Family Tech Blog

Tag: gaming

  • The Three Worst Tech Parents

    The Three Worst Tech Parents

    I had the opportunity to speak at a conference last week that was full of educators and school administration. They were extremely excited about the things I had to share, they loved learning about ways to protect their students online, and they were generally interested in the statistics and facts about online dangers. They all, however, had one major complaint. “Parents just don’t seem to care.“

    That’s right! Teachers, administration, afterschool program leaders, and even librarians want to help kids learn the best way to use their tech devices. Everyone is concerned about overuse and too much screen time. Nobody wants kids to end up on the wrong websites or being communicated to by the wrong people. They all want kids to be protected while they’re on school property but they know that that is only a very small amount of time compared to the time they spend online at home.

    This all falls on parents. There is no one who has as much influence over their children as the parents who raise them. Teachers, coaches, pastors, and mentors all do what they can and have a real heart to protect your kids but if mom and dad aren’t taking part then it is an uphill battle.

    Here are three kinds of technology parents and where they mess up.

    1. The ”Do as I say, not as I do.” parent.

    I’ll never forget my neighbor’s grandfather when I was a child. He smoked like a chimney, several packs of cigarettes every day. When we would be outside playing with our friends, it never failed, he would come out light up a cigarette and immediately tell us all, “Never start smoking, it’s really bad for you.”

    I get addiction. I understand that there are things people can’t just give up. But this “do as I say not as I do” attitude can be very harmful to our kids. When it comes to technology most of us lift our phones about every 10 seconds on average. We spend 4 to 6 hours per day creeping Facebook, watching YouTube, and posting to Instagram.

    Even as a 10-year-old kid I realized how weird it was that this man was standing there, chain-smoking cigarettes, and telling us not to do the same thing. Our kids get confused when we tell them they can’t have any more screen time while we are looking at our phone just like we have all day long. Put it down, look up, and set a good example for your children.

    1. The “I’m super busy.” parent.

    I remember being told to play outside because my mom needed a few minutes to her self. We would go play at friends’ houses and every now and then a friend would say that his mom wouldn’t let us play there today because she needed the house to her self. Parents have always needed time without kids running around asking for things and getting on their nerves. The difference is that when I was a child I was going to the homes of people my parents knew. Now we set our kids down in front of devices on which they can communicate with the entire world.

    Using Netflix or YouTube as a babysitter is just simply a bad idea. It can be useful if you know how to set it up properly but most of the time parents know less about these sites and apps than their kids do. I get that you’re busy. I understand you have things you have to get done. It’s just very easy to allow your kid to be on the screen for 4 to 6 hours before you realize how long it has been. Use some sort of app that sets a time limit for your kids’ Screen time. That way it doesn’t fall to you to remember when they their time is up. It automatically kicks them off and you can tell them to get outside and have some fun in the sun.

    1. The “I have great kids.” parent

    Of course you have great kids. I know they don’t want to do anything wrong online. They will not bully people, they won’t send inappropriate photos, and they are definitely not visiting adult websites. The problem with this logic is that they don’t have to seek out these things, they come to them. Two out of every three kids who see adult content for the first time saw it by accident and the average age a young man sees pornography for the first time is age 8! These are, most likely, children whose parents would consider “Good Kids.”

    I sat and watched a young lady of seven years old create videos of herself and post them publicly on an app called Likee. I went to look at this app in the App Store and saw that it is rated 17+ because of the ability to post your videos publicly online. I guarantee mom didn’t know that app was posting videos that strangers can see online. Moms and dads trust their kids because they believe they’re going to do the right thing. The issue isn’t usually what your kid does online. Most of the time the problem is the strangers on the other side of that screen.

    Your kids need you to care!

    The worst thing we do, as parents, is decide that we can’t learn any more about the tech our kids are using. We cannot be fooled into thinking that the digital world is moving too fast for us to keep up. It does move fast, I understand, but there are resources that we can and should use to help us better wrap our minds around our children’s time on tech. Use FamilyTechBlog.com, our YouTube Channel, and Podcast to help you stay informed. Knowledge is definitely power. You need that power to keep your kids safe and help them develop healthy habits.

