How Parental Controls Mean Invasion of Privacy to Your Child

Parental controls are a method on televisions and the internet to help block inappropriate material from being viewed by your child. Video game censoring is also another form of parental controls; your child cannot purchase mature video games until he is of age. Some parents even block social networking sites unless they sit down and browse online with them. As a protective parent, you might feel that these measures are completely reasonable and will help your child. But how far should you take parental controls? And do they really keep your children safe?

One of the biggest obstacles is other households. You may block MTV on your television and set your computer to view websites with malicious content or even the local http://www.direct.tv, but that’s not to stop your child from viewing the material at a friend’s house. Also keep in mind that although some of the material may seem too mature, your child may already be hearing and seeing similar content at school.

Parental controls are easier to implement in younger children who are not yet exposed to mature content outside of the home. As your child grows older, these controls may be too difficult to keep up with. Plus, to teenagers, parental controls equate to a lack of trust on the side of the parent.

So what is the solution? You understandably want to protect your child from offensive material. Saying to yourself, “Oh, well, he will hear this stuff from his friends anyway” isn’t very sensible either.

The key is to stay in constant communication with your child and know what’s going on with her emotionally and developmentally. If you feel she is mature for her age, you might be able to ease up on the control. But you ultimately know what’s best. If you feel parental controls are appropriate, explain your reasoning to her.

Filed Under: Games, Parenting Tagged With: , ,

Best Phones for Gamers

It goes without saying that at some point your teen is going to play some games on their phone. Tthis is fine in moderation. The great thing about technology is that you can impose limits on how much it gets used. Through the standards you set, your teen won’t just get games. Games might be what they want the most, but it won’t be the only type of app they can make use of. The following phones are great for games, and a whole lot more.

iPhone

The iPhone is very good because it has a lot of great apps. With your iPhone, you can use the plentiful battery power and extensive list of apps to both have fun and get things done.

Blackberry

The Blackberry smartphone is a great phone because it has almost as many types of programs—not just games—and often a faster processor than its competitors. With a Blackberry you have the additional power to more effectively network your phone, which opens up a wider range of uses. Your teen can use this phone for collaborative school assignments.

Android

Android’s most powerful advantage lies in its open source nature. A skilled programmer can do much more with this technology than they could with the iPhone, because it isn’t necessary to get their game approved by a committee or listed on an app site. This grants a lot of flexibility to make the most useful apps.

You have tons of options when it comes to great phones for gaming. Your ultimate choice comes down to the types of games you want to play.

Filed Under: Games, Internet Tagged With: , ,

Parents vs. Kids Regarding Gaming

Parents want their kids to eat their broccoli; kids just want macaroni and cheese. Parents want their kids to dress nicely; kids want mismatched socks and jeans with holes in them. Parenting is a never-ending battle to balance the important with the frivolous and thus put their foot down when important while still giving their kids the ability to think for themselves now and then.

Video games and online gaming is a subject of strife for many parents as they weigh the benefits and the potential problems involved. As with many things, one of the best things a parent can do is to keep on top of what is new and know what their child finds interesting. The trick is keeping in mind that although Mom and Dad may best enjoy perusing online casino bonus sites, that is probably not even going to interest their child as much as the newest action adventure game.

NEW YORK - APRIL 17: Video games are seen for...

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There are two aspects about gaming that parents should be sure to follow. One is to control the amount of time that their children play. Although games are mentally stimulating, the time spent should not be excessive. Secondly it is important to manage the types of games that are allowed to make sure they are age relevant. While retailers do a pretty good job of keeping underage children from purchasing games with age restrictions, parents should be careful not to buy games that are inappropriate.

Parents may never get their kids to eat broccoli, but at least they can come to an agreement on game playing with a little bit of compromise.

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Identifying and Treating a Video Game Addiction

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Video games, like most things, are good in moderation. Play through an evening, kill some time, wind down after work or school or whatever. And like other things that are good in moderation, video games can be abused and overused.

