How To Keep Your Kids Safe When Gaming

Anything to do with the internet can, unfortunately, be a danger to children. That’s not only because the internet can invite the entire world to connect with your living room or bedroom, but because even if everyone were well-behaved, sometimes the mature themes present in the content they’re able to access is simply not suitable for their age.

For this reason, careful parents should always remain attentive to the kind of media and experience their children are consuming. We’ve already written a helpful guide for what to do against toxic behaviour and harassment in online communities, and all the advice should apply to adults as much as it does children.

But of course, protecting children is non-negotiable. How we set standards in our own household will often determine the protections our children can enjoy. With that in mind, please consider some of the following advice to ensure a capable result:

Set Up Parental Filters

Modern devices come with built-in parental controls that are surprisingly effective and worth using. Take time to explore these settings on your children’s devices, gaming consoles, and streaming services, and check any new accounts you make for that purpose. 

Also, consider linked accounts – for instance, they may have a count with one service or game and not just the platform. Most browsers now offer family-friendly modes that filter out inappropriate content before it reaches your screen too, or are applicable to your wider digital safety protection programs.

Don’t just rely on one layer of protection though. Consider using additional filtering software that can monitor activity across different devices to make it easier for you. Many of these tools send you regular reports about browsing habits and attempted access to blocked sites. 

Just remember to check these filters regularly – sometimes they can block helpful educational content by mistake. If you have an open conversation with your child about it, you’re sure to find the best outcome.

Have Discernment Over The Games They Play

Age ratings exist for good reasons, but they’re just the starting point and they can’t account for everything or every parental preference. Read reviews from other parents about the games your children want to play, and look into whether the game has chat features, in-game purchases, or content that might not be obvious from the rating alone. Does that mean you have to do regular account audits on their behalf? Perhaps, but if you generally check purchases and the games on their profile, you’ll know.

You can also play attention to how your child behaves after playing certain games. Some children get overstimulated by fast-paced games, and sometimes others might become frustrated by challenging levels. Choose games that match both their age and temperament. Educational games can be just as engaging as pure entertainment ones, and offline games that still make you think, such as word search offerings, can help them test their knowledge without all the hyper-stimulation we so commonly see these days in multiple titles.

Set Private Social Media Accounts

If your children are old enough for social media (and many gaming accounts, like Discord, are considered social media now) start them with private accounts. This lets them connect with real friends while limiting exposure to strangers. Go through privacy settings together, explaining why each one matters and having oversight over them. Show them how to block unwanted contacts and report inappropriate behaviour, and to talk to you if any of that happens.

They should keep friend lists limited to people they know in real life. Teach them that it’s okay to ignore friend requests, even from people who claim to know their friends. Regular check-ins about their social media experience can help spot issues before they happen, and that in itself could potentially prevent a nasty experience.

Watch Them While Playing

Having the computer or gaming console in a shared family space makes supervision natural for the most part, but without them feeling like you’re looking over their shoulder. You don’t need to hover after all – just be present enough to notice if something seems off, and make sure they use speakers so you can hear what they’re doing or talking about. This arrangement also helps children feel supported rather than spied on.

Listen to the kind of conversations happening during online play, accounting for friendly banter and not always talking as if it’s their parents-teacher conference at school. If you hear something concerning, use it as a teaching moment rather than immediately shutting everything down or making them feel afraid of it all. This builds trust and shows you’re interested in their online world, and you don’t disapprove of them being a child or teen.

Play With Them!

Getting involved in your children’s gaming habits makes them feel like you do actually care. This isn’t always such a big ask when it comes to millennial parents, for instance, the majority of whom did play some form of game when they were younger too. Ask them to teach you their favourite games – kids love being the expert sometimes or showing you their Minecraft world. This shared experience helps you understand what draws them to certain games and how they interact with others online and helps you avoid issues such as threats that have been seen on Roblix and similar titles. 

Of course, playing together also helps you spot potential risks firsthand. Not to mention it’s genuinely fun and creates great family memories for both of you!

Teach Them About Online Safety

It’s good to help your child think this is less about you trying to discipline them with harsh discussions and more about just trying to be a helpful parent who can be spoken to, and that means turning online safety into ongoing conversations rather than one big serious talk can be healthy.

For instance, you can use real-life examples they can understand – like why we don’t tell strangers our address in real life, and how the same rule applies online. Keep these talks positive and empowering rather than scary. It’ll show you care about them and you’re not trying to just limit them for the sake of it.

With this advice, we hope you can continue to keep your little ones safe while gaming!

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