Creating a safe gaming environment

The benefits of playing online games

Online gaming can be a concern for parents and teachers, but playing games can also have beneficial impacts for children and young people. Research shows there can be social, emotional and cognitive benefits.

Because online games involve sitting in front of a screen, they're often dismissed as a waste of time. But gaming requires a level of interaction and skill from the player, unlike watching YouTube or TV, which is more passive.
 

Profile of a gamer

The Interactive Games and Entertainment Association (IGEA) releases an annual report about gamers in Australia. The 2023 snapshot highlights how popular gaming is as a pastime for all ages.

Research from 2024 by the Office of the eSafety Commissioner found that in the past year, 89% of the 2000 young people surveyed had played online games.

The young people surveyed described:

• positive feelings associated with their online gaming (94%)
• benefits to their skill development and learning (76%)
• enhanced social connections (58%)
• improved emotional wellbeing (41%).

In the past year, 2 in 5 young gamers aged 8 to 17 also had a negative experience while gaming. Those experiences could be bullying, griefing or trolling, hate speech or receiving or being asked to send nudes or sexual information.

Young gamers reported taking steps to keep themselves safe by:

• restricting who they played or communicated with (78%)
• not sharing personal information with others (53%)
• limiting their use of communication features (51%).

Read more in the Office of the eSafety Commissioner's Levelling up to stay safe report.

Visit IGEA to watch videos exploring different aspects of gaming.

Benefits of online gaming

Online games are engaging and they require higher order thinking, problem solving and persistence. Many games, even first-person shooting games (which may not be appropriate for children) teach cooperation, group work and scenario-based learning. Most games require strategy to understand, and then work within, the rules.

All games offer a mix of intrinsic and extrinsic rewards. Humans play games precisely because they're captivating and reward us when we succeed.

The Office of the eSafety Commissioner, Think U Know UK, and New Zealand's Netsafe agree that online games can help young people develop teamwork, concentration and problem-solving skills. They're an opportunity for young people to practise communication and conflict-resolution skills.

How can online games improve thinking skills? 

Research by the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) has found that online gaming can improve thinking skills in children. Games often require children to follow instructions, consider their actions and respond to problems. This can help young people develop important thinking skills, such as: 

• awareness of their 
• environment attention to detail 
• problem-solving
• planning literacy. 

Visit QUT to learn more about how video games benefit children.

How can online games improve social skills?

While online games can seem like an isolating activity, it is often more social than you might think.

Over half of those surveyed by the Office of the eSafety Commissioner said they game to connect with friends. One in 10 said they game to meet friends or new people. This can improve a child’s social skills, including:

• collaboration and teamwork
• understanding behaviour
• peer-to-peer learning.

Read more at the Office of the eSafety Commissioner’s research library.

Listen to Lisa read her story of how Olivia and Jack learnt to be safe when they were faced with a rude person while playing a game online. Their parents helped them learn how they could block such people. 

Transcript for video (PDF 101.08KB) (PDF 101.08KB)

Creating a safe gaming environment 

Online gaming opens up a whole world of fun and social interaction. Use these tips and strategies to make sure that time spent playing online games is safe and fun for everyone.

Get involved

As with other interests, it can help to involve yourself in what your child is doing. You can:

• talk about what they like playing and who they play with
• play the game with them or watch them play to learn more about the game, and understand how they behave while playing
• discuss responsible gaming time and behaviours.

Research

There are plenty of sites you can visit to learn more about popular online games, including how to control who is allowed to communicate or join games with your child. You could:

• check the age guidelines on a game's website or at the Australian Classification Board
• read reviews of popular games and other entertainment at:
  • Children and Media Australia
  • Common Sense Media
  • Ask About Games
• learn more about how each game allows players to 'block', 'mute' or 'report' other players at the Office of the eSafety Commissioner’s guide to games, apps and socials.

Prepare

Set clear guidelines and expectations for gaming. For example:

• activate parental controls to restrict access to in-game or in-app purchases, if available. See the Office of the eSafety Commissioner’s guide to games, apps and socials
• establish rules in advance about when, where and how long your child can play online games
• discuss your child's screen name and help to choose an appropriate name that doesn't give away any personal information. See more tips to staying safe online.
• place the computer or game console in an open area of your home and require that any handheld games also be played in the same shared area
• use timers or other indicators to signal that gaming time is nearly over, and back this up with clear consequences for not switching off
• make sure all devices have the latest virus protection installed. Remind your child they should never click on links or download files offered by strangers.

Monitor

Knowing how your child spends their time playing games can help keep you informed if they ever encounter an issue online. You can:

• monitor the time your child spends online and be aware of any changes in your child’s activity, school or social behaviours.
• talk to your child about their gaming, and encourage them to tell you if they ever witness something online that makes them feel uncomfortable or unhappy.

Empower

Finally, give your child the knowledge and tools they need to keep themselves safe. You can:

• provide your child with strategies to deal with negative online experiences, for example stopping play with a bully, or telling you about it
• explain that reporting bad behaviour online is not dobbing, but instead improves the gaming environment for all the other players
• show your child how to ‘block’, ‘mute’ or 'report' other people who are behaving inappropriately online.
• show them resources like the eSafety Guide.