The videos, hosted by iGEA ambassador and sports presenter Stephanie Brantz and Auckland journalist Kate Palmer, both of whom have three children, provide step-by-step instructions to show parents how to activate parental control features on popular gaming consoles, including the Sony Playstation, Microsoft XBOX, Nintendo Wii and a PC.

According to Brantz, who is also a mother of three, using the parental control features gives her the confidence that her children are playing age appropriate games for a right amount of time. 

“The parental control features in these devices are a fantastic tool to help parents balance the amount of time children spend playing video games and other activities.  Parents can also use the password-protected controls to ensure their child only has access to age-appropriate games, whether it’s rated G, PG, M or MA15+,” said Brantz.

The videos are released in response to a Newspoll study* commissioned by the iGEA in December 2009 which revealed many Australian parents were unaware of the parental controls built into popular console gaming devices.

According to Ron Curry, CEO of iGEA, “Only 26 per cent of parents were aware of controls within most consoles to help manage the amount of time their children spent playing games. A further 49 per cent of parents were also not aware of classification locks.”

“As interactive games are a popular past-time for the entire family, and particularly in the lead up to Christmas, we wanted to develop a series of videos to help raise the awareness of parental control tools amongst parents to give them the confidence to manage the game play in their house,” said Curry.

The iGEA recommends five tips to help parents mange their child’s gaming habits:

• Play with your children
• Put the gaming console in a common area – like the lounge room
• Check gaming classifications
• Set a time limit
• Set up parental controls

The videos are available online from the iGEA Channel on  YouTube

-ENDS-

* Newspoll research was conducted nationally involving 535 adults with dependent children aged up to 17 in the household.  The research was conducted over the period 12 – 15 of November 2009.

About the iGEA

The Interactive Gaming & Entertainment Association proactively represents companies that publish, market and/or distribute interactive games and entertainment content.  The iGEA aims to further advance the industry and the business interests of its members through informing and fostering relationships with the public, the business community, government and other industry stakeholders.  The iGEA is administered by a Board of Directors and supported by the CEO, Ron Curry.  The iGEA was formerly known as the Interactive Entertainment Association of Australia (IEAA).

For more information, please visit www.igea.net.

Media Contact

Grace Gabriel
Espresso Communications
Mob: 0431 528 127
Email: grace@espressocomms.com.au

The help button is a free application that is easily downloaded onto personal, school and library computers. It provides help and advice on a range of online risks including cyberbullying, unwanted contact, scams and fraud, and offensive or inappropriate material.  The Help Button Icon can be placed on your desktop or in the taskbar.  Then you just click it twice if you ever need help or advice about something unsafe or upsetting that you have encountered on the internet.

To download the button, click here

To read a fact sheet with further information, click here

To read the Press Release, click here

In one camp are those who believe computer games and television are the root of all evil, while at the other end of the spectrum are those who use and abuse the ‘technology babysitting’ services (whether it be computer, gaming consoles, televisions or DVDs) on a regular basis.

The balanced view, I believe lies somewhere between the two.

Being time poor myself, I’m well aware of how much washing, vacuuming, cleaning and bill paying you can get done while your little angels sit in front of a screen but surely this should be the exception not the rule.  My parents often trot out the old adage, “when we were young, we played outside and made our own toys.” Sound familiar?   I like that idea immensely, but the cynic in me suggests that if they’d had Wii, Playstation or XBox, there would be fewer go-karts, model aeroplanes and paper dolls in the world!

I think it’s unavoidable that the future for kids of today will involve more technology than we can fathom, and gaming is certainly going to be part of that.  In fact, the strategic thinking, dexterity and mental agility required for games of all ages can certainly improve their understanding and development in a technological sense.  It’s making sure that technology doesn’t prohibit the development of other essential life skills, and ensuring that children remain safe in cyberspace that should be our primary concerns.

Rules in every household vary – I have friends who ban electronics and television completely in their homes, other people I know, allow their children to remain glued to the screen for hours at a time.

As ever, I am perched on the median strip in the middle of the information superhighway. Our system has evolved through trial and error – both mine and theirs.

Initially, there was a complete ban on electronics of all kinds during the school week – mainly due to the fact that I spent the majority of every single day begging and pleading for all three kids to complete their homework.  Unfortunately that resulted in gaming becoming the ‘forbidden fruit’ and something that needed to be obtained at all cost.

So the first step – buying timers. I bought three digital timers and labeled one for each child. They were then allowed to have one hour of ’screen time’ each afternoon and could choose between computers (games or otherwise), other gaming consoles or television.  The theory was great -in practice. I had to be in the room to hear the timer go off, and invariably if I did hear it, the game or program would be at the best/most crucial or most exciting bit and it would be a travesty if they could not finish. If I didn’t hear it, then the aforementioned little angels, would just keep going until I realised the time and went to enquire if their timer was broken.

