Online Gaming

If your child is into video games, then they are likely to want to play games online with friends. While they may start out enjoying games that they play on their own or games where you sit right next to the person you are playing (co-op games), they will likely venture into online gaming at some point. It is important that you help your child understand what they should and shouldn’t be doing in this world.

Many years ago, as the internet was just getting started and online gaming was just beginning, you couldn’t play your video game console with others if they weren’t sitting right next to you. Computer games did allow you to play online, but it was many years before video game consoles had the ability to connect with other gamers as they explored and conquered the worlds they were in.

Today, basically every game has some online version of the game where you can connect with other people. If you’re into gaming, then you understand the allure to this - being able to compete against someone else that is on a similar level to you allows you to improve to be better in the game. Playing against the computer/console eventually gets boring, but you can play for a long time against others.

As your child grows older, they also want to play against their friends. They’ll discuss the game at school and then they’ll talk about playing together. This means that your child will want to play online. Prepare yourself for this question, and figure out how you want to proceed. Determine if you will let your child play online, and at what age. Make sure they know the rules of online play and the dangers.

First off, determine if your child is mature enough to play online games or not. They may not be ready to deal with some of the issues that may show up in online games. For example, there will often be a chat or discussion going on and there could potentially be inappropriate comments depending on the game. Some kids simply aren’t old enough to understand the conversations that are going on.

Find games that are either sandboxed to just your friends (in other words, no one else can join the games without knowing a password or way to connect) or else look for games that moderate their chats to some degree. These will help you to alleviate some of the concerns that you may have with the online discussion. Obviously, if the game doesn’t have in game chat, then those are great options as well.

Make sure your child knows that they should never give out their real name, their phone number, address, or any other information about themselves. Make it clear that these are simply things that will never be given out in online games and if someone is asking for them then you should be alerted immediately. Make sure they understand that this is a boundary not to be crossed no matter what. Be firm, but also make sure they know that you want to know if there is ever someone asking for this.

As long as your child doesn’t give out personal information, then online gaming is generally pretty safe. There is generally a bit of inappropriate comments and words when playing with older crowds, so look for games that your child doesn’t have access to online chats or that are locked down to just their friends.

Online gaming is one of the best ways to enjoy a game, but help your child to learn the rules of what’s acceptable and what is not.