Gambling in video games: what should parents know?
Gambling in video games
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Jun 30, 2023 Filed to: Parental Control Tips Proven solutions
Due to the advent of smartphones with internet technology, there is a wide range of entertaining games for kids and teens. Do you think all the video games in cyberspace are appropriate for them? Are they highly reliable? In this article, you will get some insights into gambling in video games. There are features like loot boxes to excite the kids and teens of the current generation amidst the thrilling video games. What does the loot box mean? Most video games contain a loot box comprising of virtual gifts related to the games. It can be an avatar, new weapons, characters with powers etc. These loot boxes help the players to access their dream characters at the gaming platform. Take a quick look at this article and explore the impact of loot boxes in kids and teens.
Do video games cause kids to gamble?
The term gambling refers to having pleasure by spending. The loot boxes give the same impact on kids. The kids and teens can enjoy their favorite avatars, characters, weapons by purchasing the loot boxes. Gradually, the children develop addictive behavior in video games which encourages the gambling concepts in the form of loot boxes, surprise gifts, the season offers, etc. All these features in the video games assist the children to taste the gambling pleasure.
The typical gaming features that get kids gambling
Loot boxes
In certain video games, there are options to disclose the loot boxes after making a purchase. This type of feature insists on gambling in video games. The virtual gifts related to the gaming environment excites the players to buy more loot boxes without worrying about its cost. It triggers the kids and teens to buy these gifts often to win the peer pressure while playing in groups amidst the gaming environment.
Wheel of Fortunes
Few games have spin options to reveal exciting gifts and offers to the players. The gamers must spend money to access this wheel of fortune. The concept is like a traditional gambling one where people make spins to win the fortune. The kids and teens will get used to this concept and they always look for their chance to access the wheel spin despite the money spent on it. Gradually the children ignore the value of money as they are constantly tempted by the wheel of spin offers in their favorite video games.
Purchase virtual items
You can find stores with virtual items related to games like stunning characters, weapons, weapon skins, avatars, extra powers, etc. You must purchase those items to access its features while playing the game. The kids and teens forcefully purchase those items to win the game.
Are loot boxes just gaming or gambling?
The loot boxes are similar to gambling. It helps the kids to access the features in games. They can win the game effortlessly when they purchase these loot boxes. The concept of luck is fed into young minds through these loot boxes. When the kids purchase the loot boxes and at the disclosing time, they are very much excited by the gift they will be receiving in a few seconds. If you take a closer look at the gambling, you will infer the same results. Having pleasure with money without any manual efforts is the key factor of gambling and it is seen in the loot boxes.
News about loot boxes gambling
Source: TheConversation
According to the Gambling commissioner’s report, it is noted that more than 13% of teenagers aged between 11 and 16 play gambling style video games. 31% of the gamers access the loot boxes in the video games for excitement.
Source: TheGuardian
The gambling concepts and the rewards offered to take a risk in games has been increased from 4% to 71% within nine years. The purchases in games were also boosted from 8% to 86% in recent times. The money spent on these loot boxes last year is 23 billion Pounds and expected to increase to 39 billion Pounds by 2022. These loot box features in video games attract the kids and teens and gradually they will become an addictive victim in no time.
How to identify video game addiction in children?
Spending long hours in games
When you find your child spending more hours on the gaming platform, then he/she is getting addicted to mobile games. If your kid struggles to reduce the screen time than he/she is slowly getting addicted to video games and gadgets.
Highly prone to a specific game
If your kid and teen are highly fond of a particular game, and he/she is gathering a lot of stuff about that game then your child is moving into the addiction environment. Developing an extreme interest in any specific video game triggers the addiction behavior in kids and teens.
Ignoring essential activities
When your kid is addicted to the video games, then he/she forgets her daily chores like bathing, reading, eating, sleeping, etc. Their priority becomes playing video games and thinks that all the other activity is not necessary at that moment. Gradually your kid will develop health issues by avoiding their essential needs.
Poor academic performance
You can find your kid develops hatred in reading and writing. Their creativity skills will be completely erased by this video game addiction. They will start to neglect their studies and consider that playing a video game is their only goal in life. Thereby, your child creates a chaotic environment and struggles to get back a normal lifestyle.
How can parents protect kids from gambling in video games?
The parents can protect their kids and teens from gambling in video games by following the below guidelines.
Awareness
As a responsible parent, you must create awareness in your kids about the issues related to the gambling concepts in a gaming environment. You can help your child to attend seminars regarding risky video games at the cyberspace through an effective speaker. You can also get some assistance from the professionals to speak with your child for better guidance regarding the hidden dangers of video games.
Identify the risky games
It is high time for the parents to make research on the evolving risky video games in recent times to guide the kids and teens. Learn about these gambling video games and deny access to those games through effective measures. You can also provide real-time examples of the potential risks associated with those addiction games for an easy reach.
Use parental control app FamiSafe
The best method to prevent your kid from accessing these addictive gambling in video games is by making use of the incredible parental control app FamiSafe. It is the right program to safeguard your child from internet dangers. You can create a better space for your children in the cyber world for them to explore in an optimum way.
Quickly take a look at the features of FamiSafe Parental Control app below.
- Web Filter & SafeSearch
- Screen Time Limit & Schedule
- Location Tracking & Driving Report
- App Blocker & App Activity Tracker
- YouTube History Monitor & Video Blocker
- Social Media Texts & Porn Images Alerts
- *Works on Mac, Windows, Android, iOS, Kindle Fire
- Monitor the gadget and online activities of your kid through remote supervision feature and if you find any risky games, then quickly block it using ‘App Blocker’ control.
- Limit the app usage in your kid to avoid the addiction behavior in them with the help of ‘App Usage’.
- You can set ‘Screen Time’ and reduce the gadget time limit in kids and teens.
- The ‘Web Filter’ option filters the unwanted content from reaching your child’s phone at cyberspace.
- The ‘Activity Report’ gives you a complete data on the gadget activities of your child in a well-organized manner.
Detailed discussion on its features
App Blocker and Usage
When you find any risky games, which involve gambling concepts in your kid’s gadget, then immediately tap the ‘App Blocker’ option to block it. You can deny access to these risky apps and limit its usage using the ‘App Usage’ feature in FamiSafe. It is possible to establish these controls in your kid’s gadget remotely.
Screen Time
If you find your kid is getting addicted to smartphones, then use the ‘Screen Time’ option to reduce the gadget usage in kids. You can minimize your kid’s screen time by setting a time limit. When the time limit expires then automatically the gadget locks.
Web Filter
You can enable this option to protect your kid from viewing inappropriate content in cyberspace. When you enable this option all the adult contents will be filtered from reaching your kid’s phone. You can also use this feature to view the browsing history in your child’s phone remotely.
Activity Report
The FamiSafe parental control app creates a complete list of the gadget activities of your child precisely. It contains the time spent on each app and websites and, also lists down the frequency of the visits. Using this data, you can find out whether you are getting addicted to any specific apps or webpages. Enable the respective options like screen time, app usage feature in FamiSafe to protect your child from getting addicted to risky gaming apps.
Conclusion
Finally, it is time to conclude the discussion on gambling in video games. Connect with FamiSafe parental control app to establish complete control over the access of risky games and websites. Enable the respective features in this platform and safeguard your kids and teens from the unsafe cyber world. Take preventive measures using FamiSafe app before your kid reach the worst addiction stage in smartphone usage. Stay tuned with this article to explore the exciting functionalities of FamiSafe and its impact on kids and teens to overcome cyber threats.
Thomas Jones
chief Editor