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e-Safety Information for Parents and Students


Using games consoles has become a large part of most teenagers lives and the extensive range of consoles, all with online capabilities, makes access to the virtual world easier and more convenient. This ease of access also presents challenges in understanding the dangers that young people face. The comfort and anonymity that the virtual world provides can counteract the inbuilt safety mechanisms that most individuals use when interacting with others out in the real world.

Examples of gaming consoles are:

XBox XBox 360 Playstation 2 Playstation 3 Nintendo Wii Nintendo DS (lite, i and XL) Nintendo 3DS PSP (any model) iPhone iPod Touch iPad Pandora HTC phone	This list is not exhaustive and it contains devices that you may be more familiar with as Mobile Phones or media players, however, the gaming and online capabilities of these units warrants their inclusion in this section. Some of these are traditional games consoles that would be attached to a television in a static place in the home, but many of these are handheld, personal gaming systems that can be used anywhere, even connecting directly to other consoles of a similar type to enable collaborative or competitive play. Also the ability to use available WiFi connectivity makes the internet available to the user almost everywhere.

Most games consoles, either hand-held or static, have parental controls that can be configured to allow appropriate levels of access to be set by parents. The following links take you to websites or documents that provide more specific information for your type of console.
http://www.getgamesmart.com/ - A Microsoft® website designed to help families enjoy video games and online media in ways that are safer, healthier and more balanced. http://www.nintendo.com/corp/parents.jsp - Information provided by Nintendo® about all of their gaming consoles (Wii, DS family and others) about parental control, privacy and security. http://www.ps-playsafeonline.com/uk/home/ - PlaySafe Online is a one-stop resource filled with hints, tips and general information on how to make the most of your experience with PlayStation®. http://support.apple.com/kb/ht4213 - how to setup and use restrictions on Apple® devices (iPhone, iPod touch and iPad) The Good Online Gaming Guide - document produced in collaboration with ThinkUKnow to advise parents and children on how to play in a healthy and safe way. Microsoft Play Safe Guide - document published by Microsoft® about their games consoles (XBox and XBox 360)

Play some free online games with an e-safety message here.