As parents are increasingly aware of the dangers of letting
kids loose on the internet, more of them are taking an effort to understand
what their kids are doing online. However, for many parents, this understanding
is still limited. Parents have some idea of what to look out for, but often
miss out on other areas. This article focuses on some of the overlooked
concerns regarding online games for kids.
Take the popular genre of
pet games for kids. These games
are generally understood to be for young kids, and the theme is often kid-friendly.
The games revolve around adopting pets, caring for them and looking after their
needs. Kids can often play fun games with these pets and go on virtual
adventures with them. At the surface of it, these games seem pretty harmless.
However, that doesn’t mean your child is not at risk when playing pet games.
Here are some of the other things you need to look out for.
1.
Disproportionate costs
Teaching
kids about the value of money is a very real and increasingly difficult
task. And if your child is playing an online pet game where they are asked to
buy an expensive membership to enjoy most of the features or if they are
frequently presented with innumerable in-game purchasing options, it makes your
task even tougher. That’s not to say that your kids should only play the games
that are absolutely free. For good quality pet games, you may have to shell out
some money. But it’s better for you to make that decision beforehand and then
allow your child to play the game rather than allow the game to market their
products to your child and then find yourself either giving in to their
requests or trying to appease disappointed kids. You don’t want young minds to
be exposed to the idea that anything enjoyable must be paid for. Read up about
the game to understand the costs involved, including the hidden costs. You may
not find all the information you’re looking for on their website. Online
reviews and forums are a good place to glean additional information.
2.
Exposure to strangers
Yes, even pet games for kids sometimes allow players to
interact with strangers. However, many of them have controls in place that
prevent players from sharing sensitive information or using inappropriate
language. That said, you must be aware of what options are available to your
child, what controls are in place and whether your child is ready for those
kinds of interactions. If you choose to let your child interact with strangers,
make sure to discuss the dangers involved, what type of behaviour is not
acceptable and when to talk to an adult. (Remember that there is no way of
guaranteeing that every person playing a kids’ game is actually a kid.)
3.
Exposure to bullying
Even if the pet game that your child is playing does not
allow players to interact with strangers, your child can still be exposed to
bullying. Yes, bullying can happen online and yes, it can be as harmful as bullying
in the real world. Very often, the bully is known to the victim and can include
classmates and even people in the victim’s friend circle. If the pet game
allows chatting and sharing of information between acquaintances, make sure to
talk to your child about
cyberbullying
and how to prevent it. Also discuss what should be done if it does occur.
4.
Unsupervised forums
Many pet games have official forums where players can
interact with each other and discuss topics that are of interest to them. These
forums are usually supervised to prevent users from sharing sensitive
information or using inappropriate language. However, the really popular pet
games may have fan sites and other unofficial forums where users are free to
post what they like. Make sure you know if your child is visiting any of these
places, and be aware of the kind of conversations that happen in those places.
This list is not meant to discourage you from allowing your
kids to play multiplayer online games. To the contrary, kids can learn many
useful skills from playing the right games and socializing online. However, it
is important to speak to them about the dangers that come with the internet,
and to teach them how to behave online as well as how to respond to
unacceptable behaviour. Most importantly, take time to play the games your kids
are playing and understand from first-hand experience what the games are about.
Make friends on the game, join the forum discussions, do it all and then you
can share really meaningful conversations with your child about the online
games they play.
