“Swedish teen suffers seizure after 24-hour World of Warcraft Marathon.” “Video Games are the New Frontier for Sexual Predators.” (Good article to check out). Obviously there are things parents need to be aware of about these games. Online games and Game consoles ( think Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, Playstation 3) have really taken over part of the entertainment aimed at kids and teens (not to count us adults out, I’ve definitely had a great time playing MarioKart and Guitar Hero!). Headlines like the ones above should really make us think about parental involvement in choosing games and controlling monitoring time spent on them and with whom.
Every year the National Institute on Media and the Family (NIMF) issue a report card aimed at the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB). It was prompted by the release of increasingly graphic violent and sexual video games in the ’90’s such as Doom and Mortal Kombat. In the past the ESRB has not come out with flying colors due to the relaxed ratings. This year however they scored 3 A’s and a B+. Not too shabby and a great improvement. The only failing grade was given to….Parents. The report card said, “Parents need to pay more attention to the amount of time and the types of games their kids play.” The ratings given are actually quite accurate and should be paid more attention to. Here’s a list of ratings and what they mean:
1) EC (Early Childhood; games for little kids)
2) E (Everyone; games that generally lack objectionable content)
3) E10+ (Suggested for any player age 10 or older)
4) T (Teen; may contain content inappropriate for children under 13)
5) M (Mature; intended for people aged 17 and up)
6) AO (Adults Only; contains content intended only for grownups)
Parents need to make good use of the parental controls they have at their disposal. All three gaming consoles - Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii - offer parental controls using four-digit pin codes that let parents set the rules over what content the players can and cannot access, for example, stopping the ability to send voice or text messages online or locking out an R-rated game. The PS3 and Nintendo Wii will also let parents disable the Internet functions of the consoles. Games also allow specific settings and controls, World of Warcraft parental control settings allow you to set how many hours per day and on which days your kids can play the game. A good idea after the 24-hour player episode.
If you own a gaming system, the opportunity to enter a live “play” with strangers is available through a modem, enabling gamers to reach each other players world-wide. Video games such as Xbox 360 and Nintendo’s Wii have become virtual playgrounds for children and adults. There are settings which enable gamers to play with people they know, or to play with strangers. So, parents can see the potential danger here, allowing a stranger into your home through the gaming system or online. There are possibilities for inappropriate conversation and fishing for personal info. When you have live voice chatting, age and gender are pretty obvious. Microsoft designed around that too. You can select a voice mask that changes your voice to that of a robot, adult or even a little girl. Voice altering can be a good thing, for protecting your age and gender but it can also work the other way and alter the voice of a potential predator for more anonymity. Check out this great site for more info and tips about live chat and gaming safety.
One thing is definitely clear, parents need to know what is going on with the games their kids play, for how long and with whom! It is up to parents to keep up with what’s going on, not that you have to become an expert or anything, just be aware. Many parents have moved the games into a public area of the house and have enforced a “gaming when parents are home only” rule. Whatever you decide, do as much as you can to keep your kids safe. Discuss it with them too, make sure they know what can be dangerous and what you will do as a family to avoid bad situations.
Check out this site for help in choosing or NOT choosing certain games for the family.
Any tips or advice or just want to leave a thought on the topic? Make a comment!
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