User error yes, and without a doubt ineffective for us.

Then, the discovery which changed our lives!  The Parental Control Setting on the console itself.  What a revelation. By using this function, it’s possible to set time limits for each day after which the console cannot be used without manually overriding it. Branching out from there I discovered that you can also limit user access to the internet, which is invaluable for families like mine where not all children are allowed to play games with ’cyber friends’.  I’ve mentioned previously that I found out the hard way that unscrupulous online gamers can turn a PG or M rated game into an MA15+ game very quickly.

We also moved the console into a common area where I could keep an eye on them while I did ‘my stuff’ which was a move which bizarrely had a fringe benefit.  I used to think that their games were ‘their thing’.  Because I was suddenly in and out of the area where they were playing I was being asked to help them ‘level’ and defeat various challenges.

Thus began a new discovery for me. I found that playing with them is so much more fun than whinging about how antisocial gaming is. What started with just helping them out became an arm wrestle to get the controller off me! We now have regular on screen battles and it’s become shared time.  I finally understand the games they are playing and can speak in their terminology – the added bonus is that I can keep an eye on the content they are exposed to.

And do you know what else I discovered? The washing, ironing, cleaning and bills were still there the next day. I suspect there is a time limit on how long the kids will want to play with Mum – enjoy it while you can!!

Gaming has come a long way since the early 80s. The technology has become exceptionally sophisticated, and now has some pretty amazing real life qualities. Whether its sports, action or kid’s games, video games today can be pretty immersive and the days of pixels bouncing across the screen like in my adolescence are well and truly gone.

It was my eldest son who introduced me to the wonders (and dangers) of the life-like atmosphere on offer for modern day gamers.

He too has come a long way. First children often develop well before you are prepared.  A decade ago, I thought he was still in the land of the Teletubbies where my greatest fear was that he would lose his command of the English language.  Not so, wacky cartoons where the enemy was regularly and brutally slain were the order of the day. At this stage he had a toddler brother and a sister on the way and I freely admit, I had become busy and taken my eye off the ball.  These days, I’ve found even more diligence is required. 

My real wake-up call was when I discovered that despite the fact that games not appropriate for their age groups were banned in my house, not all parents followed the same ethos.  The eldest (the same child that thought Dipsy and Tinky Winky were the bees knees many years ago), had a friend over, who brought the new version of a popular combat action type game with him.  They dragged the TV and console into his room and all was quiet on the home front. The problems started when I took the elder two off to sport in the afternoon and the aforementioned younger brother decided to have a go on the console while we were out.  On returning home I called out to him and on getting no response went over to take a closer look.

Not only was he playing the game his older brother had left in the console, he had the headset on and was involved in a verbal tussle with an anonymous online opponent. Hello – Where did he learn to do that?!  When I took over communications, I was treated to a verbal barrage full of expletives from a lad who sounded about twenty and was threatening to hack into the account and destroy me if I didn’t follow his instructions. Game over Sunshine!  The television was unplugged at the wall and moved back into a common area, the game confiscated (and returned) and a new set of rules drawn up.  I also decided it was time to see exactly what these games were about.

Gaming 101 took some time while I (a geriatric in their world) familiarised myself with the controls and options in their various games.  It was hugely enlightening. Only through actually playing the game could I see what was mentally required from someone involved in a first person shooting or driving game. While I marveled at the intricacies of the games themselves – and the manual dexterity of my offspring, it was quickly evident which titles were appropriate for young gamers and which were best left to individuals who were mature enough to differentiate between fantasy and real life.

A driving game I knew we owned, turned out not to be the racetrack scenario I had envisioned, but a game where you could willfully damage property, steal and even earn extra points by evading the law…excellent!  Sounds naïve I know, but even reading the back of the case didn’t show me what was involved on an intellectual level or how each child would each respond to the material they were presented with. As part of the ‘educating Mum’ initiative, I also looked up the classification guidelines at:

http://www.classification.gov.au/www/cob/classification.nsf/Page/ClassificationMarkings_ClassificationMarkingsonFilmandComputerGames_ClassificationMarkingsonFilmandComputerGames

Having been through it, I can honestly say, that the only way to truly understand what your kids are being exposed to and whether they can differentiate fact from fiction, is to get up close and personal with it.  Use classification as a guideline, but even when that gets a tick, see how they react according to their level of maturity and act accordingly.

You may also find that defeating Mum becomes much better sport than slaying a faceless enemy. I call it a sacrifice for the cause…. Happy Gaming!

To read the article, click here

 

She might be able to keep Lucas Neill on his feet against the Italians when playing FIFA World Cup on her Xbox, but the recently appointed ambassador for the Interactive Games and Entertainment Association (iGEA) still thinks leaning to one side prevents her ball from entering the gutter when playing Tenpin Bowling on Wii Sports.

