Breaking down the most common issues that kids run into while gaming on Minecraft. These are the top hidden dangers on Minecraft.
Minecraft, in recent years, has been called one of the most addictive video games on the market. The game, which is commonly described as, essentially, virtual Legos, enables players to build and destroy virtual dwellings they create themselves. It can be played with friends or strangers, is popularly used by educational institutions in relation to teaching math and is often a favorite with kids and adults who suffer from focus-related issues. Minecraft is simple to play, which, simply put, makes it widely appealing and easy to get hooked on. However, there are many hidden dangers on Minecraft.
Because of its overt simplicity, Minecraft is rated for everyone 10 and older, although it is frequently played and enjoyed by kids younger than 10. Although it is not completely free from violence, it doesn’t feature glorified shooting or killing the way other popular game genres do. The graphics are fairly rudimentary and the overall goal of the game is easy enough for even young minds to grasp. Minecraft is so popular because it can be played by all ages and is so simple it can be sneakily addictive.
Should I worry about my kids playing Minecraft?
Top Hidden Dangers on Minecraft
Language and/or online bullying
Although foul language and online bullying aren’t unique to Minecraft, they are certainly a concern. Like with any open world game, such as Roblox or Fortnite, your child is virtually connected to other players, which makes it difficult, at times, to monitor the language and conversations they might be privy to. One option to limit what your child is exposed to in terms of language and bullying while playing Minecraft is to mute the chat function or turn off the speakers on your computer or game console. You can also turn Minecraft on single player mode to prevent your child from interacting with others while playing the game. You may want to try to follow up each gaming session with a quick conversation about anyone your child interacted with or anything that made them feel uncomfortable.
Bad online behavior
One of the biggest drawbacks to Minecraft is the virtual bad behavior players can engage in with one another. Your child might spend some time building up a virtual building or other structure and another player can come along and destroy it or steal it. Players can also attack one another with weapons such as bows and arrows or swords in the game. Although the game doesn’t showcase the violence you might see in other video games (such as first-person shooter games), there is certainly an alarming amount of bad behavior that players can engage in. Make sure your child knows that this behavior is never okay, even if the stealing and attacking is “only” done virtually.
Video game addiction
Any video game can be addictive, and Minecraft is definitely not an exception. It can feel incredibly satisfying to build something from the ground up, see where you can improve and then try again. It can easily become an obsession, building and creating an online world where tasks are simple and straightforward. If your child seems obsessed with playing Minecraft- or any video game, for that matter- you may want to consider drastically cutting screentime or taking steps toward engaging your child in activities outside of video games. While some video gaming is perfectly acceptable, too much of anything is still too much.
Spending too much money on virtual items
Minecraft, like a number of other video games, has its own in-game currency, called Minecoins, that players can use to purchase virtual items or items from the official Minecraft store. While rewarding your child with Minecoins for a job well done or gifting Minecraft dollars for holidays and birthdays can be a fun gift, it can easily lead to your child overspending online. Ensure that your child doesn’t have access to your credit card or online currency platform such as PayPal or Venmo that would enable them to continually spend money without your permission or consent.
Overall, Minecraft is generally a fun and safe game for your child to spend time playing. As a parent, try to be aware of what your child is doing while playing while still letting them enjoy their time playing virtual building blocks with friends.