Many middle school students enjoy online games. A currently popular game, Transformice, is an example. It’s an online Flash based game, requires a very simple signup and you’re in. It’s actually a fun game, the object being to collect the cheese and bring it back to the mouse hole the fastest. There are lots of obstacles and strategies, and it even involves physics and cooperation. What could be better? It’s fun, a little bit educational and the kids enjoy it. Unfortunately, there is a chat room attached… and the language used is casually sprinkled with profanity. 
Kids can join teams with strangers and form an online relationship with them. Now this can be fine, as long the parents are aware of what the children are doing. Are they allowed to chat in the chat room? Are they allowed to play on a laptop in their own room? Do you limit their screen time? Have you visited the websites and played these games? Are there parental controls on the games that you can activate?
These are some of the questions that parents need to be asking before allowing a middle school age child access to the online world. It can be full of fun, entertainment and learning. But, just as you probably don’t drop your child off at an amusement park to wander by themselves, the online world has its own caveats. We spend time in class talking about online safety. The kids know the drill, but they are kids. They simply don’t have the maturity to make decisions without your help and guidance. What they learned in class may not seem to apply to that nice gamer they play with on Transformice. The others playing the game may be 10 year old boys or unsavory characters trolling for vulnerable kids who are playing a popular online game.
What are your rules for your kids? Do you talk with them and help them make the connection between what they learn at school about online safety and the games and sites they play and visit at home? As teachers we can teach, preach, about online safety, but the school environment is used primarily for sites that we have researched and vetted and we can see the students’ screens at all times. The games your children play online can be great fun, and educational. They can teach them to strategize, connect them with amazing people, and allow them to explore the world. Just make sure that you are there to help guide them along the way.
Excellent points Mrs. Tumenas!
The reality is that even good sites can be a concern. I remember being in the room with my youngest daughter while she was playing an online game, shortly after she learned to read. I overheard her reading out loud, saying:
“(Username) wants to be friends with you. Do you want to be friends? Yes or No? Yes!”
I jumped out of my seat and headed over to see what was going on. As it was, the site was great- allowing ‘friends’ options to speak to each other from a drop-down menu of options and no chance to actually and freely ‘chat’… but I had no idea until I overheard my daughter that this site even had a chat option.
If we don’t know what our kids are doing online at home, then it is the same as sending them to an unsupervised playground… where big (or more mature, or more ‘street-smart’) kids can (and will) take advantage of our kids. We need to help them with their ‘street-smarts’ or rather ‘internet-smarts’.
Here is a presentation I did for parents that I’d love for you to take a look at, and even offer suggestions. Great post!
http://www.slideshare.net/datruss/parenting-digitalageslideshare