Video game addition is the compulsively excessive playing of video games. This pathological gaming often interferes with other aspects of the person’s life, such as their social life. Symptoms of a video game addiction include:

  • Choosing to play instead of seeing friends
  • Falling out of social groups
  • Irritability or depression when not playing
  • Being more concerned with game interactions over other aspects of their life
  • Suffering hygiene or health, significant weight loss or gain
  • Falling grades, falling behind in school or other responsibilities
  • Lying about game use
  • Other physical symptoms such as headaches, eye strain, carpal tunnel syndrome, dry eyes, and sleep deprivation
  • All free time is spent gaming

Video game addiction has been shown to be detrimental to the addict’s health. In rare cases, this addiction can kill either the addict or people around the addict. Some treatments or preventions:

  • Limiting play-time before any addiction manifests
  • Addiction treatment centers or counseling
  • Enrolling child in extracurricular activities to fill their time and entertain them
  • “Wilderness therapy programs”

There’s nothing inherently wrong with video or computer games – like there’s nothing inherently wrong with alcohol, food, sex, exercise, probably marijuana, medications, or shopping. An addiction – be it substance or behavioral – is a psychological or physiological dependence on something. Treatment may need to be done carefully, but it most definitely should be done.

Filed Under: Computers, Games Tagged With: , ,

Curbing Your Child’s Gaming Habits

Parents must watch over their kids in each and every aspect of their lives. Kids are a treasure, but they also require a modicum of discipline and structure. If you, as a parent, can’t give that to them then it’s likely they will lose control of what they are doing and where they are heading in life. Gaming is an area where structure and limits are very important.

Kids, from teens to young adults, are playing all kinds of fun and exciting games like role playing games to playing poker online. As a parent you must start your journey to safety by always giving them a time limit for the day and for the week. Allowing them to play everyday makes it feel like a right and not a treat. So maybe limiting the games to an hour or two a week will help them to have a healthy appreciation for it.

Putting a lock or a timer on the computer will work wonders for this. There are times when you will go out and they will want to break the rules. This is where you must keep the lock and password on so they will have no choice but to stop playing. It’s not the most fun way to parent, but if the goal is keeping them safe then it might be the most effective.

Another thing to consider is that there are a number of other outdoor activities your child can be involved with. Keeping them active with school will eliminate the time they are hope just killing time on that video game. You can keep them safe if you are smart.

 

Filed Under: Internet

The Power of Online Gaming

Oh, the days are gone when you can pull out your Monopoly board game or Clue game and just have some fun with the family. Technology has taken that family life by storm — so much so that Monopoly and even Clue have entered the digital arena, too! Yes, you can play all those board games online.

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However, don’t throw away your folding custom poker tables. Nothing can beat a nice game of Risk in front of the fireplace on a warm rug and carpet. There’s just something personal and intimate about it. But, for sure, the idea of online gaming has tuned the process of our playing!

Think about it: no more lost pieces, no more bad backs, no more having to get the board game box from way up there in the closet, and no more having to put it all back in the box when you’re done, so you can reach to put it back in the closet again. Your gaming time has been reduced to something as simple as turning the TV on, the game system on, popping a CD in, and you’re good to go. You might only complain about how your thumbs hurt, but that’s it.

The gaming world has widened tremendously, too — since when could you play your games with other people around the world? Since the advent of online gaming, yes. The scope has increased — not to mention there’s also a larger variety of games to play thanks top the technology.

The sky’s the limit here. That’s the power of online gaming for you.

Filed Under: Internet Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

5 Tips for Parents with Gaming Children

Combination of two Nuvola KDE icons. 

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Do you have children that enjoy gaming? If so, they may spend a great deal of time playing video games online or through a gaming console. This is one of the most popular teenage activities, but as a parent, you do have to have some rules to ensure your child remains safe and in a positive environment.

Tips for Regulating Teen Internet Use

When it comes to parenting, you can never be too careful about what your children see and do on the web. However, when it comes to gaming, you may not realize what is out there to bother them. The good news is that SaveKqix.org has some tips to help you.

