A Safe Game is a Good Game

Safety equipment and measures are required to play many games offline, so why should it be any different online?

A SAFE G IS A GOOD G A M E “Checking in on what our kids are doing online isn’t ‘helicoptering,’ it’s ‘parenting’”. This observation is from blogger Galit Breen, M author of Kindness Wins. Her quote emphasises that adult presence, along with continuous communication with children, are necessary steps parents should take for protective purposes and to educate young ones on the evils that exist E online.

Our world—schools, homes, workplaces, shopping centres, sports complexes—is a digital world with risks and dangers in corners and behind screens. One

medium that is often overlooked by parents when teaching their children about cyber-safety is online gaming according to Breen.

In 2017, Bond University collaborated with Interactive Games & Entertainment Association to produce a ‘Digital Australia Data Report Snapshot 2018’. This report established that 97% of residences with children have computer games and the average daily total time spent playing video games is 89 minutes. In 2016, the Raising Children Network published an online article illustrating that

children of an extensive age range engage in video gaming: 39% of 1-4 year olds, 91% of 5-14 year olds and 84% of 15-24 year olds.

This article also established that children from each age bracket hold different purposes and gain various benefits from gaming. The younger children in the 1-4 year old bracket get the chance to develop skills in the fine motor and time management areas.

The big issue with your child playing with strangers online is that you may never know if another player is an adult or a child

Ages 5-14 can benefit from slightly more challenging games that enhance problem-solving skills, memory and practising teamwork while the 15-24 age group tend to experience more emotional and social benefits like self-satisfaction and boosting social confidence.

Yet, the Google Safety Centre warns that while video games can benefit a child’s development, it is vital to be mindful of the hazards that can loiter within the shadows of cyberspace. Without careful monitoring from parents, it can be easy for children to fall into frightening situations.

Online games can be the perfect portal for predators, as it provides

The eSafety Commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, urged parents to deactivate webcams for their child’s security

opportunities for strangers to make contact with children and build a relationship with them, regardless of location. Leonie Smith, an online safety educator who goes by the name of The Cyber Safety Lady online, confirms that multiplayer games are risky due to the participation of strangers. “The big issue with your child playing with strangers online is that you may never know if another player is an adult or a child,” Smith states.

The Cyber Safety Lady is a helpful site to visit for guidance in ensuring online experiences and encounters with other users are safe. Leonie Smith is certified by the Australian Government’s Office of the eSafety Commissioner, so the information she produces is a reliable and valid source for parents to refer to for guidance and tips regarding staying safe in cyberspace. Through her work, Leonie promotes the importance of privacy settings, parental controls, close monitoring and continuous communication between child and parent or guardian. The Google Safety Centre is another useful portal which helps families build good online safety practices and habits. They encourage parents to make online safety a significant part of family discussions. Other useful tips include utilising privacy settings and parental controls to filter out explicit and inappropriate content, keeping passwords private and limiting online access to allow only age-appropriate sites and apps for children to interact with.

Late last year, the eSafety Commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, urged parents to deactivate webcams for their child’s security, or the villains on the video games could become a very real nightmare if users are not careful. Webcams are like peepholes for predators to peer through, which can lead to unwanted audiences whilst engaging in gaming.

Useful links

www.theselittlewaves.net www.thecybersafetylady.com.au www.esafety.gov.au

Digital parenting requires constant learning to stay current. Digital parents are constant learners, according to the experts, who need to stay current with technology and observe how children are accessing and exploiting new apps, devices and services.

“Your child needs to think twice before entering their email address, clicking on random links, and sharing their personal information,” writes Galit Breen