Category: Online Safety

There’s proof that video games and online time can actually be beneficial to kids, but there are some nefarious pitfalls as well, such as hackers and online bullying.  Is your child determined to get a new high score on their favorite video game? If you have a junior gamer, implement video game safety strategies to protect them.

According to the Entertainment Software Association, three-quarters of kids play video games every week. Here are some tips to help make those video games safer.

Choose Age-Appropriate Games

Screen video games before letting your child play to ensure they’re age-appropriate. Kids want to play what their friends play, but other parents might have different standards. The recommended age on the package is a good start, but it’s also helpful to preview games or read reviews to understand the details.

Tighten Privacy Settings

Hide personal information when playing internet-connected games. Check usernames to ensure your child doesn’t accidentally provide personal information. You can often change privacy settings to limit contact with strangers. The PlayStation Network lets you control who can send friend requests, see your real name, and contact you, as do other platforms such as Steam.

Have Safety Discussions

Talk to your child about the dangers of video gaming, including the potential for cyberbullying and online predators. Review what things they shouldn’t say or information they should keep confidential.

Explain to them that’s it’s your top priority to ensure their gaming consoles are secure.  You can also educate your kids on how to navigate the web safely when looking for online games.  Because games are very popular, they also attract unscrupulous characters for a many different reasons.

Enact Parental Controls

Review gaming platforms and games to find parental controls that restrict activities. Some video games allow in-game purchases, but you can usually require authorization. You might be able to restrict types of games, screen time, chat features, and other functionalities on gaming platforms.

Look for built-in parental controls that are part of the gaming system.  For online accounts, ensure privacy settings for users in your family are set for the most secure encounter with other players online.

Limit Webcam and Chat Access

Limiting or turning off the webcam and chat features on your computer or gaming platform helps keep kids safe, especially when playing online with strangers. This can prevent cyberbullying or contact with online predators who pretend to be kids.

Webcams can also be hacked, so if left on a hacker can watch what is happening inside your home without anyone knowing.

Game With Your Child

Playing with your child lets you spot potential threats, so you can intervene before they become an issue. You can also find teachable moments while playing. For example, if another player asks for your child’s personal information, you can explain to them why it’s dangerous.

Limit Screen Time

Kids aged 8 to 12 typically spend four to six hours on screens and teens get up to nine hours daily, according to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Deciding what screen time limit feels right for your family is a good framework for your kids. Or set requirements before playing, such as finishing homework or getting in the hour or more of physical activity recommended by the US Department of Health and Human Services.

Use Tech Safely

New headphones give your child an immersive experience, but they can be dangerous. Sounds over 70 decibels can cause hearing damage, especially with prolonged exposure, according to Houston Methodist. Normal talking is 60 dB and a washing machine is 70 dB. Check your child’s headphones to ensure they aren’t too loud, and invest in a pair that’s comfortable to wear.

Keep Everything Updated

Keeping video games, computers, and gaming systems updated protects from cyberattacks. The latest updates often include patches that protect against new cyberthreats, so keeping everything updated reduces your vulnerability.

Make Gaming Safe

Playing video games can be entertaining and even educational in some instances if you implement video game safety guidelines with your kids. Following these tips – and common sense – will enable you and your family to enjoy safe screen time.

When it comes to online safety for the wellbeing of kids, online games may contain potential hazards related to content.  Online games can often be a mixed bag of decent games, games with malware or viruses.  Fortunately, we have a search tool for that. Welcome to Safe Game Search for online games. 

Search for Games Safely
enhanced by Google

Just like our search tools that safely search Google, images, wiki for kids, and videos, this tool delivers safe filtered games.

Safety and Security Risks of Online Games

Besides the economical benefits of readily accessible free internet games that entertain kids and teens with various interests, playing online games include both technological and personal risks. Before we highlight some of the important dangers, let’s list what types of games there are and how they are different from each other.

Types of Online Games

• Free online games hosted on various websites:   These are the games that our safe game search filtering tool screens to ensure you won’t to exposed to various online risks. Games like the bubble game that don’t require downloading software.

• Games played strictly on a gaming console:   These may be games that can be played offline after being downloaded from a safe gaming console host.  However, most often, kids play these same games while connecting to other gaming consoles and social gaming networks designed for those with consoles.  Retro games on gaming consoles employ the use of vintage systems that use physical CD’s or cartridges.

• Online Games through social gaming networks:  This is where games are accessed through an internet browser after logging into a gamer server through a website platform, also known as a social gaming network.

The games that pose the greatest risks within the games themselves are the free online games that anyone can find to play on a website or by downloading an app on their phone.

With social media networks, gamer servers and gaming consoles, game content is controlled by legitimate creators.  However, the risks associated with these games exist because the gamer is connecting with others, both friends and strangers.  Some of these strangers are there to exploit children. Others for malicious reasons, such as spreading bad software.

