You’d probably be able to guess my age if I told you I still remember the cheat code for unlimited lives in Contra on the NES. (Go ahead, I’ll pause while try to recite it in your head…) I haven’t considered myself to be a serious gamer since I was playing Altered Beast on my Genesis.
Video games have changed a lot since then. Instead of playing with friends in our living rooms or basements, games are played with “friends” online. Being the parent of an 11 year old, I understand the appeal of gaming on platforms like the Xbox One and games like Fortnite are certainly a phenomenon that we haven’t seen before.
My son plays Xbox online under my gamer tag since he doesn’t have his own account. It’s importation to have an awareness of who your child is playing with online. Are they friends from school? Friends of friends? Don’t know? One way to increase awareness is to install Microsoft’s Xbox app one your phone to monitor your child’s Xbox activity. The app notifications will keep you up to date on friend requests and interactions, chats, and other online activities. Microsoft has really good parental controls built into its platforms – but that’s a post for another day.
Here’s a quick tip on keeping up with your gamer and maintaining an open dialog with your child about online gaming.
- Build trust. You are not spying on your child. Have a conversation explaining to them exactly what you are doing and why. Show a genuine interest in what they are doing – games today are indeed pretty awesome.
- Download and install the Xbox app.
- Login with the gamer ID your child uses to play.
- Configure notifications and privacy settings in the app.
- Monitor activities and ask questions. “I saw that you have a new friend request from GamerDude11954X. Is that a friend from school? Do you know them? How do you know that’s really who you think it is?”
- Encourage positive behavior. e.g. Asking permission before downloading a new game, letting you know they they have a new friend online, using appropriate behavior (not swearing, not bullying, being respectful, etc.)
- Keep the conversation going. Check in regularly, ask more questions, and listen.
In today’s world we need to be aware of the risks inherit in modern gaming in order to protect our children’s privacy and teach them to make good decisions and be aware of the less desirable aspects of modern technology. Ultimately, it’s up to you, as a parent, to decide the appropriate age for your child to have their own device, what games to play, and how to set boundaries.
Be safe and game on.
