What could be the reason for this low societal sensitivity?
I believe the circumstances that many computer and video games – even those with online modes – receive low age recommendations, some offer a child-friendly appearance, or are advertised as “free” in the F2P area may create a misleading sense of safety for parents. It creates a mindset of “…it’s just a game, and it’s even free. What could happen here?”.
Many may not even realize that, for example, their 10-year-old son is playing and communicating with unknown adults. A father aptly captured this when his son faced a predator in Clash of Clans:
I had no idea that Clash of Clans had a chat feature.
This ignorance about games is frequently encountered in discussions with parents on the media behavior of their children. In a recent study by the DIVSI, parents were asked whether their 3-8 year old children used chats and social networks, but not whether they engaged in online games for communication. Thus, it is all the more surprising that in the same study, an example is given where an 8-year-old was playing Moviestarplanet and was chatting with friends without the parents’ knowledge.
Although the media competence of parents is primarily called into question here, it still surprises me that the children and youth media protection laws in Germany do not address these issues and are not discussed. For instance, when I, as an adult man, order a game rated 18 on Amazon, I must prove my age through identification by the postman. However, if I register as an adult in a game that is either exclusively or also used by children, there are no effective protection or verification mechanisms in place.
Online games: Regular age recommendations even for children
This also stems from the fact that the communicative aspects in societal discussions receive little consideration – e.g., in the age recommendations of the USK. Sports games are typically recommended from age 0 due to the lack of problematic content, even though they often include online modes. However, anyone who has ever encountered a sore loser in such a game knows how tricky that can be for children.
Moreover, this problem is now also reflected in the age ratings through the otherwise commendable IARC (International Age Rating Coalition) system in the Google Play Store. Therefore, the three games mentioned as examples of sexual predators are also recommended for children – in Germany up to 14 years – or have received very low age recommendations. Quizduell is rated 0 years, Clash of Clans is rated 6 years, and Habbo Hotel is recommended from 12 years.
Or another example: The state worries that extremists distribute CDs on schoolyards, use Facebook for propaganda, or post propaganda videos on YouTube. However, it barely acknowledges that children can encounter guilds and usernames with extremist orientations in online games at a very young age without being prepared for it.
