Q&A
Parry Aftab's Q & A
Q
My little brother likes to play violent war games. He is 10 years old, but my parents let him play games rated “M” for “mature.” What do you think about this?
A
Some parents (and kids) see the age-ratings as a text. If they are smarter or better gamers than others their age, they should be playing games for older teens, right? Wrong! The ratings don’t deal with intelligence or gaming skills. They look at sex, violence, lewd or “strong” language, etc.
Would your parents say that “R” rated movies are okay for him, because he is smarter than other 10-year-olds? Probably not. It’s no different here. No matter how smart or good a gamer a preteen is, inappropriate language, actions and content in a game are no different than an “R” rated movie.
Suggest that your parents spend some time going over our safe gaming module, or visit getgamesmart.com, Microsoft’s safe gaming site to learn more about how this works.
And thanks for being a great big sister. When you know more than many parents do about technology, it’s good to share what you know!
Online Safety Expert - Parry Aftab
Parry Aftab, an Internet Privacy and Security Lawyer, works closely with our Online
Safety Teen Editors and tells us what’s behind – and how we can overcome – the challenges
of the internet. She’ll provide step-by-step guidance to help you navigate your way to
internet safety.