The internet is a treasure chest of knowledge, there is always something that was unknown to you. That’s what the internet was used for, to know the unknown. The World Wide Web is a vast universe and everyone would find something suiting their interest, however, kids of a tender age get distracted towards unfamiliar websites that keeps popping up on the screen.
Playing online games is the new fad and kids don’t seem to get over it any time soon. Even though there are several online games that are educational and improves skills like online chess, quizzes, puzzles etc., parents should continue to be aware of the websites that kids visit. Parental control software are majorly helpful in such scenarios and they lock unwanted websites or pages that pop up while your child is surfing online. The Internet can be addictive, look out for your kids and try to avoid your kids getting into traps and troubles.
Hazards of online gaming
Addictive and obsessive- Children tend to get inclined over things that are visually and audibly attractive and engaging. In the beginning, they spend time surfing over the internet and then leading to online games. These kids get immensely involved in their own world of gaming obsession and get trapped in virtual reality.
Lack of concentration in academics- Your child might be studying, but his/her mind is still in the world of gaming and its score board. Due to such distractions, their academics scores keep on dwindling. Even if they try to focus they are unable to continue doing so, their screen-timing might be a massive cause for their unsettling behaviour.
Development of violence- No doubt some online games are wild and violent. They also display abusive behaviour of murder or accident. While a parental control software will do the job of blocking such websites. There are other games like chess and quizzes, that are played by kids for personal improvement, however excessive playing of such games also creates a bad effect on kids’ mind. They become competitive and aggressive to win a virtual game. Being competitive is great as long as your kid behaves irrespective of a win or a lose.
Cyberbullying- You might be a parent who has a watchful eye over your kid’s online activity, and allows him/her to just play educational games, but he/she still maybe facing cyberbullying. Internet can be a rather dark world if we dig deeper. Making new friends can be exciting, however there is a different side to the story as well. Your kids play games with their online friends, but they are strangers with anonyms names and hidden identity. He/She may be a kid or an adult who enjoys gaming just like your kid. They can be abusive, rather violent and provocative. These are the people you definitely don’t want your kids to play with.
Webcam Scam- Webcam and audio device hacking are hitting the news headlines regularly. These hacking can be used by terrorists or international scams to extract information. In this case, your kid playing a game that is connected to webcam or audio devices only brings trouble for them. Regularly check for malware and virus detection in your computer to avoid such circumstances. You don’t want you kid to face unwanted situations.
While online gaming and socialising can be a great learning experience for your kids. You as a parent must be cautious about your kids’ online activities. Moreover, awareness about such things can save your kid from leading to unwanted path. Talk to your kids about such happenings, let them use internet but keep a track of their downloads and uploads.