With approximately 40% of the world’s population playing video games in some form, it’s worth a closer look exploring the risks and steps that can be taken to protect players of all ages.

1. Technological Risks

Playing games online has some threats to your computer or device, such as;

• Malware and virus attacks
• Risks of gamer servers
• Identity theft

1.1 Malware and Virus Attacks

Viruses may attack devices when you play games on the internet. Cybercriminals send malware attachments by email or direct messages after making connections with those they are playing with online.  If you click on these, hidden malicious programs might be installed and harm your device.

Once your computer is infected, you can unknowingly spread it to others for the benefit of those seeking to exploit personal information.

1.2 Risks of Infected Gamer Servers

While gamer servers are controlled by computers whose sole purpose is to provide games to users, these servers may be compromised by harmful software.  If you managed to prevent your computer from getting infected by malware or a virus, you may become a victim simply by using a gamer server.

After getting access, cybercriminals send harmful programs like spyware or Trojan horses to gain access to all gamers’ computers or devices. In that way, the whole server could get affected by harmful software.

1.3 Identity Theft

Online predators target internet gaming platforms to steal the personal information of gamers. They use malware programs or phishing attacks to access the information of the players.  Or, they may gain trust with another gamers by becoming their friend and manipulating information out of them.

Cybercriminals try to get access to the gamers’ addresses, phone numbers, bank or credit card information, and other sensitive data. If cybercriminals find this type of personal information, they can steal your identity.

2. Personal Risks

It’s true that multiplayer online games can develop communication skills for kids, but there are some risks too. Some of these social dangers of playing internet games are;

• Addiction to games
• Cyberbullying
• Exposure to inappropriate content

2.1 Addiction To Games

Children may get addicted to online games if they play them for a longer time.  Free online games are accessible anywhere and on any device without cost.  This easy access could create a negative impact on their concentration to study and poor performance in school.

World Health Organization (WHO) classifies gaming addiction as a gaming disorder. Teens who play online games too much may experience sleeping disorders that will impact their health directly.

2.2 Cyberbullying

Online gaming can be a breeding platform for cyberbullying. As most social gaming networks allow chatting one player with others, criminals may misuse it as anonymity. Malicious users may send offensive texts and videos to the kids while they play games on the internet. This could result in depression, lessening self-esteem, and even suicide attempts for the children.

2.3 Inappropriate Content Exposure

Some online games don’t have proper filtration for objectionable content. These may show gamers inappropriate content such as exposing nudity and sexual content, violence, etc. that could negatively impact children.

This is why we encourage you to use our free safe online game search tool.

Search for Safe Online Games here

How to Protect Your Child from the Dangers of Online Gaming

After learning about the dangers of playing games online. It’s time to talk about the ways to ensure the safety and security of online games for children.

i. Game Selection

First, get to know what games your kids are playing and how they are accessing them.  It’s it free games on a web browser?  A gaming conole? Or a social gaming network?

• Read reviews about the game.
• See if there are parental controls for the game.
• Be sure you download or play games from trustworthy game sites.

ii. Activate Security Settings

Before allowing kids to play game on the internet, be sure you activate all the following options if exists;

• Set an age limit on the game who can chat or play games with your teen.
• Use a strong password for online gaming accounts.
• Hide personal information.
• Be sure you installed the updated version of the game.
• Use an antivirus or firewall for malware protection.

iii. Keep A Closer Eye On Kids Gaming

While children play games on the internet, monitoring their activity is important. If you see any suspicious things, say them to quit the game. If the game has parental control feature, activate it to monitor your kid’s activity more closely.

iv. Educate Your Children

To make online gaming safer, it’s also important to teach your child about the basics of cybersecurity. It includes several things-

• If anyone sent offensive content, block the player instantly
• Don’t contact anonymous or unknown players
• Never click any link sent by other players
• Set a time limit and tell them to follow it

Safe Game Search

Online gaming is fun that helps kids to be creative and social. But it’s important to consider the dangers associated with it. If you allow your teens to play internet games limit their time, monitor their activity, educate them on how to deal with hostile situations. Follow the safety and security tips of online games to ensure a secured online  life of your children.

For games delivered through apps, always download from trusted sources like the Google Play store for Androids or Apple Arcade on an iPhone or iPad.

Play these classic online kids games.
Search for more info about safe games.

The virtual world is a constant source of dangers and challenges, especially if the users are children. Therefore, parents should always be aware of their actions and take the proper measurements to protect them.  Blocking harmful social media apps is one of key ways to prevent kids from engaging online in an unsafe manner.

