings especially any private messaging feature. Many adults play games rated for a general audience and you never know who is behind a gaming profile. Use a strong password and remind your child to not share personal information online.

Be wary of in-game purchases. The most popular game nowadays is Fortnite. It's free to download and play. Do you know how the creators are making money from it? Many players do microtransactions, like spending a few dollars here and there to buy game items. If you agree to link your credit card with the online gaming account, ensure that you remove your credit card information after each purchase.

Check in: Talk to your child when they’re playing and show interest in their progress. Ask how they are going and if they have any concerns about other players.  Note any changes in behaviour or sleeping patterns, or if they start talking a lot about a new friend they met in the game.

Keep an eye on the settings: Depending on your child’s age, you may want to check their profile and messaging privacy settings from time to time to ensure that their information is kept as safe as possible.