Games, chat, and privacy
Review a platform together and decide which settings fit your family.
Academy overviewUnderstand
A family review should include who can contact the child, what information is visible, and how purchases work. NetSmartz offers parent resources for talking about online safety. Product settings change, so use the platform’s current help instructions.
What to watch for
Consider a game with private messages, voice chat, public profile details, and purchases. Each feature raises a different question. A single “safe” setting is not a substitute for understanding those features.
What to do
Ask your child to explain one game. Find the contact controls, reporting options, location visibility where relevant, and spending settings. Agree which settings to use and when to revisit them.
What to avoid
Do not promise that filters block every harmful interaction. Avoid treating a child’s discomfort as proof that they did something wrong.
Talk about it
“Show me where you would block someone, and tell me when you would want my help.”
Practice
Draw a four-box review sheet: contact, visibility, purchases, and reporting. Put one question in each box and review it with the relevant adult.
Check your understanding
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Show the answer
Correct answer: Conversations, reporting skills, and reviewing settings
Controls are one part of a family plan and cannot guarantee safety.
Take one idea with you
Choose one activity to try before your next lesson.