X-BOX live - should I be worried?

[MrMondo]

Smash the xbox up, Its evil just like having a t.v. in your bedroom. I can,t belive you let him have one,How irresponsible of you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Get a grip for gods sake!

 

As long as you don't sit in the front of it for too long, how can having an xbox be bad for you?

[Kthebean]

i play on Live, and from my experience id say:

 

- make sure theres no mention of his age or personal details on his Live gamer card.

- discourage mic use. theres some absolute idiots out there, really nasty types who arent afraid of homophobic and racial abuse. i heard one guy get told to 'listen to the voices and end it' after he admitted he was schizophrenic.

the worst culprit for this is modern warfare 2 - whereas with halo or battlefield, no-one talks.

- iv never in 3 years online heard anyone trying to groom or talk to younger players. though if this happens make sure he files a complaint or 'avoid player'. these options can be found when you click on that persons gamercard.

 

I would say you've to worry about this more than any grooming or anyone trying to find out his details.

 

These can be fairly anarchic anything goes kind of environments. He may be listening to some nasty stuff, swearing, homophobic etc. If you talk to him about it its not necessarily a problem as he will come across that kind of stuff in life at some point, but I don’t think it would be good for him to be listening to it for long periods of time, as ‘background noise’.

[Mercenary]

If you know his email account and password you can log in here and change the settings so that he can only speak to, and hear, people on his friend's list. I'm 26 and have this option on as Live is full of really, really annoying people. You can also update some personal details this way and remove location, name etc.

 

It will probably be too late now but also make sure his Gamertag doesn't contain his name and date of birth such as xXLuke1997Xx or anything.

[hodgepodge]

Thanks for all the advice. i'll look at the settings business tonight, and I'll rush down to Comet and get him a 50"TV for his room......no, maybe not.

[Mercenary]

While he will hear plenty of abusive things, you have to remember that the vast majority of the people saying abusive things are young teenagers themselves.

 

So he isn't going to hear anything he doesn't already hear in the playground (well, maybe a few new variations due to the different countries involved).

 

That's very true actually. He should be prepared to be called 'gay' a lot and every variation of it as well.

[Moosey]

While he will hear plenty of abusive things, you have to remember that the vast majority of the people saying abusive things are young teenagers themselves.

 

So he isn't going to hear anything he doesn't already hear in the playground (well, maybe a few new variations due to the different countries involved).

 

There's a lot of paranoid people on here!

 

What are you expecting to happen? Abduction? Identity theft? I don't get it. We all give out these details absolutely all the time, and in reality, how many cases of problems do you hear of that are caused by playing on x-box live. He's playing a game, and talking to people that he doesn't know, in a similar way to....ooh everyone on here. The biggest worry is that he turns into a geek obsessed by his computer game (I don't have an x-box, they're rubbish, as are PS3s and all those things)

 

As for language, Auto98uk is entirely right. Have you heard kids on the street or in the playground? They do actually already know these naughty words, you do realise that?

 

This thread just makes me want to scream Chris Morris quotes at it.

 

Why can't we think of the words British Isles without the word paedoph in front of them....

[size13]

There's a lot of paranoid people on here!

 

What are you expecting to happen? Abduction? Identity theft? I don't get it. We all give out these details absolutely all the time, and in reality, how many cases of problems do you hear of that are caused by playing on x-box live. He's playing a game, and talking to people that he doesn't know, in a similar way to....ooh everyone on here. The biggest worry is that he turns into a geek obsessed by his computer game (I don't have an x-box, they're rubbish, as are PS3s and all those things)

 

As for language, Auto98uk is entirely right. Have you heard kids on the street or in the playground? They do actually already know these naughty words, you do realise that?

 

This thread just makes me want to scream Chris Morris quotes at it.

 

Why can't we think of the words British Isles without the word paedoph in front of them....

 

Nice.

the OP was only asking about a subject shes not 100% clued in on for the safety of her lad and you say we're all reactionary daily mail types?

 

if you don't play on these 'rubbish things', what sort of authority do you have to comment on the behavior of Live players? the faceless aspect of the internet brings out the worst in people, and i can assure you i dont hear language and slurs like that walking round the street.

 

we were just warning her of the kinds of experiences we've had on Live, and putting her mind at ease re. any sort of grooming dangers...

[Moosey]

Nice.

the OP was only asking about a subject shes not 100% clued in on for the safety of her lad and you say we're all reactionary daily mail types?

 

if you don't play on these 'rubbish things', what sort of authority do you have to comment on the behavior of Live players? the faceless aspect of the internet brings out the worst in people, and i can assure you i dont hear language and slurs like that walking round the street.

 

we were just warning her of the kinds of experiences we've had on Live, and putting her mind at ease re. any sort of grooming dangers...

 

Yes I say you're over reacting. It's called my opinion.

 

If you don't hear people swearing and insulting each other in the street, you live in a very nice area. Go you. Kudos. Kids when I was at school swore and called each other names from about the age of 10, and its probably a lot younger than that now.

 

Why people react about the internet in this way, I do not know. Your kids, I can absolutely assure you, are safer on the internet than they are crossing the road.

[size13]

Yes I say you're over reacting. It's called my opinion.

 

If you don't hear people swearing and insulting each other in the street, you live in a very nice area. Go you. Kudos. Kids when I was at school swore and called each other names from about the age of 10, and its probably a lot younger than that now.

 

Why people react about the internet in this way, I do not know. Your kids, I can absolutely assure you, are safer on the internet than they are crossing the road.

 

of course i hear people swear, talk the <REMOVED> out of each other etc, but as i mentioned above, this is magnified due to the nature of the internet.

i dont usually hear homophobic insults or jibes about my mum by going to the pub though?

 

i think we can all agree that the internet is safe...as long as we dont led down a dodgy path, and know the dangers. be it paedophiles in chat rooms, falling for a phishing email or downloading virus / spyware laden software

[hodgepodge]

Thanks Size 13 and all others giving useful advice and reassuring comments.

 

One day Moossey, I expect you will feel out of your depth in some are of life, and I hope when you seek advice that you get solid sound support instead of patronising ridicule.