Online Gaming: Safety for Kids
Above, you can see pretty much my entire gaming collection. If there's an alien army to conquer, I've conquered it. A fleet of dragons to vanquish? They're extinct now. Wave after wave of evil WW2 Nazis to shoot in the face? Taking a dirt nap. And so on.
I can't help be mortified when I see an article like this, though, where scumbag paedophiles are using videogame technology to get online and groom kids. Of course, systems like the XBox 360 have parental controls and lockouts and stuff, but the problem is - how many parents actually know how to use it? Mostly, those bits of paper get thrown aside while little Jimmy whips out his newest toy and starts shooting aliens in the face.
Well, in general most gaming companies whose consoles can go online are pretty responsible with regards information aimed at keeping the kids safe and all that jazz. Here's some useful links I have for anyone with kids who play online with consoles. If you have any suggestions (assuming the comments are working) feel free to throw them in and I'll add below.
* First off, XBox Dad. A good blog with useful info. In particular, this entry regarding webcam settings might be helpful.
* Here's how you manage all the parental control stuff on XBox machines.
* This is a great site - Gamingwithchildren.com. I won't blab, just check it out. Good stuff.
* If you have a Wii and are currently throwing yourself around the house to the strains of Wii Fit, then you might want to check out the Wii Parental Controls page. You can even restrict the content that appears in the browser, which I must admit I had no clue you could do.
* Playstation is a bit of a pain in the butt, because if you go to their FAQ page it dumps you into some horrible mess of frames and it's impossible to link to anything. This article on USA Today seems to be accurate though, and covers settings for both PS3 and PSP which is a handy addition. The article dates back to 2006, but as far as I'm aware the information is still correct.
Now if you'll excuse me, it's time to go conquer some alien scum...
