Throughout the COVID pandemic, many children have found ways to entertain themselves at home instead of playing with their friends at school or even at a park. Chatting with other people online has been a popular activity so that they stay connected with each other, but playing games and streaming tv shows and movies online from their favorite streaming services has also been an activity enjoyed by children of almost all ages. When children play games online, they need a fast internet so they could enjoy talking to their friends who play the same games or talk to people they don’t know, which can be a safety issue if they aren’t supervised in some way. There’s a new movement aimed at trying to protect children while they are online called Play Together/Play Smart. EA Games is one of the businesses that is behind the initiative and is trying to bring awareness to being safe while having fun. Here are some ways that parents can help monitor what their children do when they’re online.
Making Assumptions
If you start banning video games for your children, then it could result in them wanting to play them even more. Look at the games that your children play and those that they are interested in playing before you simply ban them altogether. Talk to your children about some of the games that you approve of and what you don’t like in games so that they have a better understanding of how you feel.
Involvement
Getting involved with your children while they play games online will allow you to see what they’re doing and allow you to spend time with them. It’s a fun way to have conversations that you might not have throughout the day while monitoring their activities and who they talk to online.
Controls
There are a few parental controls that are available that can help you see what you’re children do online and that can block some of the content that they see or play. Be honest with your children by letting them know that you’re using the controls while also explaining why you’re adding them. If they can demonstrate that they can play responsibly, then you could ease up on the controls over time.
Timing
Don’t let your children play games online all day. This can lead to not doing work in the home that needs to be completed or not doing homework assignments that are due. It can also keep children from interacting with friends and family members. Consider making a chart that shows how much time your children have for playing games during the day or during the week so that they know when they’ve reached their limit.
Safety
Discuss some of the things that your children might see while they play games online and ways that they can stay safe if you’re not around. Talk to children about what could happen if they talk to strangers and what other people could expect them to do if they have a conversation with them away from the game. Always make sure your children know not to meet anyone they talk to online unless they already know them. Consider installing a virus software system to protect your children from websites that could be harmful and from methods of contact that could result in your children taking part in activities that aren’t safe. You should also let your children know that they shouldn’t share personal information, such as their phone number or address.
