Although there are some great benefits to online gaming for young people, it's important to be aware of some of the risks that might impact their wellbeing.
Games can offer young people a sense of escape from the reality of the world and the social aspect of some games can help children feel part of a community. However, without the right guidance on what games to play or when to play, children can be exposed to certain risks such as in-game bullying, online grooming or in some extreme cases gaming addiction.
Below we've provided advice on some of the potential risks and things you can do to support young people on these issues to build their resilience and help them make safer choices while gaming.
Online Game Addiction
Our tech expert Andy Robertson speaks to BBC radio about gaming addiction
Recognising the signs
There has been a lot in the news recently about online gaming addiction. Many parents and carers worry that their children may be becoming addicted to their video game pastime.
This is not surprising. As with any hobby — football, chess, reading — those who enjoy playing video games for leisure will do so enthusiastically and deeply. This can lead to a desire from children to play for longer and more frequently. Of course, video games are designed to minimise the hurdles to repeat play and maximise enjoyment. This persuasive approach means it's important for parents to guide children with screen time limits (available on consoles and smartphones) as they develop their own healthy boundaries.
Gaming addiction classified as disorder
These worries have been intensified with news that the World Health Organisation (WHO) adding "gaming" under the section that deals with 'Disorders due to addictive behaviours' (category 06) which also deals with alcohol, drugs, gambling. There has been strong disagreement among experts on the inclusion of video gaming in the ICD-11 list.
This criteria, when endorsed, aims to identify extreme cases of behaviour as addiction. The average child who plays a lot of games is not addicted. Only when their gaming is to the severe detriment of other parts of life, and they continue to pursue it in spite of this for 12 months does it start to fall into this diagnosis.
Also, it's important to understand that the levels of dopamine that games create in the brain are only a tenth of those created by chemical substances that can be addictive. Changing behaviour is about helping children form new habits rather than a chemical withdrawal like substance abuse.
Gaming disorder: what you need to know – Advice from tech expert Andy Robertson
Related articles
Parent story: What do you do if your child is addicted to online gaming?
What the expert say: What is 'gaming addiction and how can you prevent children from developing it?
Advice to support children
Review what they are playing and how long for
Apply time limits
Encourage them to take breaks
Review games they and time spent
Seek support from GP if worried
Contact with strangers
Fixers short film encouraging young gamers to be aware of who they talk to online
Managing online interactions
Like many things in life, video games are much more fun when played with other people. Recently that has transitioned from playing with people in the same room to other people online.
Additionally, the numbers of people that can participate in a single game has greatly risen. The popularity of Fortnite stems in part from its inclusion of 100 strangers in the same fight to the death.
Growth of social networking in gaming
Also, the level and types of communication online games offer has evolved significantly over recent years. Whereas games were seen separately to social media, they now greatly overlap with online social sharing sites. In fact, most children's first interaction with someone they don't know online is now more likely to be in a video game like Roblox than anywhere else.
Use of personas to hide real identities
In these games, players do not necessarily know who they are playing with. Online personas in the games may report to be other children but it is hard to validate if this is the case. Because of this, parents and carers need to understand the games their children are playing and how to set them up safely.
Handled sensibly, playing with other children online can enrich a child's enjoyment and also bring them into contact with others from around the world with different cultures and outlooks.
Parents' guide to Roblox and how your kids can play it safely
Related articles
Advice from the London School of Economics: The importance of video game literacy for healthy parenting
Internet Matters expert advice: Managing online stranger danger and digital relationships with kids – a parent's story
Advice to support children
Check settings on devices
Keep devices in shared family spaces
Play sound on speakers not headset
Turn on notifications on your account
Set up children's accounts
Play together
Use settings to create groups of real friends to play with
Online Gaming Health
Potential physical impact
Video games are perceived to be a sedentary hobby. However, many new games and technology actively encourage movement and motion. Whether this is getting the family out for walks with Pokemon Go! or jumping around the sitting room with Just Dance, games can actually be a great way to get the family moving.
Ensuring children take breaks and move around
There have been studies that suggest situations in which someone spends hours sitting in one place can increase the risk of a Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT). But this can happen with any stationary leisure activity – including watching television, listening to music or reading a book.
Where children are playing games just on screens, it is good advice to ensure they take breaks every hour. Not only will this keep them moving but it offers a chance for a change of activity.
Another area for concern is with bright flashing lights that are often a part of video game experiences. The current research shows that video games don't cause epilepsy but can (like television or pop concerts) trigger a seizure in the extremely small number of people, who already have Photosensitive Epilepsy.
The Consumer Safety Unit of the governmental department, together with the National Epilepsy Society, has carried out an exhaustive study into this area, which found that epilepsy cannot be caused by playing computer games
AskAboutGames advice on DVT and Epilepsy
Related articles
Advice from the Epilepsy Foundation on video game induced-seizures
Internet Matters expert article: Making screen time active with great apps
Advice to support children
Review child's gaming diet
Advise regular breaks
Be aware of Photosensitive Epilepsy
Play active games together
Symptoms to watch out for
Online Video Game Costs and Gambling
BBC – Parental advice on Gambling in Fortnite, FIFA Rocket League, Overwatch
Use of in-game and in-app purchases
Online video games require relatively complex hardware to participate in, along with a high-speed internet connection. This can create the perception that you need the most up to date technology for your child.
However, there are a wide range of ways that your child can play video games online without breaking the bank. Tablet devices and older smartphones are a good example of this. Even older models can offer a comprehensive way to enjoy video games online. Apps such as Roblox can offer children access to the game even on lower-end devices.
In-game and in-app purchases and freemium games
Other costs that parents should be aware of are those that crop up after the initial purchase or download of the game. An increasingly popular way to fund game development is to offer games for free but then charge for content or characters in the game – these are called freemium games. Fortnite is an example of a free game making a lot money from it's in-game purchases that unlock new outfits and dances.
BBC Own it – Children explain what 'loot boxes' are to parents
Skin gambling [Betting] – What is it?
In some instances, these transactions (sometimes called Loot Boxes) offer a chance to win an in-game item of varying value to the player. This can appear similar to gambling as there is luck involved as to which item the player will get. Also, some games like Rocket League have historically presented these items in a "fruit machine" style, spin to win.
From a Gambling Commission perspective, this is not actually gambling because there is no monetary value of the items won outside the game. If it was considered gambling it could not be marketed to children.
This means that some countries, such as Belgium have outlawed the use of "loot boxes" in games because they are seen as gambling aimed at children. There is no consensus more widely available, though. In the UK and US, games are now labeled as having In-App purchases as part of the rating system.
An important distinction, that many articles conflate, is between online gaming and online video games. Online gaming usually refers to gambling websites where players can partake in traditional gambling games of cards, dice and slot machines. Online video games are the topic of this section, playing on consoles and PC to offer players a challenge of skill in a virtual world.
Children, who want more in-game currency to purchase loot boxes, are sometimes targeted but unofficial third-party apps offering this in exchange for information. It's important that parents understand this, educate children, and ensure appropriate passwords are set on credit card details.
Risk of malware on free-to-download games
To avoid un-intentionally downloading apps or free games that may be bundled with malware or spyware it's important to:
Check and research apps and games that children plan to download
Stick to legitimate websites when downloading any game
Explain risks of downloading 'free' games and what to do if something goes wrong
Set online boundaries and agree which websites and apps are best for them to use