  • Keep computers and gaming systems out of your children’s bedroom. Rather, place these gaming consoles in the living areas of your home. That way, you can always see what is happening.
  • Talk to your child about Internet safety. Be sure he or she knows what the risks are.
  • Discuss the importance of keeping children from chat rooms. If you do allow the child to converse through a gaming portal, be sure it is a safe feature. In addition, make sure the child knows not everyone is a child playing these games.
  • Use parental controls on gaming systems and computers to help you. These limit when the computers and systems are available and what the child can do on them.
  • Keep the lines of communication open. Avoid baring down too hard, as you want them to tell you what is going on.

These tips can help parents to ensure their gaming children remain safe while online. Parents need to take action soon.

 

Filed Under: Computers, Games, Parenting Tagged With: , ,

Good Games For Your Children

Children of today’s world are becoming increasingly involved in games. They love playing games as they find simple pleasures of life while playing games in the virtual world. It becomes important for the parents to take a note of what their children are playing. It helps the children to enjoy a safe and secured experience and the chance of falling into the trap of getting addicted is also visibly reduced. However there are parents who are either not interested in games or do not have the requisite knowledge about them. For such parents it is important to know that for the safety of the children it is necessary for the parents to game with the children.

Parents, before buying a game console or letting their children play video games should gather knowledge about games. They should be aware about the different consoles available and their features. The more the parents become involved with their children in games, the more the children become secured. There are a plethora of games which are available in the market. Some of the games may be apt for your children whereas some should be definitely avoided. Parents should study about such games and make themselves aware about which games to let their children play.  It is also important to note the games that parents may enjoy.  There are a plethora of games available on the Internet that are sports related or gambling related; including sites where you are playing poker online.  While these may be too mature for children, they are perfect for adults.

There are some sports games which allow you to have an amazing time. They also let you know more about the technicalities of the games and how to play them. For example a Tennis related game can teach your children a lot about the game which can actually enhance his interest in playing the game in real life. Parents should also make it a point to choose games which do not incorporate non-violent titles and content. Sports and fantasy games tend to have educational content and can involve more than one person. It is important to find games which teach your children to play cooperatively and together with others.

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You Can’t Read Body Language in Online Games

A large part of playing a game of poker is being able to read your opponent. Players watch each other for tension in the body, a quick look that gives them away or some kind of twitch. They then use this feedback to plan their own play. But online gaming takes away these visual clues. However, there are still ways to detect tells, even through the Internet.

Learning effective ways to read an opponent when playing poker online helps increase earnings. How this is achieved is by understanding how others play online. Exploiting others mistakes is what puts the winnings in your pocket. Some of the things to look out for are:

  • Someone playing multiple hands at the same time will make more mistakes than not. If the same user name shows up in different “rooms,” they are playing many hands at once. Focus on betting against them and watch for weak plays.
  • Keep an eye out for games that are going strong. Players that are willing to stick around for a while and make good bets will provide a better return than one with players who float around. Be ready to change to a different game when things go bad.
  • Commit to prompt plays. The more hands you can turn over, the more money you will make. This means that the moment your play is exhausted, hit the requisite button to start the next round.

These tips are just scratching the surface. A lot of work goes into becoming a successful player with playing poker games online. It is best to read through strategy guides, forums, and keeping eyes open for tips before starting out.

Filed Under: Internet

Helping Kids Fight Gaming Addictions

No Video Games

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In the world today there are a number of different video game systems as well as thousands of video games that involve anything from cooking, dancing to realistic war games. With so many choices out there it is no wonder that kids even as young as 3 and 4 are beginning to develop gaming addictions. Here are some tips for parents to help them battle this addiction.

Turn Everything Off

Sometimes the best way to take care of this type of problem is to designate a time in the home where everything gets shut off. This includes computers, televisions and of course, video games. Hand held video games systems have to be put up and the family has to do something together. Whether it just be something as simple as everyone reading a book or even getting together and playing a board game. Not only does this get kids off video games it helps encourage family time.

Take All the Games Away

Taking away all the video game systems and putting them away or even getting rid of them completely is another option to help kids fight gaming addictions. Many parents are hesitant to do this, especially if they are dealing with children who are prone to throwing fits, but for some it is the only way to get kids interested in doing other activities. Simply explain that video games were being played too much. Some parents opt to just take away the video games and give them back during the weekend. This helps kids learn that they are still able to play, just in moderation.

Filed Under: Games, Internet Tagged With: , ,
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