Not only do my kids look forward to their screen time, so do I. Since they typically don’t get to watch TV or go online during school nights, they’re completely riveted when they’re finally able to switch on those devices at the end of the week. This means no one is bothering me and I get some blissful uninterrupted time too!
Growth of Online Gaming and What it Means for Parents
Though I really enjoy my own quiet moment while they’re gaming, there’s always a part of me that worries about what’s going on in their virtual worlds. Over the last year and a half, kids have been forced online for many aspects of their lives from schooling to socializing. My boys contributed to the exceptional growth of the gaming sector over these last couple years when they discovered the world of multiplayer gaming.
With their entry into that space though, I had to step up my vigilance. What exactly happens when the screen comes on and they enter their virtual worlds?
More than 19 million children in the United States suffer from harassment or bullying in online multiplayer games. I understood that they would be exposed to the dangers that come with multiplayer gaming so we had a lot of talks about being cautious while online. Still, I don’t know if they’re mature enough to fully realize when they’re being subjected to inappropriate conversations, even within familiar circles. Sometimes these things can be subtle and “over their heads”, especially for my younger gamers. This is where Kidas comes in.
What is Kidas?
Kidas is an online gaming protection service that parents can subscribe to either on a monthly or annual basis. Once you’ve subscribed, you can download the Kidas software to the PC that your child plays video games on. The Kidas software analyzes in-game voice and text on PC’s for potential threats such as cyberbullying, predators and toxic gaming behavior.
Then once a week you’ll get a custom report sent to your email. The report is broken down into several categories:
• Threats Exposed: This section summarizes any red flag situations and alerts parents to communications that could be associated with online predators, bullying, hate speech, sexual content, privacy violation and even financial scams.
• Time Spent Playing: The report also includes how much time your child spent playing in the past week and compares it to the amount of time they spent online in the previous week.
• Article of the Week: Kidas includes a helpful article with each report that highlights a topic related to online gaming.
Kidas even offers resources on what to do if I get a report that shows certain alerts have been triggered. As a mom trying to navigate my way through this new phase, I can definitely use some guidance on ways to resolve any potentially dangerous situations.
The great thing about Kidas is that it’s really affordable, too. Your first month is always free and after that, it’s just $6 per month to keep the service. They also offer an even better deal with their annual subscription of $60 a year.
Why Use Kidas?
Many of us are looking for something beyond classic parental controls, especially as our kids get older. I want my kids to have the freedom to enjoy their online gaming hobby but I also want them to be safe from cyber bullying and all the other dangers that lurk in that realm.
One time, soon after my son first started playing games online, he rushed over to me and asked for the password to our family email address. We use a family email account to sign in to certain shared devices, so I gave it to him without much thought.
Later, I asked why it was necessary and discovered that he had been asked for an email and password while gaming. He explained that it was the only way to continue on to the next level of a particular game. I was confused, and he couldn’t really tell me more. Something just didn’t feel right and I changed the password for that email address.
It frightened me that my usually bright kid gave away sensitive information so easily. I’ve learned that this is the kind of privacy violation that Kidas would have flagged in their weekly report.
>>> Read more here from Kidas about kids & online privacy <<<
Kidas currently analyzes communication within 46 of the most popular gaming-related apps such as Roblox, Minecraft, Fortnite, and Discord, with more added weekly. Although my boys are only allowed to play a select few games right now, it’s good to know that when we’re ready to explore additional ones, Kidas will be there too.
Peace of Mind with Kidas
Like many parents of kids who have ventured into the world of multiplayer game play, I’m concerned that I’m always one step behind. With Kidas on the job, I feel like I have somewhat of a handle on things. I hear my boys laughing and hollering during their video game shenanigans and it makes me happy to know that I have a tool to help keep them safe while they’re having fun. That gives me peace of mind so that I can savor my own time without worry.
Visit kidas.net to learn more and start trying it for free today!
Also, receive 10% off either their monthly or annual subscription when you enter “Houston10” at checkout.
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