A New Level of Video Game Safety
October 26, 2007
(NewsUSA) - Watch any flashy commercial touting the latest title, and you’ll be reminded of how far video games have come from the days of single-dimension characters roaming through mazes. With more than 1,000 video games released every year, the selection of genres has become endless -; including sports, educational and action-adventure titles.According to a recent survey of parents with a video game console in their home, 78 percent are concerned about the content in the video games that their children play. But another study by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that only 17 percent of surveyed children said their parents check the ratings on the video games they buy.
To better inform parents, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) has teamed up with Microsoft and Best Buy to offer families across the nation tips on gaming safety, launching the “Safety is no game. Is your family set?” campaign, to showcase ways that parents can limit children’s exposure to inappropriate video game and movie content.
The following tips will help keep your child safe when it comes to gaming:
* Educate Yourself. The Entertainment Software Rating Board (www.esrb.org) provides impartial ratings based on the content and age-appropriateness of games. Some retailers allow parents to conveniently search and shop online by ESRB rating.
* Play Along. Playing or observing helps you understand your child’s video game experience, while providing a fun parent-child activity. Talk to your child about the game. Ask why they enjoy it and about the objective.
* Utilize parental controls. Newer video game consoles, such as Microsoft’s Xbox 360, allow parents to decide what types of games can be played, by activating built-in safety features.
* Teach Internet safety. Some games let users play with other people on the Internet and contain live chat sessions. Make sure to inform your child to never give out personal information or agree to meet gamers in person without first consulting a parent or a responsible adult.
[...] Net News Publisher wrote an interesting post today on A New Level of Video Game SafetyHere’s a quick excerpt (NewsUSA) - Watch any flashy commercial touting the latest title, and you’ll be reminded of how far video games have come from the days of single-dimension … or observing helps you understand your child’s video game experience, while providing a fun parent [...]