    Secondly, we often get too focused on ourselves and what we need. While our homes shouldn’t be fully centered around our children, we have to set some boundaries and standards to protect our kids from the nonsense that the online world can provide. We should pay attention to what they do on social media and not let them use those apps until they are old enough to use them responsibly. We need to be knowledgable about the video games they play, the sites they visit, and who they communicate with online. We should learn all we can, every chance we get, to continue to keep our kids safe.

    It is easy to get discouraged. We hear of the worst case scenario on the news almost daily. kids going missing, kids hurting themselves because of something they’ve seen online, and studies showing how damaging excessive screen time can be for our childrens’ brains. I advise that you don’t get discouraged but get inspired. Let this information drive you to learn more to protect your kids. Learn all you can and share what you learn with all of the parents you know. That’s the best way to protect our kids and help them build healthy habits.

     

    Listen to the podcast here:

    Podcast: Play in new window

    Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS

     

  • Dauntless: A Parent’s Guide

    Dauntless: A Parent’s Guide

    Dauntless Parent’s Guide

    The rating below is based on the game content. Online interactions will always increase the risk of unwanted content.

    Violence – 3
    Language – 4
    Sexual Content – 5
    Positive Message – 2

    Total Score – 14  out of 20
    (The higher the rating, the safer the game is for kids.)

    ESRB Rating – T for Teen [for blood and violence]

    The Game

    Dauntless is made by Epic Games, the same developers who made Fortnite. The world is called “The Shattered Isles,” floating islands make up the landscape and the Behemoth are too close to civilization. You are a Slayer, one of the defenders of the cities, you must hunt and kill these beasts, using their parts and armor to create new weapons and armor of your own, thus making you more effective at slaying the monsters of the Shattered Isles.

    Violence

    The violence in Dauntless is player vs monster or monster vs player. You go out on missions to destroy these monsters and swing your sword, hammer, axe, or pike or shoot your blaster at it. There are some sprays of blood sometimes but mostly it is just to add flavor, there is no gore to speak of in this game. Even when you slice off a part of the behemoth, the appendage looks more like a T-bone steak than any kind of disgusting severed body part. The intensity of the violence can be high but it always (at least early on) feels like you’re going to succeed at defeating the monster. You just want to score as highly as possible while you do it.

    Language

    There is some minor (Rated PG) language during the intro cinematic of the game. Beyond that, you aren’t going to hear any language at all, except for other players while playing online. Most of the communication with non-player characters in the game is through text and it is usually just lore and mission details. Not a lot of flavor text, therefore, not much by way of adult language. Language doesn’t make the list of reasons Dauntless received a T for Teen rating.

    Sexual Content

    There is no sexual content to speak of in Dauntless. Unless you come across another player being inappropriate in the chat or on voice chat, you won’t see or hear anything sexual. I was even impressed at the design of the costumes and armor. All of the female characters are tastefully dressed. There is some “mid-drift” here and there but nothing over the top, sexually.

    Positive Message

    Besides fun, the message of this game could be teamwork. Hunts are measurably easier with friends. It is also easier if you learn how to strategize your weapons and armor so that your team can work together in the best way to defeat the monsters. The “freemium” model for this game is par for the course for Epic Games since they’ve made so much money off of their “free” title, Fortnite. You will be asked by your kids if they can buy something within the game.

    What Parents Should Know

    Remember that this game is online. It is easier and more fun to fight monsters and level up when playing with other people. You can hunt alone or create a hunting party full of your friends but random matchmaking is the default mode for going out on a hunt. Kids should be a bit older or at least know how to handle themselves properly on the internet before playing games with strangers online. Talk to them about their behavior and that of others online before allowing them to play a game like Dauntless.

    You should also be careful if your credit card number is accessible on your child’s game system or computer. The items that you can purchase for Dauntless give you a really fun edge in the game and look super cool so kids will want to buy them. Like in Fortnite, they sell a pass that gives you a bunch of content and bonus loot for defeating monsters. These are all appealing and will cause your kids to ask you over and over again if they can spend some money in the game.

    Finally, keep an eye on screen time. I found myself wanting to play “just one more hunt” over and over again late into the night. It is easy to pour hours and hours into a game like Dauntless and not realize how long you’ve been playing. You can use built-in parental controls to set time limits or limit internet access to the game system or computer. Since the game is fully online, disconnection from the internet will make it impossible to play Dauntless.