Without using third party parental controls, there are ways to engage blocking for both apps and websites.  However, these types of restrictions can be reset by your kids. Therefore, you’ll need to have a level of trust between you and your child. You can always check their phone from time to time to ensure blocking is still in place.

This article does not provide instructions on how to create block lists on a phone or tablet.  Google “how to block apps” for iPhone or Andriods to get instructions within each of the phones settings.  In the meantime, here are the top sites that are considered dangerous to be used by children:

1.   TikTok

While TikTok is a fun site to spend time and interact with people, there are certainly some dangers associated with this app, which include:

• Inappropriate Content:  As an open platform, anyone can post all kinds of content on TikTok, including adult themes, violence, or other indecent content.

• Cyberbullying:  Users interact with each other constantly, which can often lead to cyberbullying.

• Privacy Concerns: TikTok collects personal information from its users, which can be used for advertising or shared with third-party advertisers.

• Addiction: TikTok is designed to be addictive, and children spend hours scrolling through videos without even realizing how much time has passed. This interferes with their schoolwork and overall well-being.

• Online Strangers: Children may be drawn into inappropriate conversations or take up with someone who is not who they claim to be.

2.   Twitter

While there are some great advantages to using Twitter, including staying up-to-date on the news and connecting with people, there are also some serious risks that parents need to be aware of. Inappropriate or unwanted content on Twitter can take many forms, including exposure to adult content and cyberbullying.

3.   Mastodon

Though Mastodon can an easy way for people to connect with like minded people, it has great potential for danger because these online communities are unmonitored.  It’s an open source social network, so there are no controls in place to monitor or prevent harmful associations or content.  It’s only safe if the creator a community your child joins can be trusted.

4.   Roblox

Roblox isn’t just a game–it’s a massive online platform with millions of users. And like any large social media platform or online game, there are risks. But by being aware of the dangers and taking some proactive steps, you can help keep your child safe while they enjoy all that Roblox offers.

5.   Ask.fm

Ask.fm is a somewhat unknown social media site to parents.  It allows users to ask and answer questions anonymously. Even though interacting with others can be fun and engaging, it also poses risks to children. Anonymity can make it easier for bullies to target others without fear of consequences. Users can receive hurtful comments and messages, and in some cases, cyberbullying has even led to suicide.

6.   Toomics

Toomics is a webtoon platform with many online comics and graphic novels. While it can be an enjoyable and engaging platform for readers, some of the comics on the site feature explicit material and depictions of violence. In some cases, the content may be illegal or inappropriate for minors.

To prevent these risks, parents should monitor their children’s use of Toomics and have open conversations about online safety.

7.   Reddit

Reddit is a great platform to share information and build a community, yet it is another not-too-safe app for children. One of the primary risks associated with it is exposure to adult content. Some subreddits contain explicit material which users of any age can easily access. This content can include pornography, graphic images, and discussions of sexually explicit topics.

Reddit allows for anonymous posting, allowing users to engage in bullying without fear of reprisal. This can include hurtful comments, trolling, and other negative behavior.

8.   Snapchat

Snapchat is known for its disappearing messages and photos, which can lead children to believe that their actions will not have consequences. They can share inappropriate content with their friends.

The temporary nature of Snapchat’s messages can make it easier for predators to approach children. They may use the app to send inappropriate messages or images and quickly delete them to avoid detection. Children are more likely to accept friend requests from strangers on Snapchat, which can put them at risk.

Snapchat has a feature called Snap Map, which allows users to see the location of their friends on a map. This is dangerous for children, as it can reveal their whereabouts to potentially dangerous individuals.

9.   Discord

Discord allows users to communicate through voice, text, and video chat. While it’s useful for gamers and others who want to connect with like-minded individuals, it has the potential for cyberbullying. Discord has chat rooms and servers that anyone can create and moderate, making it easier for users to engage in bullying.

Another risk of Discord is exposure to explicit content. Although Discord has rules against explicit content, it’s still possible for users to share inappropriate images or videos.

10.  YouTube

While YouTube is a useful and engaging platform for users of all ages, it poses several dangers for children.

Using YouTube is an exposure to inappropriate content. Although YouTube has content filters and age restrictions in place, it’s still possible for children to stumble upon videos that contain explicit material or depictions of violence. This includes content that is not appropriate for their age, such as horror movies, sexual content and depictions of dangerous or harmful behavior.

YouTube comment sections can be a breeding ground for negative behavior, with users leaving hurtful comments or engaging in trolling. Children can be particularly vulnerable to these kinds of attacks and may be unable to handle them.

Conclusion

Parents know how important it is to protect their children from online danger. From cyberbullying platforms to explicit content, the 10 sites featured in this blog post are essential additions to any child’s block list. Parents can protect their children against tremendous danger and damage scrolling in the virtual world by doing so.

