Gaming is a fun and sociable way to spend time, encouraging teamwork and developing skills. All good stuff, but there are a few risks you need to be aware to help them stay safe and have positive gaming experience.
Games can offer young people a sense of escape from the reality of the world and the social aspect of some games can help children feel part of a community. However, without the right guidance on what games to play or when to play, children can be exposed to certain risks such as in-game bullying, online grooming or in some extreme cases gaming addiction.
Below we’ve provided advice on some of the potential risks and things you can do to support young people on these issues to build their resilience and help them make safer choices while gaming.
There has been a lot in the news about online gaming addiction as one of the risk factors associated with video games. Many parents and carers worry that their children may become addicted to their video game pastime.
This is not surprising. As with any hobby — football, chess, reading — those who enjoy playing video games for leisure will do so enthusiastically and deeply. This can lead to a desire from children to play for longer and more frequently. Of course, video games are designed to minimise the hurdles to repeat play and maximise enjoyment. This persuasive approach means it’s important for parents to guide children with screen time limits (available on consoles and smartphones) as they develop their own healthy boundaries.
These worries have been intensified with news that the World Health Organisation (WHO) adding “gaming” under the section that deals with ‘Disorders due to addictive behaviours’ (category 06) which also deals with alcohol, drugs, gambling. There has been strong disagreement among experts on the inclusion of video gaming in the ICD-11 list.
This criteria, when endorsed, aims to identify extreme cases of behaviour as addiction. The average child who plays a lot of games is not addicted. Only when their gaming is to the severe detriment of other parts of life — including schoolwork, relationships, personal hygeine, health and other areas. When they continue to pursue video gaming in spite of the negative effects for at least 12 months does it start to fall into this diagnosis.
Also, it’s important to understand that the levels of dopamine that games create in the brain are only a tenth of those created by chemical substances that can be addictive. Withdrawal symptoms from video gaming could include behaviours such as irritability or aggression as well as other impacts to mood rather than chemical withdrawal associated with substance abuse. Addiction treatment is about helping children form new habits to change this behaviour.
Gaming disorder: what you need to know – Advice from tech expert Andy Robertson
Parent story: What do you do if your child is addicted to online gaming?
What the expert say: What is ‘gaming addiction and how can you prevent children from developing it?
It is a good idea for parents to understand how long their children play games and what games they are playing.
Where gaming gets excessive, time limits can be a good short term measure to reset bad habits.
Take regular breaks of at least five minutes every 45 – 60 minutes as a rule of thumb.
Avoid only setting time limits and instead play games with children and help them find a range of activities to enjoy.
If you are concerned about the health of someone who is playing games excessively then you should consult your GP.
Like many things in life, video games are much more fun when played with other people. Recently that has transitioned from playing with people in the same room to other people online.
Additionally, the numbers of people that can participate in a single game has greatly risen. The popularity of Fortnite stems in part from its inclusion of 100 strangers in the same fight to the death.
Also, the level and types of communication online games offer has evolved significantly over recent years. Whereas games were seen separately to social media, they now greatly overlap with online social sharing sites. In fact, most children’s first interaction with someone they don’t know online is now more likely to be in a video game like Roblox than anywhere else.
In these games, players do not necessarily know who they are playing with. Online personas in the games may report to be other children but it is hard to validate if this is the case. Because of this, parents and carers need to understand the games their children are playing and how to set them up safely.
Handled sensibly, playing with other children online can enrich a child’s enjoyment and also bring them into contact with others from around the world with different cultures and outlooks.
Parents’ guide to Roblox and how your kids can play it safely
Advice from the London School of Economics: The importance of video game literacy for healthy parenting
Internet Matters expert advice: Managing online stranger danger and digital relationships with kids – a parent’s story
When you first purchase a video game console, ensure you set up the online interaction settings in its Parental Controls or Family Settings.
Keep consoles and computers in shared family spaces so you can see the interactions for yourself.
If your child uses a headset to play, ensure they play over the speakers occasionally so you can hear what is being said.
Install the community applications for consoles like PlayStation and Xbox so you are notified of direct messages to your account.
Set up separate accounts for children of different ages in your home to be able to tailor interactions.
Play the games together, using your child’s account to see who they are talking to.
On consoles, you can create a lobby of your child’s known friends before starting a game, and then mute other players to keep a safe but connection experience.
Video games are perceived to be a sedentary hobby. However, many new games and technology actively encourage movement and motion. Whether this is getting the family out for walks with Pokemon Go! or jumping around the sitting room with Just Dance, games can actually be a great way to get the family moving.
