Kids Online: Making Gaming Online Safe

Gaming online has opened up new friendships for my son. Monitoring his kids online relationships is just as important as keeping tabs on his real ones.
by Jenny Mero on April 29, 2012

School is out for the summer, and my son knew how he wanted to celebrate: by gaming online on Xbox live. His weekend (and only)  privileges had been revoked for two months because he’d slipped up on his responsibilities of kids online. He got the message, and now he’s back attacking zombies and playing all sorts of sports games.

As the level of excitement and the chatter picked up in our living room, I started thinking about how his gaming online doesn’t mean we can zone out, read a book, and relax. Quite the opposite. He’s playing with neighborhood kids and family members, but also with kids online, “friends” he only knows virtually. It requires just as much monitoring as his real-life interactions.

Here are some ways we keep our kids online safe:

Keep the gaming online action in the living room: We do not let him engage in game-playing in solitude. An adult has to be around while he's online. We want to be able to hear the topics of their conversations and make sure there is no bullying happening. And just like his local friends, I want to know about the kids he is playing with. I ask questions about them and familiarize myself with their user names.

Check the parental control settings for gaming online: Make sure they meet your comfort level. For instance, we have ours set so that if he enters a public room, he cannot talk to people who are not on his buddy list.You can also block specific players from contacting your child.

Take interest in the games and the rules: Our son enjoys explaining the rules and goals of the games he’s playing. It allows us to know what’s going on, what excites him, and he feels like we’re connecting.

Set ground rules for your kids online: Our son is not allowed to reveal where he goes to school, his real name, address, or other identifying information.

How do you keep your child safe when gaming online or engaging  in virtual kids online communities?

 

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