Facebook Games for Kids?
The Facebook Connection That's Reeling in Kids
Remember Oregon Trail -- the computer game in which you make your virtual way across the historic East-West wagon route without dying from dysentery or losing too many people? Since its debut in the early 1970s, the game has had many incarnations -- from basic computer program to iPhone app -- all the while teaching kids about U.S history and entertaining them along the way.
Continuing its march toward progress, Oregon Trail has now arrived on Facebook. And not to be outdone, another classic, Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego?, is hot on its heels. While they're being marketed as nostalgic faves for grown-ups, they're also part of a growing and disturbing trend: kids' games and apps that connect to Facebook.
In a strange turn of events, it's not the content of the game that's of concern, but where the game needs to be played. I know plenty of kids have Facebook pages -- and clearly, game developers know this, too -- but am I a fuddy-duddy to think that it's wrong to promote kids' stuff on a social networking site that you need to be 13 to join?
To me, this is just another notch in the belt of marketers finding ways around pesky old age barriers. It's like Transformers (a PG-13 film) toys in Happy Meals (last time I checked, teens weren't collecting the latest toys with their three-piece nuggets), PG-13 movie trailers airing during shows for preschoolers, and high-heeled shoes for babies (yes, they have those!).
In the online world, the evidence is piling up: Angry Birds, Zoo Rescue, Thumbelina, Mixamajig -- all appropriate for kids under 8, and all offering a Facebook connection.
A lot of these games are great and not inherently age-inappropriate. And in the case of Oregon Trail, well, you don't survive for 40 years without being a high-quality product. We gave the Oregon Trail app five stars.
But, they are behind the Facebook age gate, and privacy and safety concerns for kids on social networks are real. Remember, every game and third-party app you use on Facebook extracts some of your personal information. And while you can restrict some of the information the games take, by definition you can't play social games without giving up your friends' names.
Tempting though it may be, we don't advise letting kids under 13 play games on Facebook. Both Oregon Trail and Carmen Sandiego are available on lots of platforms. As for kids' apps that connect to Facebook, they typically require a log in, so don't give your kids your password. (Get more app tips in What to Know Before You Download.)
These boundaries may seem arbitrary to your kids. After all, if their game connects to Facebook, why can't they follow that link? Tell them that age gates exist for a reason: to protect their privacy and safety. Your kids are going to encounter lots of age-inappropriate stuff. As the parent, you have to maintain the border lines, even -- and maybe especially -- when they're shifting under your feet.
Do you let your kids play games that link to Facebook?
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