Centre issues advisory to parents on children's safe online gaming; check do's & don'ts

There's no denying the fact that the closure of schools and educational institutes due to the COVID-19 pandemic has increased the usage of mobile phones and the internet by children, ultimately resulting in online gaming addiction. In view of the same, the Ministry of Education has released a notice warning parents on how to deal with children playing excessive games on mobile phones. As per the latest notice issued by the Ministry, a list of do's and don'ts for teachers and parents for safe gaming has been released.

The education ministry has highlighted that online gaming has many severe disadvantages for the health of children, including gamming disorder, serious gaming addiction, weak eyesight, among others. The ministry pointed out that online games are "designed in such a way that each level is more complicated and complex than the previous one. This causes a player to push themselves to the limit to progress in the game. Therefore, playing a game with no restrictions certainly leads to gaming addiction, causing disorder in children as well as teenagers." Given the potential risk that gaming can cause to a child's health, the ministry has issued a list of don'ts and do's. Check below.

Online Gaming Guidelines: Do's

• As per the official notice issued by the Education Ministry, while playing online games, if something goes wrong, stop immediately and take a screenshot (using the "print screen" button on the keyboard) and report it.
• Help your child protect their privacy while playing the game. For example, they use a screen name (avatar) or another name to hide their real name.
• Use antivirus/spyware programmes and also activate parental controls for the safety of your child.
• Immediately report it if a stranger on the gaming platform tries to start a conversation about something inappropriate or requests personal information.
• Always check the age rating of any games your child is playing.
• In the case of bullying, ask your child to simply ignore and also keep a record of the harassing messages and report them. Also, you can use the "block" option.
• Always make sure that your child accesses the internet from a computer in the family.
• Don't let your child play alone; keep your eyes when they are using gaming platforms or social media.
• Install an internet gateway at home that has features like monitoring, logging, and controlling the types of content that the children can access.
• Teachers need to keep an eye on falling grades and the social behaviour of their students. If the teacher discovers anything suspicious or concerning, he or she should notify parents and school officials.

Online gaming guidelines by the Ministry of Education: Don'ts

• As per the official notice issued by the Education Ministry, don't allow in-game purchases without parental consent. 
• Always use the OTP-based payment mode and avoid credit or debit card registration on apps for subscriptions.
• Ask children not to download software and games from unknown websites.
• Advise children to stay away from clicking links, images, and pop-ups on websites as they may contain inappropriate content or sometimes viruses that harm the device.
• Avoid using personal information on the internet while downloading any game. 
• Never share personal data with anyone you don't know.
• Don't play games for long hours.

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