    I think Dauntless is a pretty good alternative to the battle royale shooter games that are so popular today. I even think some of us parents can get involved, play with our children, and flex those video game muscles we built playing so much Zelda when we were young. 

    Listen to this story on the Family Tech Update Podcast below:

    Podcast: Play in new window

    Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS

     

  • PARENTS GUIDE: Rage 2

    PARENTS GUIDE: Rage 2

    Rage 2 Parent Guide

    Violence – 1
    Language – 1
    Sexual Content – 4
    Positive Message – 1

    Total Score – 7  out of 20
    (The higher the rating, the safer the game is for kids.)

    ESRB Rating – M for Mature

     

    The Game

    You’re a soldier in a war against “The Authority.” You fight against human enemies and mutants both small and large. Your weapons are futuristic and powerful and cause violent gory death for all who cross your path. You choose between a male or female character and play as a “Ranger” with a suite that gives you special abilities. You are able to fire rapidly and kill the seemingly never-ending onslaught of enemy hoards that are thrown at you. 

    Rage2 is a chaotic semi-open world first person shooter. Fighting is nearly nonstop and the violence and gore is at epic levels. Gamers will like this game for the intense gameplay, simple story, and open world exploration. Missions often end with fighting some kind of boss, many times the boss is a gargantuan mutant creature who explodes into showers of blood and gore when killed.

    This game gets an overall 7 out of 20 on the BecauseFamily parents guide. Here’s the break down.

    Violence – 1 out of 5

    The violence in Rage2 is extreme and gruesome. It may be considered over the top to the point of silly but I would consider it far too intense for younger audiences. The violence alone in Rage2 definitely earns the game the Mature rating from the ESRB. The story mode opens with intense combat. You see the explosion of heads and bodies as mutants kill your allies and you blast them in return. At one point you see a character that you identify as Ranger Jersey get killed by a giant mutant who bites of his head. The body is thrown, headless, to the ground and you then look through the first person view as your character picks up the headless body, examines its armor and then loots the armor for yourself. That pretty much sums up the brutality and intensity of Rage2’s violence.

    Language – 1 out of 5

    Every word on the list is in Rage2. The intense combat situations and battle hardened characters result in realistic adult language throughout game play. Mature language is also used during the brief moments of down time in which you communicate with non-player characters and receive new missions.

    Sexual Content – 4 out of 5

    There is no direct sexual content or nudity in Rage2. There are suggestive comments and innuendo as indicated by the description in the ESRB Rating. There are some strange scenes with men and women wearing only underwear and acting in some sort of sexual trance. It doesn’t result in sexual content, however, but in, not surprisingly, more killing.

    Positive Message – 1 out of 5

    It is hard to imagine a positive message coming from a game like Rage2. Set in a post-apocalyptic, war torn world, this game is basically just brutality and violence. You do lose some folks that you cared about but your response is vengeance. Some of the side quests and other missions seem gratuitous and meaningless.  I can usually pull out some sort of redeeming quality from the stories in these games but Rage2 has such a short story mode and the side quests are near pointless. This makes it hard to find any more intention in the game than just driving around, killing mutants, and blowing stuff up.

    What Parents Should Know

    Rage2 is a game that is intended for older audiences. The profanity, violence, and innuendo are at R or NC17 rating levels. Parents should be aware of these ratings if their children are asking to play Rage2. Should you decide it is ok for your child to play this game, you should discuss the impact the gore and violence may have on them or kids younger than them. It is important, also, that parents remember that games with an open world component can be hard to step away from. There is often a sense that it is never complete. Gamers who have that desire to finish every game they start could end up pouring hours and hours into games like Rage2. You should also keep in mind that some of your kids’ favorite YouTubers and Twitch streamers are going to be playing this game.

    Remember, also, that first person shooter games have been found to increase problems for kids with ADD or ADHD. The adrenaline that is released from the intensity of games that feature such combat can become a problem for kids if they don’t have a chance to release that adrenaline through physical activity. My goal with these reviews is to give you an idea of what a game is all about. Some games seem obviously adult oriented to many people and I think Rage2 is one of those games. If your child has you on the fence about whether or not to buy this game for them. Hopefully this article helps you with your decision.

    Listen to this review as a podcast below:

    Podcast: Play in new window

    Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS

  • Pro Sports Teams are Banning Fortnite!

    Pro Sports Teams are Banning Fortnite!

