Digital Technology

       Gaming 

Hi. We’re the Digital Technology Captains for 2024, Xavier and Aqeel. We hope you enjoyed our first newsletter piece about being safe online . We thought we would talk to you about gaming - having fun and safety! We know video games are a blast, and there are lots of ways to make sure everyone has a great time online.

Facts

We play video games too but we need to stay safe online while having fun. We were curious about who plays games in Australia and this is what we found out.

• 89% of Australian children aged 8 to 17 have played an online game in the last year
• 94% of young gamers had ‘positive feelings’ when they were gaming online
• 91% of parents play games with their children to connect with family 
• 40% have played online with people they did not know offline
• 32% have experienced bullying or abuse while playing a network game with others

Tips for safe use of devices 💻 

Security software: Just like wearing a helmet when biking, security software on your devices helps protect them from online dangers.

Parental controls: These are like training wheels for your device. They can help limit what you see and prevent unexpected charges.

Privacy matters: Think of a cool screen name that doesn't give away your real name. Remember, anyone online could be talking to you.

In-game spending: Talk to your parents about setting limits on in-game purchases so you don't accidentally spend more than planned.

Other Recommendations

There are some important processes that the eSafety and eCommisioner website recommends. As the eCommissioner states even though gaming can be positive, it needs to be balanced with other meaningful activities like getting enough sleep, connecting with family, socializing with friends, being active and completing schoolwork.

Help your child to protect their privacy online and suggest they use a screen name that’s different to their real name. As an example you could use “toasterwaffles33”. People of any age can be talking to you. 

Ensure you have set the parental controls on mobile devices and gaming consoles to limit in-game and in-app purchases, so your child has to ask to buy additional items.

We hope that this helps to keep you safe online and when playing games.

From your Digital Technology Captains Xavier and Aqeel.