Gaming risks and benefits

 It’s a key to real-world friendship because young people can chat about strategies and favourite characters, particularly if your child finds learning neurotypical social skills a bit like learning a second language.

For some young people, gaming helps them calm down or tune out the real-world worries that they face. ‘I manage my anger by playing games’ explained a 15-year-old in a UK survey. Another talks about escaping their worries at home where there are family and health problems. Having fun is good for our mental wellbeing. Casual games such as Angry Birds or Temple Run can offer short-term, immediate fun and relaxation to unwind stress. Video games can provide an alternate world.

 It can inspire creativity, e.g. some gamers love to draw characters from games and learn anime and Japanese pop art styles and techniques.

Your child might be developing skills that he or she can use in a future career or learn valuable skills. AskAboutGames ‘Thriving Futures: A Rough Guide to Game Careers ‘ gives good advice on what careers are available within the gaming industry.
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Too much of anything can interfere with wellbeing and that is also true with gaming. The pull of it can be intense and managing a player’s time is difficult. If your child’s sleep, physical activity, learning and socialising are being impacted by their inability to stop gaming then there is cause for concern.

As some games try to improve safety for young people in the chat feature, the impatient young users in some cases simply ask each other to chat in another app simultaneously while playing. This might be unmoderated, encrypted, or risky in other ways. Some apps do cooperate well with law enforcement if this becomes necessary, whereas others may be in countries where we do not have legal agreements. Startup apps seldom have large numbers of moderators.

Some people argue that paying for in-game purchases when you don’t know what they might contain is a form of gambling and puts young people on a pathway to gambling. Check the settings and make sure your credit card cannot be used without your permission. Talk to your child about the fact that it is real money.

Your young player might be invited to meet up by someone they chat to while gaming. They can present themselves as a young person. They often praise the young player’s skills and offer to teach them new ones. It seems innocent.