Video game company offers tips for kids’ safety online
FROM STAFF REPORTS June 1, 2012 10:54PM
Updated: August 2, 2012 1:16AM
A video game manufacturer is offering parents safety tips about kids’ online play after an incident in which a 12-year-old Orland Park boy reportedly was asked to expose himself for the game console’s Webcam while participating in an online game called Flirting.
In response to a column last week by the SouthtownStar’s Phil Kadner in which the boy’s father detailed the incident, the public relations firm for Microsoft Xbox offered the following tips:
Adjustable family settings enable parents to choose play and viewing settings for their families, so kids only see age-appropriate content, and to configure their account settings to customize what information is shared and the level of online communication with others.
Features of Xbox Live family settings include:
Intelligent default settings for children, teens and adults. When “Console Safety” is turned on, Xbox automatically assigns default privacy and activity settings for each member, based on age. For example, “child” profiles — the default settings for kids under 13 — block a variety of online activities, such as profile sharing and text, voice and video chat, and automatically turn on “Family Programming.” These settings can later be individually customized.
Family Programming. When turned on, this feature prevents the display of mature content on the dashboard and highlights family-friendly entertainment.
Parents can completely customize the online safety settings for each individual profile to:
Decide whether their child can participate in multiplayer gaming, video chat, and voice or text messaging.
Decide whom their kids can communicate with online, and choose who can see their child’s profile or friends list and what information their child can see about others.
Microsoft is extending its controls to its Kinect games, as well, according to an email from the company’s public relations firm. Video Kinect allows users to video chat over Xbox Live. For “child” profiles, this feature is turned off; but parents can decide to allow the child to interact with friends only or anyone.
For more information, visit www.GetGameSmart.com.