Sports reporter, Stephanie Brantz is the first ambassador appointed by the iGEA, an industry body representing Australian companies that publish, market and distribute video and computer games.

Mother of three enthusiastic gamers, Patrick (15), Lewis (10) and Lindsay (8), Stephanie is a huge advocate of a balanced regime of recreational activities including video gaming time. As ambassador, she will be involved in helping parents understand how to manage the medium to give their child the best gaming experience.

Stephanie’s appointment also follows recent sales data highlighting family games as the largest and fastest growing category and research on more and more families playing computer games together. Whilst Stephanie is a big gamer herself, she wasn‟t always as accomplished when it came to interactive gaming or exactly what games her kids were playing.

“After I discovered Lewis playing his older brothers game which wasn’t appropriate, I’ve developed a much more hands-on approach and I’ve had plenty of laughs and tears (when I beat them) along the way.  I’ve had some fantastic family challenges with the kids and my husband, Simon Hill (Fox Sports presenter). Fun aside, it also helps me know what they’re playing and for how long and it’s another way to engage in one of their interests,” Stephanie said.

Stephanie’s appointment coincides with the Federal Governments discussion paper on a proposed R18+ rating for games – a move she’s in full support of. “Video games, like film and other media, should be classified correctly so there’s no room for doubt among parents.  It’s up to parents to supervise and know what games their kids play but we need the full gamut of classification guidelines to make more informed choices.

“Previously, people have questioned whether an R18+ rating will expose Australia to unlimited high level content but this is simply not the case. The Classification Board will still refuse games that exceed the adult rating guidelines,” said Stephanie.

Ron Curry, CEO of iGEA is looking forward to Stephanie‟s insights and sharing her enthusiasm for family gaming.

When asked who the most talented gamer is in her household, Stephanie nominates Patrick (15), but adds, “I‟m the reigning household champion of all DS Brain Training games and can hold my own, and a tune on Singstar.”

A copy of iGEA‟s submission can be found at http://www.igea.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/iGEA-R18+-Submission.pdf

Ends

Safer Internet Day is an annual international event which aims to raise awareness about the safe and responsible use of new technologies—especially among children and young people. Organised by Insafe, the European internet safety network, Safer Internet Day will take place on Tuesday 9 February 2010.

This year’s theme is ‘Think before you post’.

In 2009, Safer Internet Day was celebrated through 500 events in 50 countries all over the world.

Safer Internet Day activities are co-ordinated in Australia by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (the ACMA). Australia has participated in Safer Internet Day celebrations since 2004, when the event was launched internationally by the European internet safety network, InSafe.

‘Think before you post’ is an important topic for young people as the risks are both personal and can have an impact on others.

The ACMA, through its national cybersafety education program, Cybersmart, will mark the day with a series of internet safety events and activities. These include:

• a Cybersmart Detectives activity involving schools across Australia
• Launching cybersafety-themed videos produced by children and young people on the Cybersmart website
• A ‘Hot Seat’ in children’s networking website SuperClubsPLUS Australia for upper primary and lower secondary school students
• A mailout to all Australian local councils and public libraries with Safer Internet Day posters and other cybersafety materials.

A broad network of partners supports Safer Internet Day across Australia.

Think before you post

‘Think before you post’ is an important internet safety message for children and young people. It applies to both their use of the internet and mobile phones. A simple technique of stopping to think about the consequences before sending or posting online may help to reduce the negative experiences online.

The Cybersmart website provides easy-to-recall tips which detail some of the most important points. These include:

• Think before you hit send or post. Once something is posted, it can be online forever.
• Don’t post anything you don’t want others to know—or that you wouldn’t say to them face to face. Treat others as you would like to be treated.
• Remember that private images and videos you send or post on a social networking site may be easily passed on to others and uploaded to public sites. Once they’re up, it’s almost impossible to remove them completely.
• Respect other people’s content and be aware that if you post or share their content it might breach copyright laws. For example, a photo that your friend took is their property, not yours. You can only post it online if you have their permission.
• Keep your personal information private. Don’t share personal details like your name, address or school with people you don’t already know in real life.
• If you plan to send private information to anyone using your mobile phone, talk to a trusted adult before you send. Be cautious.

For more information, visit www.cybersmart.gov.au

+++++++++++++++++

The ACMA’s Cybersmart program

The ACMA provides comprehensive cybersafety initiatives and education programs as part of the Australian Government’s cybersafety policy. The ACMA’s program, Cybersmart, includes undertaking targeted information and awareness-raising campaigns, activities and programs, developing cybersafety education materials for use in schools and at home, and researching current trends in cybersafety.

