It’s not a game. Sexual predators use online gaming platforms to target children. Millions of children log into their favorite online gaming platforms each day to battle it out with their friends, creating worlds where their imaginations can run wild. Half the children in the United States use online gaming platforms. They just want to play. Today’s youth have online games. That’s today’s world in 2024. Online. Kids want friends. But not every ‘friend’ online is real and not every player is there to have fun. Sexual predators are often online with those children. Parents wake up! You need to pay attention to what’s happening. If you bought gaming consoles, games, then you have a duty to install safety features and filters. This goes hand-in-hand with the purchase of any devices – phones, laptops, Chromebooks, watches. We direct you to our colleagues at Protect Young Eyes. They just issued their brand new Parent Safety Guides for every device. If your child is approached online or exchanged information, pictures, etc., would you know what to do? REPORT IMMEDIATELY. Call 911 and also call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI. Parent Tips – limit amount of screen time, request weekly usage reports, age-appropriate apps, limit Internet content accessed to ensure adult sites are not viewable, turn off location services and set a PIN, controlled by parent so child has no ability to alter settings.

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