A recent survey done by the Entertainment Software Association shows video games are at the top of many children’s wish lists this year. As your loved ones open up their gifts this holiday season, there are three things you should be asking before they begin their play:
- Is the rating appropriate for my child?
- Are parental controls set up on the device?
- Have I had a conversation with them about talking to strangers online?
Senior Vice President Aubrey Quinn says there's a rating board on their website, allowing parents to look up video games and their age ratings, while providing 'how-to's' for parental controls depending on the device.
“When your kids start accessing online worlds, whether that's through social media or other platforms, it's important that we talk to them about what good conversations and good dialogue is," said Quinn, “You can set screen time limits. You can set limits by time of day. I love it when [my kids] play video games Saturday mornings, but then the time limit shuts it down. That's when the video games have to stop.”
It's also possible to have a report sent to your phone on an app or to your email that allows you to see what your kids are doing online.
The association surveyed children ages 10-17 in the U.S., revealing 76% have asked for video games this Christmas.
Locals, like Jacob Mei of Creston, say he plays everything before buying games for his nephews because they're so young in age.
“Yeah I’ll look at game play," said Mei. "It's definitely stuff that I want to play, too. They're usually playing out in the living room where everybody I can see.”