    Professional sports teams are banning Fortnite in their locker rooms citing that it is distracting players. Apparently, players performance is being affected by video gaming. How do video games affect our kids?  Obviously Fortnite is the biggest thing to happen in video games in a very long time. It’s such a big deal for our kids,  teenagers, college students, and junior high and middle schoolers. They’re all playing Fortnite online and with each eachother forcing parents to scratch their heads to about what is so alluring about this game? Why does everyone love it so stinking much?

    It’s not only kids who are getting hooked into this game. News recently came out that the Boston Red Sox are banning Fortnite in their locker room for the 2019 season. The Texas Rangers had to do it. So to the Toronto Blue Jays and even the National Hockey League’s Kanuks have said, “You know what? You guys can’t play Fortnite anymore.” They’ve been saying that it’s causing their players to be distracted and that it’s affecting their performance. One team even says that a player’s gaming has caused him to get carpal tunnel, which has made him sit out some games.

    What Parents Should Know

    Fortnite is the type of game that consumes time very quickly. It is the type of game that you want to talk about even when you’re not playing it. It is very appealing to young people and the ability to play with your friends has kids coming back to it again and again. Unfortunately, this is also something that can make it very addictive. As I’ve covered before, the World Health Organization has said that video game addiction is a diagnosable condition and there are treatment centers opening up all over the country that allow you to come and be treated for video game and screen addiction.

    Video games are not the only issue. Obviously, many of us struggle to stop scrolling social media on our devices or to stop binging Netflix shows. Video games really take the spotlight because of their interactivity.

    I’m covering this story for two reasons. First of all, I want parents to understand that it’s not just your kids that can get hooked into fortnight so easily. These athletes spend a lot of time in high pressure situations and it seems like they’re using these video games to release some of that tension. It also seems like that release of tension should be coming out on the field in order to help them perform better and it that is not what’s happening. Secondly, I wanted to cover this because I wanted you to understand the real true need for parents to be good examples on how much time you should spend on your screens. If our kids see us watching YouTube videos all day long or scrolling Instagram or Facebook non stop then they think that’s a healthy approach to tech use. They don’t see the difference between that and them playing video games? Time limits are critical. We must help our kids understand that gaming is a luxury and screen time is something that we can use to benefit us and help us have that release or escape when necessary, but it can’t become something that distracts us from what we do in normal everyday life.

    Listen to this article as a podcast below:

    Podcast: Play in new window

    Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS

  • Ten Screen Free Things to Do This Week!

    Ten Screen Free Things to Do This Week!

    Today marks the first day of Screen Free Week 2019. We have become so used to doing everything on our phones, TVs, tablets, and computers that it can be difficult to think of things to do when we unplug. It can especially be difficult for our kids who spend so much time on screens every day. Here are some ideas to help you start thinking of how you’ll spend your time this Screen Free Week. I’m sure that whichever activity you chose to do you’ll be blown away at how good it was for you to be screen free, even if only for a little while.

    1. Read Books

    No, I mean a physical book. With paper and glue and pages and everything. Many of us are spoiled to our audio books and ebooks. We carry around a library of hundreds of volumes and read whichever we want, whenever we want. This Screen Free Week, why not forget about the books in your digital library and take a look at some of the adventures you have on your actual bookshelf. You’ll be amazed at how cathartic it can be to just turn a real page instead of swiping to the next set of pixels that make up the story.

    2. Share a Screen Free Meal

    Having a meal with friends and family can be a great way to reconnect and charge up that need for social interaction. Food brings people together. Unfortunately, our phones can often get in the way of this beneficial time. Celebrate Screen Free Week by choosing to keep your phones away from the table during meals together. Look each other in the eye, have conversations, and share the time with your friends and family.

    3. Play Board Games

    You can pull out the old classics like Monopoly and Life or maybe sit down to a newer hit like Settlers of Cataan, Forbidden Island, or Dice Forge. Whatever board games you choose, you and your family and friends can enjoy screen free entertainment. Personally, I look forward to Dungeons and Dragons every week when I sit down with some guy friends, eat snacks, roll dice, and tell a story together. A story filled with imagination, humor, and adventure. Don’t underestimate the power of time around a table playing a game.

