Are you considering purchasing gadgets such as an iPod touch, Nintendo DSi or Xbox Live for kids this holiday season? If so, there are several things you should know before purchasing. First of all, please understand that I am not opposed to these Wi-Fi gadgets or video game systems. As a matter of fact, I am sure our family will be purchasing at least one of these as a gift this holiday. But parents need to be aware of the dangers and make informed decisions based on the maturity level of their kids.
Wi-Fi gadgets have the ability to bring friends together to play games and interact, even though they are in different locations. I know my daughter will love playing online games with one of her best friends that recently moved. I think this is a great benefit, but along with this, comes certain dangers that need to be discussed before she goes online. She needs to know what to expect, how to handle certain situations and our family rules. So what are the dangers?
These popular gadgets and games expose kids to inappropriate material, including pornography. In addition, gaming systems such as Xbox Live allow kids to interact with others online as they play games. If they want to play and none of their friends are online, they may choose to play with others they don’t know. This can expose them to inappropriate language including cussing, swearing, racist remarks and threats. Plus, recent reports are suggesting that sex predators are using these online gaming systems to find their next victim.
As I began researching this topic, I ran across an article from Mary Kay Hoal titled, Stranger-Gamer Dangers. Mary Kay Hoal is the founder of Yoursphere, a safe online social network site for kids and teens. I will follow up with more information about Yoursphere, but for now, I want to share this article.
Stranger-Gamer Dangers by Mary Kay Hoal
Moms and dads - the worry doesn't just rest at the doorsteps of social networking sites. Online games seem to attract those that intend our kids harm.
As reported by Aaron Diamant for Todaystmj4.com, "Sex predators have a new hunting ground. One you may not know even exists." The hunting ground he is referring to is online gaming...which is the way video games are moving. Kids can log online and play their favorite video games with other people all over the world. Seems harmless enough... but the real danger is that they can also talk to those stranger-gamers. Department of Justice Special Agent Eric Szatkowski was quoted in the article: "That's one of the risks of giving kids Wi-Fi technology-they can go outside the home and engage in communications that Mom or Dad might not be aware of."
This is a real danger. Diamant reported that a man was arrested in a child porn ring earlier this year, and that prosecutors say he contacted more than a hundred boys through the Xbox Live site. A convicted sex offender mentioned in the article allegedly solicited children in an online game while out on bail.
You might think you can keep tabs on who your kids are communicating with when they play these games online in front of a screen in your own home. But some handheld games like the Nintendo DSI are going online. It will be difficult to monitor who they're talking to when they're away from you.
My recommendation:
- Sit down with your kids and have them show you the game.
- See the live interaction first hand.
- Understand the dialogue functionality (and hopefully limitations).
- Learn who is in your child's team or in his/her raid group. (I asked my older son who loves online games to show me his favorite game capabilities from the time he was 14 and 15 and first started playing virtually. I even asked him to type in some expletives and other inappropriate words so that I could "see for myself" that the functionality was there).
- Some games have parental controls that allow you to activate the "off switch" so your kids can't interact virtually with someone they don't know.
- Don't accept that this is okay for your children and that you have no other choice. Hold the manufacturer accountable for implementing safety-first standards. Contact the manufacturer and require that they do identity verification and a predator check.
- Dialogue, dialogue, dialogue.
About Mary Kay Hoal and Yoursphere
Yoursphere is the social network for kids and teens that puts safety first and provides a positive and age appropriate alternative to sites like Facebook and MySpace which were created by adults and intended for adults. I'm a mom of five, and after deciding to check out the sites that were so important to my kids, I was truly disturbed. I found hidden below the surface - that isn’t immediately transparent to every parent like myself - a landscape in these social networking sites to be inappropriate, and often times and in many cases, to be dangerous. I found a culture that focused on sexualizing our kids – either by encouraging them to post explicit photos, or by asking them in appropriate questions. I found that a culture of anonymity provided predatory access to our kids whether by a bully or a registered sex offender.
So, unlike other social networking sites, Yoursphere offers:
- Identity verification, predator check, and requires verifiable parental consent.
- Participation limited to kids and teens through age 18 (Teens can remain members until they turn 19).
- All content is created by kids and teens for kids and teens and focuses on their positive day to day interests: sports, music, fashion, academics, art & photography and more. No worries about adult content. Kids can really be kids without worrying about conforming to an "adult" culture.
- An advertisement free community. The (dime a day) membership fee, after a free month trial membership, allows Yoursphere to support its safety measures and provide activities, prizes, and rewards for every member without barraging them with ads.
- Scholarships and support of youth-selected philanthropies: 3% of each membership fee is pooled into a scholarship program.
- A network kids and teens will love. With plenty of fun activities, and only kids and teen allowed on the site, kids can be themselves, and mom and dad can have peace of mind.
You can Find Mary Kay Hoal on Twitter - @marykayhoal, Facebook, Yoursphere and her blog, Yoursphere for Parents.
Cammie Moise