A bad gamble for kids

TECHNOLOGY can be a blessing and a curse.

For every technological advance that makes it easier to connect to others comes increased dangers surrounding security. Technology that creates increased workplace efficiencies can lead to job redundancies.

For today’s teenagers, we are only just discovering the dangers that lurk within the technology that has become part of their daily lives.

The themes are often not too dissimilar to concerns around young people that existed when we were growing up. Stranger danger has evolved from being careful who you talk to on the street to increased awareness of who you’re communicating with online. Safe sex now extends to awareness around sexting and distributing inappropriate imagery.

But it is not only the traditional red flags that can cause problems for young people. There are traps and pitfalls everywhere — enough to make even the most seemingly innocuous pastime a potential entry into dangerous territory.

The rise in popularity of video games and gaming culture is one area where technology has had massive effects in living rooms across the world.

Concerns about simulated violence, the addictive nature of some games and the adverse effects of sitting indoors staring at a screen for hours on end have often been raised by parents. But warnings from local gambling support services that video games are also leading young people into gambling addiction would be worrying to many families.

Fortnite is the latest online gaming phenomenon and, although it is free to download and play, experts from Bethany’s Gambler Help program believe the risks of addiction could see young people pay the price in years to come.

With about 30 per cent of Bethany Gambler Help program clients aged under 17 and the problem of youth gambling growing at an alarming rate, parents need to be aware that in the battle to win the lucrative teen market nothing ever comes for free.