    4. Play Outside

    Trade in Screen Time for some Green Time! Get outside and get moving. Play a sport, run a race, skip, hop, jump, run, anything you can think of outside will be so good for you. Your body will thank you for the exercise and your brain will thank you for the release.

    5. Go for a Hike

    Screen Free Week is a wonderful time to get out and experience the beauty nature has to offer. You’re bound to have a hiking trail just a short drive from your home. Maybe it is just through a park in the city but it will be great to slow down, walk through nature, and stop and look at what the beauty all around you. Bend down and look at those leaves or that insect working away. Feed some ducks or squirrels. You’ll be amazed at how wonderful life is beyond the six inch space in front of your eyes that your phone often tends to occupy.

    6. Act Out Your Own Play

    We love to be entertained. Netflix, Youtube, Hulu, and Amazon Prime make their money off of our desire to escape reality by enjoying a movie or series. Take this week without screens to create your own entertainment. Play an improve game or charades to get your imagination moving. Get some friends together and act out some of your favorite scenes from the movies and shows that you love. How fun will it be to play the characters you love and laugh with your friends as you channel that inner child.

    7. Play a Musical Instrument

    How long has it been since you’ve picked up that guitar in the corner of your room? How long has that violin been sitting in its case, untouched? Without the distractions of y0ur screens this week you can take some time to play that instrument you’ve been neglecting. Maybe you aren’t a musician. Why not try something new? Borrow an instrument from a friend or just bang out a beat on your knees with some pencils. Make some music this Screen Free Week!

    8. Write in a Journal

    Social Media is often the place where we share our deepest feelings. Many of us look for validation by posting what we think about this thing or that. Since you’re avoiding screens more this week, start practicing a new train of thought. When you have an opinion you think would make a good Tweet or status update, write it down in a journal instead. Write down your deepest thoughts on all of the topics you usually post about publicly. You may find that journaling gives you the same cathartic feeling without the drama of other people’s comments and debate.

    9. Do an Art Project

    Our screens train us to consume consume consume. Why not take this break from consuming so much media as a chance to do some creating. I have a weekly goal to create more than I consume. I ask myself every day what I’ve created that I can be proud of. Often my creations are videos, blog posts, and podcasts but I can look back and say I created something instead of just consuming all day long. Give yourself a chance this week to be more creative. Make something awesome. Do some art. Maybe sidewalk chalk, or a craft project, perhaps you can knit or crochet. Do something creative that you can look back on at the end of the week and actually see the product of your time. It is so very rewarding.

    10. Plant a Garden

    Again, Screen Free Week is a great time to get outside. The spring weather is just waiting to be enjoyed. This early in the spring, it is also a great time to plant a garden. Go get some flowers and plants and set yourself up a nice patch of nature. Your kids will love helping and digging around in the dirt and your whole family will love seeing the plants come to life as the spring and summer progress.

    Beyond Screen Free Week

    There are lots of things you can do without your screen. If you are like me, Screen Free Week is a great reminder to adjust my priorities. Hopefully this Screen Free Week, you can remember the importance of time in which you intentionally unplug and spend time with those you love. Use tools like Screen Time to monitor that amount of time you spend using your devices. It is amazing what good just being aware of your screen time can do for you. Have a happy happy Screen Free Week.

    For 101 more Screen Free Week ideas visit ScreenFree.org!

    Listen to this post as a podcast below:

    Podcast: Play in new window

    Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS

  • Snapchat’s Social Gaming = More Time on Social Media

    Snapchat’s Social Gaming = More Time on Social Media

    It has barely been a year since Snapchat joined Facebook in a movement to help people better manage the amount of time they spend in the social networking apps they develop. Snapchat added the ability to silence notifications from certain conversation and redesigned their app to be more about time with your friends and less about time in the app. Yesterday, however, CED Evan Spiegel announced their new focus on Social Gaming and several new original video series citing a new way to keep young people in their app even longer. 

    The games featured you and your friends’ Bitmojis. In them you play silly games that include pool toy fights, field goal kicking, and keeping your Bitmoji atop a spinning record as your friend DJs for you. In the announcement Spiegel says “On Snapchat, you’re free to be you, with your real friends. As we use the internet more and more in our daily lives, we need a way to make it a bit more human.” Apparently the idea is that as social beings, we need to hang out and since we are all spending so much time on our smartphones, Snapchat wants to be the place your kids hang out in.

