Is Minecraft dangerous for kids?
Minecraft is one of the most popular video games among the tough kids I work with. Their parents usually like it, too, because they find Minecraft's blocky and cartoony characters, animals, and monsters to be reassuringly innocent compared to the graphic images featured in many other games. However, Minecraft has caused more serious problems for families in my app than any other video game - much worse than any violent first-person shooter out there, including Fortnite. No need for alarm. Minecraft can be played in a safe and enjoyable way just by following a few simple rules.
What are the annoying features of Minecraft?
• Minecraft can be extremely addictive.
You may have already noticed that kids can get very immersed in playing Minecraft. It can be difficult to get children to stop playing after their allotted time. In more extreme cases, it will force kids to play Minecraft outside of other activities and lead to huge battles with their parents. Some children secretly stay awake late into the night playing games.
• Minecraft can expose children to bullying and exploitation.
Minecraft can be played online on multiplayer servers, some of which can be quite violent. Players attack and kill other players and steal their hard-earned (or purchased) virtual assets or destroy the buildings they worked hard to build. This practice of stealing from other players or destroying their creations is called "grief" in the Minecraft community. Such attacks can often be more stressful for kids than the more realistic violence of Call of Duty or other war games.
• Minecraft server owners can encourage children to spend large sums of money (usually stolen from their parents).
Server owners can sell packs of special vehicles, weapons, armor and other accessories to players on their servers. These special packs give players such a huge advantage in the game that there is a serious temptation to purchase them. I know kids spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars this way and often steal their parents' credit card numbers to pay for Minecraft purchases.
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I know this all sounds scary. But Minecraft has its positive qualities. An incredible medium for creative expression. Some have described Minecraft as “LEGO on steroids”. Players refer to Minecraft as a "sandbox" game that can be a place for creative, unstructured play, like a true sandbox. Minecraft, unlike many other games, has no levels to conquer, no predetermined goals to reach, no predetermined path to follow. What the Minecraft player does is determined solely by his interests and imagination. (As an example of Minecraft's creative possibilities, here is a scale model of Tower Bridge of London created in Minecraft.)
As you read this, you may feel that the advantages do not outweigh the dangers. You might even consider preventing your kids from playing Minecraft. However, doing so risks creating other problems. When parents ban Minecraft, kids often sneak around to play Minecraft. If your child is playing incognito, you won't be able to control their play and you won't know the problematic situations they are exposed to.
How do you get your child to play Minecraft safely? I have written this short guide for you to better understand Minecraft and supervise your child's use so that they can engage in a safe and healthy way.
1. There are many different ways to play Minecraft. (Which form of Minecraft your child plays determines any risks playing the game.)
Minecraft's online formats include opportunities to play on unregulated public servers operated by Mojang and individuals not affiliated with Microsoft (Minecraft owners). Servers often include incredible cities, buildings, and games inside the games (popular games include "prison" and "hunger games"). For many kids, playing Minecraft on servers is the most fun form of Minecraft.
The format in which your child plays Minecraft – singleplayer vs. multiplayer, online vs. offline – determines what risks they are exposed to.
While most Minecraft servers are secure, servers are where the biggest dangers lie. Most servers are "Lord of the Flies", as are environments where children can be bullied. Server owners also profit (at surprisingly high prices!) from selling exclusive weapons, armor, and gear that players pay for with PayPal and credit cards. Unscrupulous server owners can extort payments from players by threatening to kick players from the server (which means losing backlogs and business for days or weeks) if players don't pay the fee. This can lead to large financial expenses and a tendency to steal from parents.
Like other online multiplayer games, Minecraft creates an environment where children can meet strangers.
Playing Minecraft single player offline is the safest form of Minecraft. It's also safe to play Minecraft multiplayer with your friends on your home wifi network. Also, these forms of Minecraft do not provide children with the opportunity to spend large sums of money.
2. Minecraft is constantly changing.
Minecraft programmers are constantly adding new features to the game. There are thousands of Minecraft servers, with dozens of new additions every day. You have to make an effort to stay up to date.
3. Play with your child.
The most effective way to keep your child safe while playing Minecraft is to spend some time playing Minecraft with your child. Have your child show you what he likes to do in Minecraft and which servers he likes to play on. Playing Minecraft together not only allows you to watch him use Minecraft, but also develops more intimacy with your child. There's nothing like showing interest in your child's interests to improve your bond.
Playing Minecraft multiplayer, especially with children who are difficult to connect with and easily overwhelmed by interpersonal interactions, is a great way to connect and increase their capacity for connection. Your avatars roam the Minecraft world and interact with each other by cooperating, playing in parallel, playing with each other, and sometimes even fighting. This type of interaction has a lower intensity and makes it easier for children to start developing their capacity for participation.
4. Co-create rules for playing Minecraft.
Children are more likely to follow rules that have a hand in creating. I recommend creating rules about:
• How much time are they allowed to spend playing Minecraft?
• Where are they allowed to play Minecraft (eg offline only, local multiplayer with friends, Xbox, servers)?
• How much money are they allowed to spend on Minecraft? (I recommend not allowing kids to spend money on Minecraft if you can avoid it.)
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