Online Gaming
Back in the early days of gaming, the only way to play video games with others was to actually be together in the same room. It was easy for parents to know who their kids were interacting with. When my sons were young, they often played video games when they got together with their friends at each others homes. That was the only way to play multiplayer games back then. Who knew what was coming next?
Online gaming began with games developed specifically for the Internet. When video game consoles began offering Internet connections, online games really took off. Massively multiplayer online games became very popular, especially those that involve role-playing or strategy.
Once gaming moved to the Internet, things drastically changed. Now gamers can connect and play multiplayer games with other gamers from all over the world. Short of banning online games completely, how can parents know who their kids are interacting with and what exactly they are doing?
Xbox LIVE
Xbox added online gaming in 2002 with Xbox LIVE. Xbox LIVE now offers a great deal more than multiplayer online games. It can also be used for messaging, chat and video chat with online friends. Music and movies can be streamed and social networking websites, such as Facebook and Twitter, can be accessed through Xbox LIVE. Also available are free game demos, avatars and photo sharing. The Marketplace offers new games, music and movie content.
While all of this content and activities might sound scary to parents, and it did scare me at first, they can control it. Many of these activities are only available with the upgraded Xbox LIVE Gold membership. Xbox also provides parents with many excellent parental control features which you can learn more about in my previous post, Using Video Game Parental Controls. Make sure that you choose a child membership for your kids, even if they are teenagers. This alone will prevent them from using certain features without your consent.
Online Safety
The most important thing that you can do as parents, to protect your kids online, is to talk with them and teach them how to be game smart. The more you understand online video games and safety, the more they will listen to you. There are many safety resources available for you to learn about and understand the online world so that you can talk intelligently about it to your kids. Here are some helpful resources:
Back in the early days of gaming, the only way to play video games with others was to actually be together in the same room. It was easy for parents to know who their kids were interacting with. When my sons were young, they often played video games when they got together with their friends at each others homes. That was the only way to play multiplayer games back then. Who knew what was coming next?
Online gaming began with games developed specifically for the Internet. When video game consoles began offering Internet connections, online games really took off. Massively multiplayer online games became very popular, especially those that involve role-playing or strategy.
Once gaming moved to the Internet, things drastically changed. Now gamers can connect and play multiplayer games with other gamers from all over the world. Short of banning online games completely, how can parents know who their kids are interacting with and what exactly they are doing?
Xbox LIVE
Xbox added online gaming in 2002 with Xbox LIVE. Xbox LIVE now offers a great deal more than multiplayer online games. It can also be used for messaging, chat and video chat with online friends. Music and movies can be streamed and social networking websites, such as Facebook and Twitter, can be accessed through Xbox LIVE. Also available are free game demos, avatars and photo sharing. The Marketplace offers new games, music and movie content.
While all of this content and activities might sound scary to parents, and it did scare me at first, they can control it. Many of these activities are only available with the upgraded Xbox LIVE Gold membership. Xbox also provides parents with many excellent parental control features which you can learn more about in my previous post, Using Video Game Parental Controls. Make sure that you choose a child membership for your kids, even if they are teenagers. This alone will prevent them from using certain features without your consent.
Online Safety
The most important thing that you can do as parents, to protect your kids online, is to talk with them and teach them how to be game smart. The more you understand online video games and safety, the more they will listen to you. There are many safety resources available for you to learn about and understand the online world so that you can talk intelligently about it to your kids. Here are some helpful resources:
- Get Game Smart: Helpful Hints and Tips for Teens - Tips on numerous issues involving parental involvement, access, and content. Specific tips include articles on sexting, cyberbullying, managing online buddies, Instant Messaging and Video game ratings.
- Common Sense Media: The Internet Survival Guide for Parents, Online Gaming
- Microsoft Online Safety: Online Gaming, Help kids play it safe
- Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) - Learn about video game ratings and keep track of the ratings of the games that your kids want to play. You can even request a customized newsletter, with ratings of new titles.
I find that, as important as all this reading and research is, actually playing with and watching my teens play video games is the best education. Getting the feel for the games and the type of online interactions they entail, helps me to make decisions that are not abstract. The Internet has allowed people from all over the world to interact with each other and we can't completely keep our teens and tweens from being part of it. However, learning about the potential dangers and connecting with our teens by sharing that information, is something valuable that we can do.
See also: Video Games Teens and Parents Can Play Together
This post is sponsored by Get Game Smart a great resource that helps families make smart, safe choices about kids’ media use - especially video games.
