Online Gaming Safety for Kids: Chat, Spending and Strangers

For many children today, gaming is not just entertainment but a digital playground where they meet their friends. In Roblox, Minecraft, Fortnite or mobile games, children build, compete and chat together. The experience has real benefits, such as creativity, problem solving and teamwork.

But as in any playground, there are corners parents should know about. In this guide we look at the main risks in online games and the concrete precautions you can take against them.

The main risks in online games

1. Contact with strangers

Most popular games have text or voice chat. This means a child can communicate directly with adults they do not know. People with bad intentions can use games to build trust with children: gifts of in-game currency, "teaming up", shared interests. This process is called grooming, and it usually continues with attempts to move the conversation out of the game to more private messaging apps. For details, see our guide to online grooming.

2. In-game spending

Most "free" games make their money from in-game purchases: outfits, virtual currencies, loot boxes. These purchases:

• Are made with virtual currencies whose link to real money is blurry, which makes it harder for children to notice how much they are spending.
• Through loot box mechanics, can create a reward loop similar to gambling.
• Can add up to large amounts in a few taps with a saved credit card.

3. Scams and account theft

Gaming scams targeting children are very common:

• "Free in-game money" sites: Sites promising free virtual currencies such as Robux or V-Bucks are usually designed to steal account details or install malware.
• Fake trade offers: Promising to trade for a valuable item and never delivering.
• Account sharing: Offers like "Let me log into your account and level you up" end with the account being taken over.

4. Bullying and toxic behaviour

Insults, exclusion and harassment are common in competitive games. Constant exposure to toxic language can affect a child's mood. For this topic, see our cyberbullying guide.

5. Age-inappropriate content

Some games contain violence, horror or sexual content. And on platforms where users create their own content, inappropriate content that slips past moderation can sometimes appear.

Choosing a game: check the age rating

In Europe, games are usually classified with PEGI ratings (3, 7, 12, 16, 18); in North America, the ESRB system is used (E, E10+, T, M, AO). The rating and the content icons next to it (violence, fear, gambling, online interaction and so on) are a good starting point for which age a game suits.

But the rating assesses the game's content, not the behaviour of other players. In a game with online chat, even one with a low rating, you need to look separately at who your child can communicate with.

Parental controls: the settings to make

Almost all popular platforms offer parental controls. The names of the settings vary from platform to platform, but you can usually:

Chat settings

• Turn chat off completely for young children, or limit it to approved friends only.
• Keep voice chat off, especially under 13.
• Restrict private messaging (one-to-one conversations).

Friend settings

• Limit friend requests to people your child knows.
• Review the friends list regularly with your child: "Do you know this person in real life?"

Spending settings

• Remove the saved credit card from the account, or require a password or approval for every purchase.
• Set a monthly spending limit.
• If you use gift cards, agree on a budget in advance.
• Turn on purchase approval in the phone's app store (Google Family Link on Android, "Ask to Buy" on iPhone).

Account security

• Use a strong password and two-step verification on the gaming account.
• Make sure the account's email address is one you can also access.

For more detail, see our article on strong passwords and two-step verification.

7 rules to talk through with your child

Settings matter, but clear rules in your child's head matter even more:

1. People you meet in games are not people you know in real life. Someone who says they are 12 may be an adult.
2. Don't share your real name, school, address, phone number or photos.
3. Watch out for conversations that want to move out of the game. If someone says "Let's talk on WhatsApp, Discord or Snapchat", tell me.
4. Nothing that promises free in-game money is free. Never enter your account details on those sites.
5. Don't share your account password, not even with your best friend.
6. If someone gives you a gift and wants something in return, it's a trap.
7. If something upsets you, close the game and come to me. I won't be angry; we'll sort it out together.

Warning signs: when should you worry?

• Your child hides the screen while playing or closes the game as soon as you come near.
• New virtual items, in-game currency or gifts they cannot explain.
• Frequent, mysterious mentions of a "new friend" they met in a game.
• Being noticeably upset, anxious or angry after playing.
• Playing secretly late at night.
• Unfamiliar gaming charges on your credit card statement.

Play together

The best way to understand your child's gaming world is to play with them from time to time. It:

• Teaches you how the game works and what risks it holds.
• Gives you a chance to see who your child plays with.
• Most importantly, makes talking to you about games feel natural.

Asking your child "Can you teach me this game?" opens far more doors than any ban.

Screen time and gaming

By design, online games are hard to put down: never-ending quests, daily rewards, matches where friends are waiting. To manage gaming time, you can apply the time-window rules from our article on screen time for kids. In Koriva, daily limits and school and bedtime rules are enforced on the child's phone; on Android you can also see separately how much time was spent in each game. Koriva's link checking and web filter also help block known phishing sites such as "free in-game money" pages.

Conclusion

With the right settings and open communication, online games can be a safe and enjoyable space for children. Limiting chat and spending, teaching your child clear rules and, above all, taking an interest in their gaming world prevent most of the risks.