Stranger danger in your kid’s bedroom
Parents’ worst gaming fears and how to tackle them
Many parents are so fed up with their children playing shooter video game Fortnite, they feel like blasting their own TV sets.
More than half are also worried strangers may try to contact their children when they play online, a survey by Internet Matters reveals.
The not-for-profit organisation has issued tips to help parents ensure their children stay safe – and it is urging them to check age ratings before allowing kids to play.
In the survey of 2,000 parents of children aged from nine to 16, 62% said their kids did online gaming – including 58% of kids aged nine, 60% aged 10 and 62% aged 11.
Contact from strangers was the biggest worry at 51%, children being exposed to inappropriate language was 46%, grooming 44%, playing adult-style games 41% and spending too much time playing was 38%.
Many children under the recommended age minimum of 12 play Fortnite: Battle Royale.
Internet Matters boss Carolyn Bunting said: “It’s important for parents to get to grips with risks and have open conversations with their kids about what they are playing and who they play with.
“Always check the PEGI and app store age ratings before giving access to online games and ensure age-appropriate controls on consoles and devices.”
Here, expert Andy Robertson gives his rundown of the risks with the four most popular online games for children in 2018. The PEGI (Pan European Gaming Information) labels on packaging indicate the suitable age levels, which include: 7, 12, 16 and 18.
1. Fortnite: Battle Royale PEGI 12
Hugely popular with a free Battle Royale mode, which pits up to 100 players against each other while a cloud reduces the war zone, creating climactic gun fights. Why is it rated PEGI 12? Frequent scenes of mild violence. What should parents be
aware of? Children can talk to strangers and swearing and racist language can occur. Sudden death can result in tantrums in younger competitors. Care is warranted with credit cards on the system as the game encourages children to purchase outfits and equipment.
2. Roblox: PEGI 7
An amateur game creation platform that attracts millions of young players to play together because of its unusual games.
Why is it rated PEGI 7? The Video Standards Council said: “Violence is very mild and consists of stick-like humanoid characters competing. Armed with fists, swords or guns, they hit each other
until they fall apart and disappear. Blood and injuries aren’t depicted.” What should parents be
aware of? User created games fall outside ratings and do include more violence than the rating suggests. Take care about other players who may be of any age and can communicate with children.
3. Overwatch: PEGI 12
A multiplayer shooting game in which two teams of six players compete to capture objectives. Why is it rated PEGI 12? Frequent scenes of mild violence that consists of human and fantasy characters attacking each other with a variety of weaponry. While blood is shown, there are no visible injuries and the violence is fairly mild.
What should parents be
aware of? Its online nature and how players can interact with others. A comic strip look makes it more about excitement than gore and grit.
4. Star Wars Battlefront II: PEGI 16
You play an elite special forces soldier in a Star Wars campaign. Why is it rated PEGI 16? Contains frequent depictions of realistic-looking violence towards human-like and fantasy characters. Unlike PEGI 12 rated games, this game contains sustained depictions of death. When enemies die, their bodies remain there for a short time.
What should parents be
aware of? There are life-like injuries to realistic-looking people, and in-game purchases help players advance. Ensure credit card settings are appropriately set to avoid inadvertent spending.
Internet Matters urges parents to realise games such as Call of Duty, Grand Theft Auto and Far Cry 5 have a PEGI rating of 18+ and are not suitable for children.
For advice visit: www.internetmatters.org/advice/onlinegamingtoptipsforparents.