    Facebook and Snapchat Join the “Time Well Spent” Movement

     

    What Parents Should Know

    I have said it several times before, we can’t blame tech companies for wanting people to spend time on their software, that’s how they make their money. Quotes from this announcement boast of a place that people can be themselves, obviously what they truly are creating is a place where we can spend more time, see more ads, and make Snapchat and its shareholders more money. No matter what social media companies say about time well spent, privacy, or security they are protecting their bottom line. They have shareholders that they must impress with the numbers so that’s what shapes their decisions. Knowing this helps us remember that the responsibility for healthy tech use falls to users, and our kids’ tech health is the responsibility of parents.

    Talk to your kids about the amount of time they spend on social media. Don’t allow them on social media that is rated higher than their age. Teach them not to expose sensitive information like their phone number or the name of their school on these apps. Finally, use some sort of filter or time management software to help you enforce your standards. Parents are the first line of defense against the dangers of unlimited and unmonitored internet use. We have to take on that responsibility because nobody else truly will.

    You can listen to this post as a podcast episode below.

    Podcast: Play in new window

    Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS

  • How Video Game Developers can Help Parents

    How Video Game Developers can Help Parents

    I think video games can be fun and good for my kids if kept in the right context. We have very strict rules about gaming in our home and do our best to limit our kid’s access, screen time, and exposure to some of the gaming content available. Unfortunately many developers build their games (even kids’ games) that make screen time and other restrictions hard for parents. If I could speak to a room full of game devs, here a few of the things I would say.

    1 Let me save the game whenever I want.

    My children have a strict 30 minutes per day rule on our xbox. They understand when they sit down to play they they have a limited amount of time. My kids know that they’ll be “kicked off” the xbox after a half hour so they save often. They save their Minecraft worlds because they can’t build the crazy epic structures they’ve planned in just 30 minutes. 

    The problem rises when we play games, like the Lego games, that don’t allow you to save your game whenever you want. You have to reach certain milestones or the end of levels to save. When the xbox kicks you out of the game, it resets the game causing you to lose your progress. This means mom or dad have to either continually add time to the limits for the day until they can save the game or we just have to deal with the kids’ frustration for wanting to see the next levels of this game but not being able to because of our time limits. We, as parents, don’t mind being the bad guy but a simple save mechanic built into the pause menu sure would make life easier.

    Parent Guide: Call of Duty Black Ops 4

    2 Password protect your content controls.

    The most popular comment on my review for last year’s Call of Duty game is “hey man, you can turn off the graphic violence.” I’ve replied to most of those comments with, “Cool, but it isn’t password protected so it may as well not be there.” Can we please put content restriction settings behind some sort of pin code? It isn’t that difficult to do. I don’t want my kids playing games that are meant for adults, but some families are ok with their fourteen year old playing a Rated M game if the gore is turned off. Unfortunately, most warm blooded 14 year old boys are into or at least interested in that sort of violent content in film and video games. That means they’ll often turn the restrictions off when mom and dad aren’t looking.

    Maybe that’s a bit too restrictive as your kids get older but isn’t that the parent’s decision to make? Game developers make their games with over the top graphic violence and pretend that their target audience is adults. The reality is that at least half of those who play your games are below the recommended age. This is why they add a content restriction in the game, however, that restriction isn’t helpful if it is only buried a couple of levels deep into your settings menu and doesn’t require any sort of passcode to change.

    3 Don’t force me to make an account to play your game.

    It is already frustrating to have to have an account for everything I do online. Then I have to create separate accounts for each of my kids to let them play games or use apps with parental control settings turned on. If I want each of my kids to have their own settings or their own way through the game I have to have an account for them on our gaming system. When I turn on a game and see that the developer of that title wants me to create yet another profile, on their site this time, it is infuriating. I don’t want to give you my email address. I paid to play your game, isn’t that enough? I get having an online account so I can play multiplayer but games that require me to have a profile with your company even to play the local offline campaign is simply data mining. I don’t need it. Especially with my kids information.

    Parents Guide: Apex Legends (Titanfall Battle Royale)

    What Can Parents Do?