The Cybersmart program includes:

• The Cybersmart website www.cybersmart.gov.au. This website provides a comprehensive, one stop shop for cybersafety information aimed at young people, parents and teachers.
• Cybersmart Online Helpline service—provided by Kids Helpline, this service offers free, confidential online counselling to young people who have encountered negative experiences online. The Cybersmart Online Helpline is accessed through the Cybersmart website.
• Targeted information and awareness-raising campaigns and activities, such as Safer Internet Day and participating in National Child Protection Week.
• Developing cybersafety education materials for use in schools and at home. These programs are designed for children from 5 to 15 years and include Hector’s World™, CyberQuoll, CyberNetrix, Cybersmart Detectives and Wise up to IT.
• The Cybersafety Outreach program of Professional Development for Educators and general internet safety awareness presentations for parents, teachers and children.
• Researching current trends in cybersafety and young people’s use of online media.
• The Cybersafety Contact Centre offering callers information and advice about internet safety issues and concerns. Telephone 1800 880 176.
• A complaints hotline for members of the public to report offensive internet material. Visit: www.acma.gov.au/hotline.

Despite the importance of age-appropriate material for children and ensuring the balance between playing video games and other forms of recreation, many Australian parents are unaware of the parental controls built into popular console gaming devices.

A Newspoll study of over 500 parents* revealed that just 26 per cent were aware of the controls within most  consoles to help manage the amount of time their children spent playing games, and a further 49 per cent of parents were not aware of classification locks.

Commissioned by the industry body, the Interactive Games and Entertainment Association (iGEA), the survey found that when parents were given the choice of using classification and time settings and notifications, 79 per cent would versus 21 per cent who would not use the controls.

According to Ron Curry CEO of the iGEA, the study was commissioned to better understand awareness of the tools amongst parents.

“Interactive gaming is played by young children, teens, Mums and Dads and as a popular family past-time, we want to equip parents will the tools to ensure their children enjoy the best gaming experience.

All of the popular games platforms have built in controls to help parents ensure that the children are playing games that are suitable for their age. The majority of platforms also have specific tools to help parents manage the amount of time their children spend playing games. .”

“Up to 88 per cent of Australian homes* have at least one device for playing video and computer games and we are urging parents to be aware of the settings that can help families ensure healthy gaming habits,” said Curry.

Of the 21 percent who wouldn’t use any parental controls; 38 per cent weren’t concerned about the length of time their child played for, 34 percent weren’t concerned about the type of games played and 22 percent believed their child could override the parental lock.

Well known adolescent psychologist, Dr Michael Carr-Gregg believes young people need a moral compass and urged parents to take a greater interest in their family’s video gaming habits and to use interactive entertainment to help bring families together.

“In a few quick steps, parents can create password-protected profiles for each family member that help balance time spent on gaming and other activities and ensure their children only access age appropriate content,” Dr Carr-Gregg said.

Stephanie Brantz, Channel Nine sports reporter and mother of three enthusiastic gamers, believes the best strategy is to get involved and take on the kids.

“Being a competitive person at heart, I’ve had some enthralling battles racing cars and playing tennis, especially with my eldest son who’s built up amazing dexterity from gaming.  Initially, I stood on the sidelines while they played but now it has become a popular family activity and you relate to kids on their level,” Stephanie said.

Through parental control settings on gaming devices, Stephanie sets a daily play limit of one hour per day for each child and closely monitors what games are played.

“Gaming in our house is on par with watching TV and similar to other interactive entertainment, all kids need a healthy balance between spending time with family and friends, outdoor activities and playing video games,” she said.

Confirming gaming’s status as a mainstream family activity, the Newspoll revealed 69 per cent of parents either regularly or occasionally play video and computer games with their children – Dads proving to be the biggest fans – 81 per cent participating compared to 59 per cent of Mums.

“Interactive games are played by all generations across the entire household and publishers continue to produce quality games to meet the demand.  Family games are the best selling genre and 67 per cent of all games sold last year were G or PG rated titles,” Curry said.

Other interesting statistics from the research included:

• Of the parents surveyed, males had a higher awareness of both parental control functions (66%) compared to females (40%).
• 54% of parents said the parental lock functions would mean there would be fewer arguments about video game usage in the household
• 85% of parents said the parental lock functions would provide a safeguard to prevent their child from playing games with inappropriate content
• 73% of parents said the parental lock functions would help establish a routine around playing video games

-       Ends -

*IA9 is based on a national random sample of 1,614 households in which as many adults responded to more than 75 questions providing over 300 data points in a 20-minute online survey. The survey was fielded by Nielsen Research in July 2008.

* Newspoll research was conducted nationally involving 535 adults with dependent children aged up to 17 in the household.  The research was conducted over the period 12 – 15 of November 2009.