There have been studies that suggest situations in which someone spends hours sitting in one place can increase the risk of a Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT). But this can happen with any stationary leisure activity – including watching television, listening to music or reading a book.
Where children are playing games just on screens, it is good advice to ensure they take breaks every hour. Not only will this keep them moving but it offers a chance for a change of activity.
Another area for concern is with bright flashing lights that are often a part of video game experiences. The current research shows that video games don’t cause epilepsy but can (like television or pop concerts) trigger a seizure in the extremely small number of people, who already have Photosensitive Epilepsy.
The Consumer Safety Unit of the governmental department, together with the National Epilepsy Society, has carried out an exhaustive study into this area, which found that epilepsy cannot be caused by playing computer games.
Advice from the Epilepsy Foundation on video game induced-seizures
Internet Matters expert article: Making screen time active with great apps
Encourage your children to play a wide variety of online video games.
Ensure children take breaks every hour.
Consider whether you have a history of Photosensitive Epilepsy in your family.
Introduce games you play together that include activity.
If you experience symptoms such as light-headedness, altered vision, eye or face twitching it is recommended that you immediately stop playing and consult a doctor.
Online video games require relatively complex hardware to participate in, along with a high-speed internet connection. This can create the perception that you need the most up to date technology for your child.
However, there are a wide range of ways that your child can play video games online without breaking the bank. Tablet devices and older smartphones are a good example of this. Even older models can offer a comprehensive way to enjoy video games online. Apps such as Roblox can offer children access to the game even on lower-end devices.
Other costs that parents should be aware of are those that crop up after the initial purchase or download of the game. An increasingly popular way to fund game development is to offer games for free but then charge for content or characters in the game – these are called freemium games. Fortnite is an example of a free game making a lot money from it’s in-game purchases that unlock new outfits and dances.
In some instances, these transactions (sometimes called Loot Boxes) offer a chance to win an in-game item of varying value to the player. This can appear similar to gambling as there is luck involved as to which item the player will get. Also, some games like Rocket League have historically presented these items in a “fruit machine” style, spin to win.
From a Gambling Commission perspective, this is not actually gambling because there is no monetary value of the items won outside the game. If it was considered gambling it could not be marketed to children.
This means that some countries, such as Belgium have outlawed the use of “loot boxes” in games because they are seen as gambling aimed at children. There is no consensus more widely available, though. In the UK and US, games are now labeled as having In-App purchases as part of the rating system.
An important distinction, that many articles conflate, is between online gaming and online video games. Online gaming usually refers to gambling websites where players can partake in traditional gambling games of cards, dice and slot machines. Online video games are the topic of this section, playing on consoles and PC to offer players a challenge of skill in a virtual world.
Children, who want more in-game currency to purchase loot boxes, are sometimes targeted but unofficial third-party apps offering this in exchange for information. It’s important that parents understand this, educate children, and ensure appropriate passwords are set on credit card details.
To avoid un-intentionally downloading apps or free games that may be bundled with malware or spyware it’s important to:
Gambling Commission article on in-game purchases & loot boxes
SWGfL Parenting in a digital age: The real cost of online gaming
Internet Matters guides to set up parental controls on devices, games consoles, and app stores
Consider the ongoing costs of playing a game before making a purchase or granting your child permission to download it.
Set-up parental controls to limit access to any credit cards associated with online game accounts
Set-up your device or console with an email account you check so that purchases are quickly flagged.
Consider not associating your credit card with an account and instead, buying gift cards with pre-set credit, similar to book tokens.
Because of the interactive nature of video games, where players participate in the on-screen action, parents can worry that this will affect children’s behaviour. This is particularly true where younger players experience more violent games not necessarily designed for their age group.
However, contrary to popular belief and many newspaper headlines following violent incidents involving teenagers, a direct link between video game violence and violent behaviour has not been found.
In their book, Moral Combat, Markey and Ferguson show that although the rise of video game sales to teenagers has risen steeply over the years there has been no correlating rise in violent crime. In fact, they suggest the reverse is true — that games can play a role in keeping teenagers off the streets and out of trouble.
Still, it is important that parents understand how video games affect their children. Parents may not be aware of the actual scenes their children will experience in games before playing them. It’s crucial, therefore, that parents use the PEGI ratings and related information that provides a detailed account of the violence, sex and language contained in a video game.
Advice on how to help children manage their emotions when gaming affects their mood or mental state
See more articles and resources to keep children safe online