    This post may be a bit ranty but I’m not the only parent I know who has complaints about these issues. It’s hard enough protecting our kids from cyberbullies, adult content, and predators. We have enough drama from our kids alone when we want to simply limit their screen time. The last thing we need is some setting or lack thereof in a video game to make it even harder. The truth, however, is that it’s unlikely a game developer will see this article or video. We have to take responsibility as parents. Either we have to take the role of gatekeeper and keep our kids from games that pose these problems or we have to just have the conflict when it arrives because it’s worth it. It’s worth it to have kids who know how to function when screens are turned off. It’s worth it to have kids that are safe from violent thoughts, nightmares, and attention problems. It’s worth it to protect our kids private information and data from collection by gaming companies and who knows who else.

    Talk to your kids about the limits you’ve set. Take a stand when they try to bypass your settings. Don’t let them play games that cause their behavior to change or keep them interested to the point of obsession. Protect their information by only creating accounts for them on sites that absolutely require it and when you do, use an alias. We live in a new world. A world where data is a form of currency and your kids gaming behavior can be used in so many ways so it is invaluable to the companies that create these games. We have to be responsible for our own family’s Internet safety and healthy tech habits. We can ask developers to make it easier and hope for the best but when it all comes down to it, it is up to you and me.

     

    Podcast:

    Podcast: Play in new window

    Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS

  • What Parents Need to Know About Stadia by Google

    What Parents Need to Know About Stadia by Google

    On March 19th, Google announced their latest product: Stadia. The promise of Stadia is to allow people to play AAA games (Assassin’s Creed, Fortnite, etc.) without having to buy a dedicated gaming console or PC. How does Google plan to deliver on this promise? With Chrome and YouTube.

    Google has stated that Stadia is “the future of gaming.” I agree. Young adults are used to subscribing to services and streaming their entertainment and Stadia is the next step. Kids already watch hours of gaming content on YouTube every day, why not add the ability to play those games too?

    What We Know Right Now

    We don’t know a lot about Stadia right now but what we do know is pretty impressive.

    • A high-speed Internet connection will be required.
    • Up to 4K HDR at 60fps.
    • Plasy using multiple devices: PCs, laptops, tablets, and smartphones will be supported.
    • No need to download games or wait for updates.
    • You’ll be able to use any USB controller connected to you computer.
    • There will be a dedicated wireless controller.
    • Stadia will be available this year.

    What We Don’t Know Right Now

    Despite all the excitement around this announcement, there are many things we don’t know.

    • The price of the service.
    • The price of the controller.
    • Games available at launch.
    • Supported mobile devices at launch.
    • Release date.
    • Minimum Internet connection speed.

    Podcast Episode:

    What Parents Need to Know

    Your kids are going to want this, especially if they watch gameplay videos on YouTube. Being able to instantly play a game that one of their favorite streamers is playing and try that special move is very appealing.

    If the price is right, this could be an affordable alternative to purchasing a gaming console. Being able to play hundreds of games for $50-$60 a month is more affordable than buying a $600 console and a game or two every month.

    The Stadia controller has a streaming button which means your kids could be online and streaming their game and voice instantly. In fact, they could even join in a game with another person. Parents should be aware of this feature and take measures to block it if they don’t want their kids to live-stream.

    Google has been improving their products with better parental controls every year. Parents should familiarize themselves with those parental controls and enable any restrictions they deem necessary. You may want to consider adding time limits, enabling ratings limits, and disabling some of the streaming and cooperative features. Of course, this

  • Creators of Fortnite in Court for “Predatory” Advertising

    Creators of Fortnite in Court for “Predatory” Advertising

    Imagine you go shopping and instead of clothes, toys, or other products you just see boxes. You can’t purchase items on their own, that’s not how this works. Instead, you have to buy a box and hope that what you want is in it. I don’t think that store would be popular for very long, maybe for a while but once the novelty wore off the place would likely go out of business. People want to know that when they pay for something, they are getting what they want or need. In-game “loot boxes,” work basically like the fictional store I described above. You pay a dollar amount small enough to feel meaningless and unlock access to the box. When it opens on your screen you see what you were able to purchase and you can only hope it’s something you wanted or needed for your character.

    Epic games no longer has these types of loot boxes in Fortnite but they did and that’s what this law suit is all about. The boxes advertised the best items that you could get but the family of the young player who this lawsuit is centered around say the chances of actually obtaining those items were very low. This is being interpreted as “predatory,” especially since many of the loot boxes are cute little llama pinatas. Freemium games have been around for a long time but Fortnite is the first game of its kind to have such a large and young player count. Children as young as six or seven are playing Fortnite and purchasing these items to make their characters and weapons look more interesting.

