What are the potential risks for children who play Internet games?

When you think of online gaming, you probably envision your children sitting at the computer. While many children do play games on the computer, the world of online gaming has expanded to the gaming consoles that hook to your television.

Gaming systems now connect to the Internet and incorporate chatrooms, message boards, and voice-enabled chat. Players can connect with other players throughout the world. But your children can be exposed to the same online dangers when using gaming consoles, especially cyberbullying, enticement, and theft of personal information.

Some popular gaming systems are Xbox™, Playstation®, Wii™, and GameCube™.

Some games allow voice-chat with other players. This means that your child can actually hear and speak to other players through the headphones and microphone that hook into the console. Sometimes you can monitor these conversations.

Cyberbullying is common in gaming. A person who bullies, taunts, or harasses others during gaming is called a griefer. A griefer may cheat, use inappropriate language, harass beginners to the game, and otherwise cause annoyances to fellow gamers.

Online games can expose children to graphic material and topics. Even if the game itself poses no such risks, another user could send a link to an explicit website or discuss inappropriate content. Even age-specific online games can pose potential threats. For example, if the game has an age limit requiring all members to be under 18 years old, it is easy for someone who wants to entice a child to create an online profile appearing to be the appropriate age. Children often feel they can trust someone who is the same age.

If cyberbullied, teach your children to: 

• Ignore them; do not respond
• Change games or create a private game with only people they know in real-life
• Turn the game off and play again later
• Use block features
• Change to a different screenname – one that does not include any identify information
• Keep personal information private so that a griefer cannot use this info to harass your child further

If you believe your child is being enticed by someone online, make a report at www.cybertipline.com.

Taken from: http://www.netsmartz411.org/NetSmartz411/KnowledgeDetail.aspx?id=400316