Online Games and Video Game Consoles

How can I make it safer?

A parent or safe adult should always supervise the Internet activities of 5- to 7-year-olds.
Explore games your child plays to determine if they are age-appropriate.
Pay attention to what your child is interested in and address safety issues as they arise (i.e. chat components, posting messages, trading items with others, avatars interacting, etc.).
Things to look for when choosing an appropriate online game include:
- Does the game allow you to report inappropriate activity?
- Is the game monitored by a moderator?
- Does the game contain sexually explicit or violent material?
Some online games, such as Club Penguin, allow parents to select a "Safe Chat Mode” for their children. This option includes an "Ultimate Safe Chat Mode" setting which limits children to using pre-defined messages. When this chat mode is selected, children can only view messages from other players using the same chat mode. The other option is a "Safe Chat Mode" which allows children to type their own messages. These messages are filtered and any attempts to provide personal information are blocked.
Some online games also allow parents to set time frames for when their children are allowed to play and limit the amount of time their child is able to play in one day.

Make sure your child knows the Internet is a public place and understands the importance of not giving out her/his real name, age, location, phone number, school or other identifying information.
Teach your child how to create a username that does not give out information about her/his real identity.
Teach your child to never give her/his password to anyone except her/his parents.