Parents of
small children today have found a friend in smartphone technology
and the host of kid-friendly game apps that can be downloaded and
played for free (that is, when parents can keep tricky toddler
fingers from buying too many Smurfberries).
Time spent sitting in traffic or waiting in line is now blissfully
quiet and calm when a sleep-deprived youngster is engrossed in
"Angry Birds" on Dad’s iPad.
As game developers get rich creating games for mobile devices,
they’re also finding big bucks creating games for Facebook.
With this influx of kid-friendly games on Facebook, parents may be tempted to set their kids up with an account to keep them busy and, hopefully, bring some peace and quiet into the home.
But the media watchdog group Common Sense Media is warning parents about the potential dangers of letting kids under the age of 13 have any access, even limited, to games played Facebook.
“I know plenty of kids have Facebook pages --- and clearly, game developers know this, too -- but am I a fuddy-duddy to think that it's wrong to promote kids' stuff on a social networking site that you need to be 13 to join?” said Caroline Knorr, writer and editor for the group’s website.
Knorr points out many games available on Facebook are fine for children (Common Sense Media even gave the app for “The Oregon Trail” a 5-star rating) but their location is not. And safety concerns for kids on social networking sites “are real.”
“Remember, every game and third-party app you use on Facebook extracts some of your personal information. And while you can restrict some of the information the Facebook games take, by definition you can't play social games without giving up your friends' names,” said Knorr.
Besides the obvious dangers of setting a tech-savvy eleven-year-old free on Facebook (online predators, inappropriate pictures or videos, identity theft), letting kids go app-happy on Facebook could lead them to downloading spy ware, viruses, and other malware that can destroy computers.
Tempting though it may be, Common Sense Media advises against kids under 13 being allowed to play games on Facebook.
“As for kids' apps that connect to Facebook, they typically require a log in, so don't give your kids your password,” said Knorr. No matter how hard they beg. And they might.
“These boundaries may seem arbitrary to your kids. After all, if their game connects to Facebook, why can't they follow that link? Tell them that age gates exist for a reason: to protect their privacy and safety. Your kids are going to encounter lots of age-inappropriate stuff. As the parent, you have to maintain the border lines, even -- and maybe especially -- when they're shifting under your feet,” said Knorr.
For parents hoping to download the best, safest game apps for this kids, Common Sense Media offers these tips:
- Establish rules around downloading. The key to keeping apps age appropriate is making the rules before anyone goes app shopping.
- Limit screen time. Even if the games your kid plays on your smartphone are educational, it's still screen time. So count their smartphone time in their total screen allowance for the day.
- Play with your kid. Many apps (especially those designed for the iPad) are multiplayer. Carve out time to play along with your kid. Sharing the discovery of a new app can be a fun bonding experience.
- Don't go by the developer's age rating. The age rating listed in the app description is from the developer, and they can be way off. Use Common Sense Media's ratings and reviews instead.
- Look for age-appropriate apps with quality content. There are so many apps in the app store that it's easy to ignore the iffy ones and find the ones that are worth your kid's time.
- Establish a spending limit. Apps can add up. Call us cheap, but we like the free ones!
- Watch out for ad bombardment. Many "free" apps make their revenue by selling ads. Show your kid how to tell what ads look like.
