The virtual world of online gaming has never been a
part of my world, but I’m very aware that for kids, gaming communities are
omnipresent and parents would be remiss to ignore their benefits as well as
their potential hazards. On the bright side, children can exercise important
life skills while gaming. They employ their imaginations and use
problem-solving strategies while practicing social skills. However, there can
be a dark side. Cyber-bullying is very real and very dangerous. Children can
also have interactions with strangers, or even real-world predators.
Parent involvement is critical. So, if your children
are running amuck in cyber-space, it’s time to grab the cyber-bull by the horns
and get engaged with the gaming community. Here’s one way to get started close
to home.
Its important to know which gaming communities your
child plays in and which safety features are available on the gaming equipment.
For example, some headsets have voice-masking features. Keep gaming consoles in
an easy-to-supervise location and know that your child may have access to games
in other places. Most cell phones today have Internet access. Tell your
children and continually remind them never to give out personal information
while gaming or agree to meet anyone outside of the game. You can research
games’ ratings and content on the Entertainment Software Rating Board website, www.esrb.org.
Once you feel more comfortable in your knowledge of gaming
and gamers, start a discussion with
your children. The more often you talk with them about online safety, the more
responsive they will become. Find out what kinds of people they play with and
how much do other online gamers know about them. The best way to find out
exactly what’s going on in your child’s cyber-world is to play the games with
them. While playing, you can role-play how to respond if someone bothers you
and get to know the type of players who are online and ways in which they
interact.
Parenting tech-savvy kids
can be intimidating, especially if, like me, you didn’t grow up with the same
technologies. However, with a little hands-on learning and safety resources,
you can protect your children from the potential dangers of online gaming
communities. You may even find you like being a resident!
Contact Margaret Lavin at elementarydays@gmail.com.