Author’s Bio:  With years of experience in the cyber security industry, Sophia has devoted a part of her time to writing articles that educate parents about the importance of their children’s online safety. Children of all ages, especially those in elementary and high schools, are constantly exposed to new technologies. Through her writings, she aspires to make a positive impact on their lives by helping parents identify and avoid potential dangers.

There are a lot of conversations that parents should have with their kids that are difficult. Unfortunately, topics of a sensitive nature dissuade many parents from bringing them up. For one, they don’t want to inform their kids of something they might not yet know about. Things that existing online that would be harmful to their psyche.

Still, you also don’t want your kids stubmbling upon something harmful by accident will searching Google or clicking other links found on seemingly innocent websites. Since kids use our website for filtering the internet, we will explore this subject with sensitivity as we present the problem and various solutions with downloadable resources.

Protecting Kids from Explicit Content

It’s no secret that there is explicit material online that’s available to anyone with any device that has access to the internet. At some point in the growth of your child, they will learn about them at school, even if they have not yet explored the internet for them. We’ll discuss steps as to the best age to have a conversation with kids about these things and what to do in the meantime.

It would be ideal if all explicit material was at least behind a pay wall. This means a credit card is required to access it, and not a free for all that is currently is.

Cable companies have long provided this adult material to subscribers. However, parents can easily set up parental controls on their cable box to access even the simple preview images of the material.  Beyond that, payment is required and any purchase would show up on your bill. Therefore, access has a high threshold for kids.

The internet is far from that model, although some countries have tried some form of retricting harmful parts of the internet unavailable to under aged web users.  The bottom line is this.  Societies are reluctant to move forward for a variety of reasons that we will not explore here. In a nutshell, they are issues of censorship and the will to make it happen.  That’s another conversation.

As mentioned, most children learn about this explicit content from friends or on the school playground before parents address the problem. The age this happens varies and a lot of where it goes from that point forward has to do with how much a parent is paying attention. There may be an assumption that “my child wouldn’t know about that”.

First Steps to Protect  Kids Online

So, what is the solution to ensure internet safety and it’s many facets?

Firstly, there are things that a parent can do even before they discuss it with their family members.  Precautions should be taken at an early age so that at very least, kids don’t accidentally stumble upon mature content online.

Use Common Sense

These steps include common sense restrictions of where your child uses their device to access the internet.

• It is in the family room or in the privacy of their bedroom?

• Do they have access to the internet while at school on a personal device via cell service?

• Does the school have internet filtering when kids are connected to the school’s WiFi connection?

Without any external monitoring software, you can at least keep an eye on things.

Get to Know the Parents of your Child’s Friends

This is conversation that should take place with other parents. What are their household rules for internet use if your child is going to be visiting their friend’s home?  Do other parents share similar values as you?

Free Safe Search Options

Have your kids use Safe Search Kids as their main search engine. It delivers Google results with strict filtering. It’s does not replace full time monitoring, as we will touch on later in this article.

An Agreement of Trust between Parent and Child

Regardless of how deep you go without child about the “bad things” of the internet, kids can understand rules of engagement around the use of their devices.   Just as you want to protect them when they do play in the park, a child can agree that you want to protect them online. This includes how much time they spend playing games.

Filtering the Internet

General tips are well and good, but ultimately third party parental control filtering and monitoring is needed to provide the ultimate in peace of mind.  At the very least it notifies you when a child has breached a barrier. This is ideal when kids are older and you have set up an agreement of trust without fully blocking them even questionable material online.  Of course, when kids are young parental controls allow you to but strict filtering in place. This can include limiting access to the internet to specific times and restricting more risky social media apps.

Having the Difficult Conversation

When parents feel it’s time to discuss the dangers of the internet, the terminology used will depend on the age of the child. However, the fact that there is material you don’t want your kids to see demands some kind of acknowledgment and expression to your children about how you are concerned. In the meantime, basic steps, regular conversations and external filtering options can set every family up for success, whether they are at home, at school, or out playing with friends.

Below are some resources to assist parents, as well as online tools that can help begin the conversation and make it less uncomforable for children of all ages.

Resources:

• Chatting with Kids About Being Online – PDF Download
• Educational games that test kids internet savvy.
• Take the Safety Pledge as a Family
• Be Internet Awesome

Safe Search Kids is devoted to safer internet search for children and teens. We also provide articles and educational resources for parents and teachers.  Children can freely search Google without a parent’s fearing their child stumbling upon an explicit website. The worst of the internet is vehemently blocked and even mildly questionable content is filtered.

Additional search filtering is provided for images, wiki for kids, images, videos, and safe game search. While our website is a free resource that at a mimimum helps protect the search function of the internet, we believe that parental controls are the best defence to protect kids online.