Many parents and carers are concerned about their children’s gaming toto togel habits, often resulting in problems such as excessive use, low self-esteem, aggression and agitation. There are many online resources available to support you and your family in this area.
Encourage your children to explore age-appropriate apps and games together. This provides opportunities to discuss digital citizenship, such as reporting cyberbullying.
Know the Limits
Children today have grown up in a digital world and, even before the pandemic caused many work, school and social activities to become slot toto online only, gaming has been a big part of their lives. It is a normal response to want to protect them from their digital experiences, but withholding technology only makes it harder to navigate and does not teach your kids how to use it responsibly.
Make gaming a privilege that only happens after chores, homework and other family responsibilities are completed. Help your child set up their console and device’s safety settings, discuss their in-game chats, who they play with and check in regularly to monitor time spent gaming. Talk to them about how they can report inappropriate players. Discuss the dangers of giving out personal information or talking to strangers, such as sextortion (perpetrators who form an emotional connection with a minor, request nude photos and threaten to share them). This helps your children understand the risks involved.
Talk to Your Child
It’s not easy to talk to your child about their online gaming habits. Ferguson describes it as a courageous conversation, and it’s essential to start early and take a holistic approach. Familiarize yourself with their games, review the ESRB ratings, and ask about their friends list (noting that some games allow real-time chats). Encourage them to never share personal information in game conversations and not to accept friend requests from strangers.
Discuss how gaming affects their life, including whether it takes away from physical activity and socializing with family and friends. It’s also important to set rules around content, frequency and time, but do so thoughtfully so they can agree on them. It may even be helpful to try some of their favourite games with them so you can understand what they find enthralling.
Set Limits for Yourself
It is important to set limits for your own gaming habits and model healthy behavior. It is also important to recognize that video games are a privilege, not an inalienable right.
It may be helpful to have your child help you decide on limits and agree on them together. Children who are addicted to gaming may lash out when parents try to intervene and make changes in their usage, but professional help is available to support you as you work with your child to set healthier boundaries.
Be sure to keep up with new game functions that allow players to connect with strangers through text and voice chat – this is a serious issue that can lead to sextortion, where an unknown person asks for a nude photo of a minor in exchange for cash or other benefits.
Create a Contract
Many gamers depend on their gaming to regularly interact with groups of like-minded peers. And for some, it’s a source of income: Benjamin McClain, 29, broadcasts his competitive game playing to audiences on Twitch and earns $150 a month. Some online games charge a fee for certain in-game items, while others use freemium models to lure users to make unwitting payments with their debit or credit cards. Consider creating a contract with your child that defines how much time they will be allowed to game and what the consequences will be when they exceed these limits.
Monitor Your Child’s Use
Video games are a great way for children to socialize with friends and learn skills, but like all activities they should be used in moderation. Monitor your child’s gaming and help them set gaming limits by setting parental controls on their consoles or devices, using tech tools to monitor time spent and helping them make good choices about which games they play.
Be aware that online gaming can include conversations with strangers through voice chat features, so if your child is playing games that allow for this you should talk to them about the potential for bullying, cheating or grooming. It’s also important to keep up with new functions of video games as these are often rolled out, and some of them can pose risks for kids.