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LisaM

09/12/2018

www.lisamalicky.com
Roblox! and is it safe for my kids?

Roblox is one of the most played games for kids in 2017 there over 30 million users subscribed. So what exactly is it? Roblox is a user created online game where people create mini games for other to play.

Once users sign up they are given a plot of land where they can develop a house an avatar and be part of a massive online community. With in that there are mini games like obstacles, shooting games, hunting and puzzle games.

I figured I would list the pros and cons of the game so you can determine how comfortable you feel about it.

Pros

Its an online multiplayer game that allows for kids to be creative and engage with other people

It gives kids the sense of achievement when they complete games others have made or if other people participate in games they have made.

It teaches planning and encourages kids to use the full extent of their imagination engineering and constructing things.

They can use in game monetization where they can make in game money to purchase new and better items for their avatar and land.

The monetization feature encourage kids to think outside the box and get even more creative because they simply cant do what everyone else is doing as they wont make money.

There is literally no end as to what the kids can create they can be super heroes, they can create a zoo, a theme park, a space ship and fashion show the options are endless.

It gives kids the chance to be a game developer and a game tester and puts them in a community with other developers and testers.

They have got some parental controls systems in place to safe guard kids. The 13+ rule means that kids under the age of 13 are blocked from violent and inappropriate games. You can block all in game chat and invite functions meaning no one can contact them or speak to them.

There is a profanity filter which prevents certain common swear words and the like being used. However even with this in place it doesn't stop people trying to creatively use profanity in the chat log.

Cons

It is super easy for kids to create a ghost account (a second account which does not have the parent controls in place)

Because it is open open community and targets kids predominately there is always a predator risk and teach kids about online safety is crucial. Other wise keep the privacy as private so people can not invite or speak to your child while in game.

If you do use the highest privacy settings it means your kids cant play with their friends. This takes the fun out of it for them.

There are no private servers like in Minecraft once they enter a server they enter it with everyone else.

You can but in game purchases. it is not needed but sometime the pressure to have the biggest and best in the game could lead the kids to feeling the need to spend real money.

There has been reports of children coming across s*xual type encounters with others mimicking s*x moves. Roblox I believe are aware of this and are hopefully fixing it.

Bullying this is always a risk in any online game especially where in game chat is a feature.

So how can you safe guard your kids while they are playing roblox?

1. Talk to them about stranger danger. It may seem cliche but the risk is real. If you allow your child to play and talk to people unsupervised anything could happen. Make sure they are aware never to give their age, name or location to anyone! even if they are a "friend"

2. Supervise them. If you think you child is a bit of a loose cannon with information then keep an eye on them. I remember my son (7 yearsold) was playing it and he came and asked how to spell the town we live in. I asked him why he said "my friend wants to know" this raised alarm bells and I straight away had to tell him again that if he spoke to people about those types of things I would turn the chat and friends part off. He since has come and told me every time someone asks for personal information and we make sure to block them and report them to roblox.

3. Talk to them often, ask who they played with and what type of things they did in the game. If you show you are interested in the game and want to learn they will likely tell you of any untoward or inappropriate things that have happened in game. Communication with your kids is absolutely crucial in the online game world.

4. If you child experiences bullying which is again common in online gaming don't tell them to simply stop playing or get over it. Bullying online is as real and if not worse than school yard bullying. Your kids need to know you have the ability to help them. The advantage to online is its super easy to remove and block the bullies you just have to show your kids that it is 100% OK to block them as soon as they start to feel uncomfortable. They don't have to be friends with everyone.

media1.tenor.co

14/11/2018

Game ratings and why you should pay attention!

So many kids are great little salesmen. They can con their parents into almost anything. Even an MA15+ game or an R rated game. They may tell you "its only R rated because you shoot stuff" sound familiar?

As a parent we all have a different set of standards as to what we want our children to see. So when choosing games, the game classifications can be a super easy guide to help you decide.

My rule of thumbs is anything rated G, PG or M is likely to be fine it may contain animated violence or unrealistic scenes but 9 out 10 times you will find they are suitable for most kids.

Anything rated MA 15+ or R 18+ you need to research before you allow to play it. There is a couple of really easy ways to do this. Firstly read the actual rating and find out why its been rated MA or R is it violence and language? or s*xual content etc. If that doesn't give you enough information check out videos of people playing the game. There are millions of streamers (aka people who live record themselves playing videos games) which show true content of the game. This will give you a very clear idea of what the game is about and if its online it will also show you about the online community that play that particular type of games

To find live streams check out www.twitch.tv there is a little search icon on the top left of the home page. You can search game titles in there. If that fails and there are no streams of the games you need try www.youtube.com and there is a good chance you will find it there.

Once you know the content of the game its super easy to help your kids through various encounters they may have in the game, if for any reason the game brings up questions at least if you have researched it you can remain one step ahead of them.

According the Australian government the ratings are as follows;

The content is very mild in impact.The G classification is suitable for everyone. G products may contain classifiable elements such as language and themes that are very mild in impact.However, some G-classified films or computer games may contain content that is not of interest to children.

The impact of PG (Parental Guidance) classified films and computer games should be no higher than mild, but they may contain content that children find confusing or upsetting and may require the guidance of parents and guardians. They may, for example, contain classifiable elements such as language and themes that are mild in impact.It is not recommended for viewing or playing by persons under 15 without guidance from parents or guardians.

M - Films and computer games classified M (Mature) contain content of a moderate impact and are recommended for teenagers aged 15 years and over.Children under 15 may legally access this material because it is an advisory category. However, M classified films and computer games may include classifiable elements such as violence and nudity of moderate impact that are not recommended for children under 15 years.Parents and guardians may need to find out more about the film or computer game’s specific content, before deciding whether the material is suitable for their child.

MA 15+ classified material contains strong content and is legally restricted to persons 15 years and over. It may contain classifiable elements such as s*x scenes and drug use that are strong in impact.A person may be asked to show proof of their age before hiring or purchasing an MA 15+ film or computer game. Cinema staff may also request that the person show proof of their age before allowing them to watch an MA 15+ film. Children under the age of 15 may not legally watch, buy or hire MA 15+ classified material unless they are in the company of a parent or adult guardian. Children under 15 who go to the cinema to see an MA 15+ film must be accompanied by a parent or adult guardian for the duration of the film. The parent or adult guardian must also purchase the movie ticket for the child.The guardian must be an adult exercising parental control over the person under 15 years of age. The guardian needs to be 18 years or older.

R 18+ material is restricted to adults. Such material may contain classifiable elements such as s*x scenes and drug use that are high in impact. Some material classified R18+ may be offensive to sections of the adult community. A person may be asked for proof of their age before purchasing, hiring or viewing R18+ films and computer games at a retail store or cinema.

for further information visit http://www.classification.gov.au