    What Parents Should Know

    If you are inclined to allow your child to play games like Fortnite you need to be aware of a few things. First of all, free is never truly free. There is a reason they don’t charge for the game, it is easier to get a ton of players and have a bunch of them pay for arbitrary avatar and weapon skins than to convince people your game is worth sixty dollars. Many of the top earners in every app store are Free to Play games. These games are popular because they are free to play and the cost of in app purchases seem very low. The trick is how easily you can rack up the amount you spend on the game just to keep yourself playing. Whether it is a game where you’re building a farm and want your crops to grow faster or one in which you are fighting and want better weapons, many of these games let you pay to progress further into the game.

    VIDEO TUTORIAL: iCloud FamilyShare Set-Up

     

    The question, I guess, isn’t whether or not this practice is legal. (Spoiler alert: it is completely legal.) The question is that should it be legal to create in-app purchases that appeal to especially young gamers? These games made for kids that ask you to pay to continue or educational apps that make you pay to unlock more characters have found a way to get past the parent gatekeeper by making the app free. Then the child just has to click “purchase” when the ad pops up in the app and the purchase is made. There are ways for parents to set up controls to keep that from happening but many aren’t aware of how or just don’t think to set it until their credit card has already been used for hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

    The creators of Fortnite may never be held accountable for the way they market products in their games. Whether or not they should be held accountable is up to the courts to decide. As far as parents go, you do have a responsibility to protect your kids in the digital world they live in. Talk to your children about in-app purchases. Help them understand that the money has to come from somewhere. If you are ok with them spending some money in-game then use gift cards instead of credit cards so that when they run out of money, they’re out. Set up controls so they have to ask you to approve in-app purchases. Whatever method you choose, you can keep your kids from being preyed upon by the advertising in these games. You just have to do the research and take the steps.

     

  • Parents Guide: Apex Legends (Titanfall Battle Royale)

    Parents Guide: Apex Legends (Titanfall Battle Royale)

    Family Tech Blog Rating for Apex Legends: 
Violence - 2
Language - 3
Sexual Content - 5
Positive Message - 2

    Another Battle Royale game has been added to your kids’ wishlist this week. Apex Legends is a BR game that is set in the world of Titanfall, a first person shooter game with two previous installments. This game features fast paced, squad based combat with your typical battle royale tropes. You jump from a ship onto an island with fifteen other squads (60 players,) collect weapons and supplies, and battle to be the last squad standing.

    Much like Fortnite, this game has a bent toward science fiction and less realism. It does, however, have more bloody combat and some merciless kill animations at close range. It’s a far stretch from the blue ghost fade that results from an elimination in Fortnite. You are able to respawn if your squad members survive long enough after you are eliminated, which can make your rounds longer if you’re playing with someone who is pretty good.

    What Parents Should Know

    There isn’t much by way of profanity in Apex Legends and characters are dressed reasonably appropriate. The only real concern for parents is the intensity and voilence of the gunplay, the pace of which has been shown to increase some behavior and attention problems in younger children. Some reasearch has also shown a temporary increase in aggression in kids who play voilent video games. Online content isn’t rated, as usual, and Apex Legends is an online battle royale game so keep that in mind. There is pretty good squad based communication built in to the game (identifying locations and directions with game controls) so you don’t have to use the microphones as much but it’s still tough to win without being able to talk to your squad. If you don’t allow in game chat on your kids’ games then you may get some pushback from them when they play Apex Legends.

    To recap, Apex Legends is a bit more violent than Fortnite with bloody combat and the rag doll affect when characters are killed. The game is team or squad based and requires playing with friends. It is very easy to add people you’ve been randomly matched with to your friends list and play with them in the future. My advice is for parents to keep an eye on their kids bahavior when they play games like Fortnite, Call of Duty, or Apex Legends. More important than how much time they spend playing is what life outside of gaming looks like. Are they getting the grades they should be getting? Are they still participating in the activities they have loved? How are their relationships both in the family and with friends? Ask yourselves these questions and make adjustments to gaming time accordingly. As your kids get older, you’ll see that this works better than just an arbitrary number of hours you allow them to play.