Europe’s video games industry launches conversation starters to help parents and guardians discuss responsible gameplay with their children this Christmas
Video Games Europe, representing Europe’s video games industry, has launched conversation starters to help parents in having judgement-free conversations with their children about responsible gameplay. These suggestions on how to start conversations are provided in the run-up to Christmas to ensure that families are well-prepared for the big day this holiday season.
Even though only 24% of video game players are aged 6-17, we know that responsible gameplay conversations should be part of children’s playtime experience. 'Seize The Controls,' a public awareness campaign launched last year alongside long-running Video Games Europe national education campaigns, was created to provide parents and guardians with the support and confidence they need to manage responsible video gameplay and make it a positive, fun pastime for all.
“Video games play a large role in many people’s daily lives as a way of entertainment, connection, and learning, so it’s important that we jointly agree with children on rules regarding what they play, how they play, and for how long they play. Our goal is not to control children and their gameplay habits, but to help to empower them to be good digital citizens - and to play our part in making sure parents and players are aware of the easy-to-use tools and controls that are readily available to them.”
Simon Little, CEO Video Games Europe
Video Games Europe’s national members across Europe invest heavily in responsible gameplay information initiatives directed to their national populations in their native languages, and many of them will be communicating #SeizeTheControls locally. Furthermore, the industry encourages everyone to use the tools to manage screentime, spend and online interaction, for example, and to pay attention to the PEGI (Pan-European Game Information) content descriptors and age ratings, which inform parents about the content of a game, whether or not it contains the opportunity to make in-game purchases and the appropriate age for the player, at the point of purchase.
Note to Editors:
The Seize the Controls campaign can be accessed here.
Find out more about the work of the Insafe network at www.betterinternetforkids.eu and connect with your local Safer Internet Centre via www.betterinternetforkids.eu/sic. Safer Internet Day (SID) 2022 will take place on Tuesday, 8 February 2022, encouraging all stakeholders to join "Together for a better internet" through a range of activities, initiatives and campaigns. Find out more at www.saferinternetday.org. Find out more about Video Games Europe’s plans for Safer Internet Day 2023 at www.saferinternetday.org/supporters/isfe.
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