ONE of the biggest changes to children’s lives in recent years has been the advent of online gaming.
Where previously young people could only play computer games with wired controllers while sitting together in the same room, now children can compete against people half the world away.
Like many elements of the internet age, this can be a fantastic thing - making new friends or playing games with family members thousands of miles away.
But with these benefits come risks.
New research from the online safety watchdog Ofcom found that more than half of children who game online (55per cent), said they played at least sometimes with people they have never met in real life, while one in five (20per cent), do so all or most of the time they play.
The survey also asked parents about their concerns about online gaming, with results suggesting talking to strangers was their main worry, followed by bullying by other players, seeing violence, bad language or disturbing material, and pressure to make in-game purchases.
All of these concerns are valid and show that parents are hearing how playing and communicating with strangers has become a common part of the online gaming experience for many children.
The NSPCC and its Childline service are here to offer support to parents, carers and children who want help dealing with any of these issues.
For parents and carers, there are pages of resources available on the NSPCC website which can help to start discussions about the way children are using the internet and online gaming.
There are also tips and advice on how to ensure the security settings on your child’s games or apps are activated in a way which can keep them safer.
Perhaps the most important thing a parent or carer can do is to talk to their child about their online gaming experience. Show curiosity about the games or apps they use - how they work, who they play with, and what they would do if they ever encountered anything or anyone in the game which made them feel uncomfortable.
Explore the games and apps together and learn how they can block or report anyone who upsets them.
By making sure you have these conversations with your child before there’s a problem, you’ll give them confidence that they can talk to you.
This should also increase the likelihood that they will feel comfortable coming to you if or when something happens that they don’t like.
Online games today are a world away from the types of games parents might be used to, and certainly a huge technical leap forward from the sort of games children were playing when Childline was launched 40 years ago.
But the subjects of abuse, bullying and grooming are just as relevant now as they ever were, and with the online world opening up access to children from strangers around the world, now is the perfect time to have open and honest conversations about online safety with your child.
However, the onus of online safety should not fall solely on the families at risk.
Yes, parents should check who children can be contacted by and the content they can see on their games.
And yes, young people should know how they can seek support if they encounter something upsetting online.
But the findings of the Ofcom survey demonstrate why effective protections must exist across the whole of the online world - and to not be reserved just for social media.
Gaming companies need to put children’s safety at the heart of platform design, while Ofcom and the Government must also be using their powers to enforce stronger safeguards around features and functionalities that increase risks to children.
Any parent who has concerns about a child’s safety or wellbeing can contact the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 8005000 or email help@nspcc.org.uk for guidance and support.
The NSPCC website is also available for advice on how to keep children safe when going online, with pages dedicated to online gaming, social media and how to have potentially difficult conversations.
Children can contact our Childline counsellors at any time on 0800 1111 or via the website - www.childline.org
The Childline website also has a variety of resources offering online gaming and general online safety advice which young people may find useful, as well as other areas which can help with all kinds of topics.