Protecting Yourself


The world of online gaming is hugely popular, and with good reason. It offers lots of fun and excitement right from your own home. Many parents prefer having their children at home playing a game to being out on the streets where they know there are dangers. However, it's important to remember that whatever your age, you can be at risk even on the most reputable of sites if you don't know how to play safely.

Steps to Safer Gaming

Follow these steps to safer online gaming:

  • When using a console or a Web site, learn how to use the safety features that allow you to limit access to games by maturity level, to restrict user interactions, to block users, or to kick people out of a game if they behave badly. If the necessary safety features are not available, let the game provider know it.

  • Report abuse. If the game site doesn't allow you to easily report problems and take action against violators, switch to a different site. You should know that some game services provide more protections and enforcement than others. (Xbox and Xbox Live have great safety settings and abuse reporting tools, for example.)

  • Don't share personal information, such as your age, name, gender, phone number, address, and so on, in your profile or in communications with other players.

  • Don't give out your friends' or family's personal information.

  • Don't set up an offline meeting with somebody you meet in an online game. Never agree to meet in person unless somebody you trust is with you. If you are a child or a teen, talk to your parents first.

  • Choose your user name or gamer tag wisely. Some names suggest your gender or age or attract predators with a sexual connotation. (See Chapter 5, "Step 2: Don't Tell People More Than You Should," for more advice on picking safer names.)

  • The gaming industry has clearly defined ratings for games to help guide consumers. These rating systems vary by country, so use the rating information that applies for your location and read the descriptions on the game packaging or Web sites to choose games that are age appropriate. (See "Game Ratings You Should Know.")

  • Check out an online preview of games, and check for reviews and recommendations before you buy. Sites such as Xbox Live (www.xbox.com/en-US/live), GameSpot (www.gamespot.com), GameSpy (www.gamespy.com), and IGN (www.ign.com) all evaluate games and can help you to select games that are appropriate for you or your children.

  • Adjust family settings to limit your child's online interaction with other gamers if you feel they aren't mature enough to communicate safely and to block games that you feel are inappropriate.

  • Discuss what your family is comfortable with and then set limits.

Game Ratings You Should Know

Around the world there are various systems for rating the content in games. All of these systems help you make informed choices about which games are appropriate for your family. North America and virtually all of South America use the ESRB (Entertainment Software Rating Board: www.esrb.org), which has created a rating system that helps you determine whether a game is appropriate for your children. The ESRB symbols appear on game boxes. They include Early Childhood (EC), which is appropriate for ages 3 and older; Everyone (E) for ages 6 and older; Everyone 10+ (E10+) for ages 10 and older; Teen (T) for ages 13 and older, containing some violence, crude humor, or simulated gambling; Mature (M) for ages 17 and older, containing blood and gore, sexual content, and strong language; and Adults Only (AO) for persons 18 and older, with scenes of intense violence or graphic sexuality. In addition, descriptions of the games should appear on the back of a game box, with even more specific information about language, violence, nudity, blood, alcohol references, and so on.

Find Out More

For a guide to using ESRB ratings, go to www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/games/getstarted/esrbratings.mspx.


Outside the Americas, rating systems are considerably more varied. Check on the Web to understand the specific categories and age ranges that are used in your country. For example

  • Much of Europe uses the PEGI (Pan European Game Information) system, although Finland and Portugal use variations.

  • The United Kingdom and Ireland use PEGI/BBFC (British Board of Film Classification).

  • Australia goes by the OFLC-AU (Office of Film and Literature Classification) system, and New Zealand uses OFLC-NZ.

  • Japan is guided by CERO (Computer Entertainment Rating Organization).

  • Korea uses KMRB (Korea Media Rating Board).

At this time, much of the rest of Asia is lacking a standardized rating system.



Look Both Ways. Help Protect Your Family on the Internet
Look Both Ways: Help Protect Your Family on the Internet
ISBN: 0735623473
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2004
Pages: 157
Authors: Linda Criddle

flylib.com © 2008-2017.
If you may any questions please contact us: flylib@qtcs.net