Top Video Games to Keep Out of Your Kids' Hands in 2024
As parents in the digital age, we are faced with the constant challenge of ensuring our kids and teens engage with media and entertainment that is both enjoyable and appropriate for their age and maturity level. While the video gaming industry has made great strides in recent years to provide family-friendly content, the reality is that some video games are not suitable for kids. Psychologists emphasize the importance of parents reviewing game content and setting appropriate limits; some kid-friendly video games can contain surprising “easter eggs” that are unsuitable. For instance, multiplayer online games can expose children to inappropriate behavior and language.
Radek Zielinski from ReadWrite suggests taking an active role in curating online interaction. He suggests using the best spy apps to monitor your children’s online gaming activity and interactions to ensure their safety from inappropriate content, bullies, and other negative experiences. Exposure to violent, mature, and user-generated content can increase aggression, diminish empathy, and cause concerning behavioral changes. Which video gaming genres are inappropriate for kids and teens?
First-person Combat Games
First-person shooter (FPS) games and real-time strategy (RTS) games are not recommended for children, as they emphasize quick reaction times, competition, and positioning units for strategic advantage. FPS games often feature intense, graphic depictions of violence and gore that are inappropriate for young audiences. The gameplay involves realistically shooting human characters, which can desensitize children to violence.
Studies have suggested that excessive exposure to violent FPS games can promote more aggressive thoughts, feelings, and behaviors in children and adolescents. The competitive, fast-paced nature of FPS games can also encourage an overly aggressive mindset. Many popular FPS franchises like Call of Duty and Battlefield also contain mature content like drug/alcohol use and strong language. This type of mature content is not suitable for the emotional and psychological development of children.
Survival Horror
Survival horror games like Resident Evil 2 and the Outlast series often feature intense, graphic depictions of violence, gore, and disturbing imagery that are unsuitable for young kids. The gameplay involves surviving against violent threats like zombies, monsters, or serial killers, which can be very frightening and distressing for children. Many survival horror games contain mature themes like death, the occult, psychological trauma, and existential dread. These heavy themes are not suitable for the emotional and psychological development of children and young teens.
These heavy themes are designed to create an atmosphere of fear, tension, and unease through dark environments, ominous music, and jump scares. Many survival horror games feature threats that mimic real-world dangers, which can be very frightening and disturbing for children. Exposure to these types of realistic threats can be psychologically damaging for young audiences.
Action-adventure with Mature Themes
Many action-adventure games feature intense, graphic depictions of violence and gore that are inappropriate for young audiences. The gameplay often involves realistically shooting, or dismembering human characters, which can desensitize children to violence. Games like Grand Theft Auto V and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, commonly explore dark, complex themes like drug, and alcohol use, criminal behavior, and other mature subject matter. The inclusion of strong language, sexual references, and other inappropriate content makes them unsuitable.
The fast-paced gameplay, complex narratives, and mature subject matter often exceed the cognitive and emotional capabilities of young players. Children may not have the maturity to process these games in a healthy way. Additionally, psychologists and child development experts generally recommend that parents avoid letting young children play this video game genre since it can have negative effects on a child's behavior, empathy, and overall well-being.
Dark-Fantasy Role-playing Games
Many dark fantasy RPGs like Bloodborne and Dark Souls III feature intense, graphic depictions of violence, gore, and disturbing imagery that are inappropriate for young audiences. The gameplay often involves realistically fighting and killing monstrous creatures, demons, or even other humans in gory ways. These games commonly explore very dark, complex themes like death, the occult, psychological horror, and existential dread.
Dark fantasy RPGs are designed to create an atmosphere of fear, unease, and dread through ominous settings, unsettling music, and shocking moments. The heavy themes, graphic violence, and mature content often exceed the cognitive and emotional capabilities of children and young teens.
Post-Apocalyptic
Post-apocalyptic games feature intense, graphic depictions of violence and gore as survivors fight to stay alive in a harsh, lawless world. The gameplay often involves realistically hurting human enemies and mutated creatures. These game genres are inherently dark, unsettling, and psychologically disturbing, with imagery of ruined cities, radiation, and human suffering. The games explore heavy themes like societal collapse, loss of humanity, and the struggle for survival in a world on the brink.
The gritty, realistic nature of games like Metro Exodus and Fallout 4 is at odds with the emotional and cognitive development of children and teens. The intense action, complex narratives, and mature subject matter often exceed the cognitive and emotional capabilities of children and young teens. They may not have the maturity to process these games in a healthy way.
Surprisingly Inappropriate “Kid-friendly” Games
Parents should be aware of ESRB ratings and content descriptors when choosing age-appropriate video games for their children. Many games marketed as kid-friendly contain surprising moments of inappropriate humor, stereotypes, or mature themes that are not suitable for young audiences. For instance, Roblox has many inappropriate games for kids, including horror games like "Survive the Killer" that feature graphic violence and disturbing themes, as well as games with adult content like "Dance Club" and "Club Iris" where players engage in inappropriate behavior.
Super Mario 64 DS, despite seeming innocent, contains a secret area called "Luigi's Casino" that features roulette and gambling mechanics. While the casino area may have been included as an Easter egg or joke for older players, its presence in a game primarily targeted at children is still considered inappropriate. Casinos and gambling are generally more in line with adult themes; these do not align with the family-friendly, wholesome values typically associated with the Mario franchise.
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