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Parents need to be aware of the risks that their children are exposed to when they are playing games on the Internet, or even when they just have an account set up to do something like this.
Many children set up accounts like this for themselves because they are completely unaware of any potential risks that they could face from playing these games. However, parents need to be the ones to step up and help their children become aware of the fact that there are legitimate risks out there to playing certain games.
The Risks of Online Games
Online games are something that plenty of children engage with on a regular basis, and they are considered to be socially acceptable.
However, this does not negate the fact that some online games are dangerous for children, and it is best to recognize the various potential risks that could be faced by your children when they try to play games like this. Not to mention that a lot, if not all, online games have in-app purchases that may incur unintentional purchases from the parent’s credit card. For better personal money management, you can check here.
It is extremely important to understand that not everyone who gets involved with games like this will have the best of intentions.
Online Game Addiction
There are studies that show that anyone can potentially become addicted to online games, and children may be at a particularly high risk. This is because they don’t have the fully developed brains that adults do, and they may be at a higher risk of exposure to addiction to these games as a result. Thus, it is important that parents try to recognize the signs of gaming addiction and put a stop to it before it takes hold.
Here are a few of the tell-tell signs that your child may be at risk of gaming addiction:
- Preoccupation with playing these games
- A lack of interest in other activities that they used to enjoy
- Isolation behaviors
Some of these things are simply the behaviors of children as a natural part of growing up, but they could also be a major sign of gaming addiction. It is very important to make sure you take a look at the signs of potential addiction with your child to make sure you don’t allow them to slip further down the rabbit hole.
Dangerous People Online
Online games have always been a haven for people with ill intentions to gather. Those who might want to harm children frequently create accounts on these online games with the intention of trying to lure them away from the game into meeting up in the real world.
It is every parent’s worst nightmare to think about their child falling into the grasp of one of these predators, but it does happen to some children. As sad as this is, it is also something that all parents must put themselves in a position to put an end to.
Children should be taught about the dangers of online predators before they ever set up an account to play online games at all. This is done not to scare them, but to let them know about the true dangers that they face while they are online.
Knowing that they should never communicate with someone who they don’t personally know is a big part of the picture, but it can even go beyond that. Make sure your children are aware that they need to immediately alert you or an adult that they trust if they are approached for conversation by someone that they do not know.
Eye Strain and Sleep Issues
Another thing to worry about with online games is the fact that they may contribute to eye strain and difficulties with sleep. People who play these games are often in a situation where they stare at a screen for a prolonged period of time.
This can cause their eyes to strain and even lose some of their ability to see as well as they normally would be able to. Additionally, all of that blue-screen light can cause sleep problems that are difficult to overcome as well.
Needless to say, there are a lot of parents who worry about their children getting enough sleep. It is best to keep them off of online games as much as possible when they need to be awake early the next day for school or any other obligation.
Thus, it is important to think about this factor as well when you are looking at the possible dangers of online games and how they have an impact on your child.
Putting a limit on the amount of time that you permit your child to play their favorite online games is completely reasonable, and it is something that any good parent would do to help curb the dangers that could be posed. Think about this carefully and speak with your child about what they need to do to keep themselves safe when playing these games.
