RALEIGH COUNTY, WV (WOAY) – Online gaming is often a childhood rite of passage, with younger kids now drawn to the medium more than ever.
While it can be exciting to explore these cyber worlds, it also comes with genuine risks.
There are ways to help the young gamers in your life stay safe.
“The main thing is going to be monitoring and communication with your children,” said Raleigh County Sheriff’s Office Cpl. Christine Schack. “I think some of that can be really important, and maybe it could be a family bonding thing to get involved with their games, see what they’re playing.”
ERSB video game ratings are there to help parents make informed choices about which games are right for their family: Rated E (EVERYONE) may be safe for six and older, rated T (TEEN) 13 and older, and M (MATURE) for 17 and up.
“Just because your child might say everyone’s playing this game doesn’t mean they should be playing this game,” Schack said. “Now everything has like Xbox Live and PlayStation chat rooms and things of that nature. You really have to be careful of who’s in the chat room with you.”
Just because you see the name of somebody who might be in your kid’s class doesn’t necessarily mean that person is who they say they are.
“Who’s on their online friends list: let’s say you have Jessica, Johnny, and Jared in my class, but then you come across Mike, and Mike’s not in my class,” said Schack. “How do you know Mike?”
As far as mental health, there are things adults do to decompress: listen to music, go to the gym. After being at school all day, kids may want to unwind by playing a video game.
According to Schack, they can use the video games as a decompresser, but not an escape.
Being involved in your kid’s life doesn’t just involve sports or school activities; it involves their home activities as well.
“They might be playing a video game that visually looks okay, but you’ve got to be thinking about what they’re hearing on the audio side of it,” the corporal said. “Am I hearing kids’ voices? Am I hearing Johnny and Jess from school, or adult voices with some inappropriate language going on? That’s going to be a big thing to pay attention to.”
Video games are extremely realistic-looking nowadays. Add a VR headset, and you are in that realm.
“Put that headset on, see what they’re seeing. This way, you’ll know what to monitor. You’ll know what to listen for to ensure the kids’ safety,” said Schack.Â
