Safer Internet Day 2026: ESRB’s Video Game Tips

Every year we like to use Safer Internet Day an opportunity to reinforce and reexamine some tips to help you make sure your kids have safe, appropriate experiences when playing video games online. Like many things in life, this boils down to a message of “safety first.” Everyone learns to look both ways before crossing the street; this is the equivalent to looking both ways!

After all, a lot can change in a year, especially when it comes to your kids’ interests, hobbies, and social lives. You may find that your kids are asking to sign up for a new online game because it’s how their friends socialize. Or maybe your younger children are just starting to take interest in the limitless possibilities of video games. Here are some tips and resources to help you make sure your kids’ video game experiences stay safe and appropriate.

• ESRB’s Family Gaming Guide has sections for establishing household rules, setting parental controls, and playing multiplayer games online. There’s also a section to ensure that you’ve checked all the boxes when it comes to online privacy!
• ESRB’s Parental Controls section includes step-by-step instructions for activating parental controls on your kids’ video game devices. Virtually all devices that play games include the ability to set parental controls, including consoles, handheld gaming devices, PCs, smartphones, tablets, and more. This includes settings to limit (or block) communications with other players online. Some parental controls even allow you to curate your kids’ friends lists to ensure they can only communicate directly with friends, relatives, and other people they know in real life. Parental controls also allow you to manage which games your kids can play (based on the ESRB-assigned age rating), when and for how long they can play, and whether they can spend real money to purchase new games or make in-game purchases.
• ESRB’s Blog section features years of articles highlighting popular games and helpful tips for managing your kids’ video game experiences. We even have blogs on popular video game-related platforms like Twitch and Discord to help you make sure your kids are staying safe when communicating with others online.
• Mute, block, and/or report other players that are behaving inappropriately. Every console and video game with online functionality empowers players to mute or block others that may be more interested in being rude than having a good time. For particularly egregious individuals, you can also report them to the platform holder and/or publisher, as their behavior may violate the company’s community guidelines.
• Discuss “platform hopping” with your kids! It’s increasingly important for children to understand that they must not move conversations from their video games to another messaging or social media platform. Platform holders, like Microsoft, Nintendo, and PlayStation have very advanced moderation tools that actively monitor player interactions (the same is true for large online games like Fortnite and Roblox). If your children are talking to a stranger when playing games online, those conversations are all tracked. The second your child continues the conversation off platform, that tracking stops. If the person in question is acting in bad faith, then there is no way for the platform-holder to address the issue with a ban or suspension. If a stranger ever asks your kids to communicate anywhere private and/or outside of the platform on which the conversation started, this should be a red flag to block and report this individual.
• Keep your kids’ personal information private! Have a conversation with your children about what they can and cannot share about themselves online and why. Explain why it may be dangerous for them to tell other players things like their real name, their location, where or when they were born, or anything else that can be directly traced to them. It’s also helpful to let them know that companies shouldn’t collect personal information from them, like their email, without getting your permission first. You can tell that a product or service is handling personal information responsibly by looking for the ESRB Privacy Certified seals. They certify that a video game or toy-related product or service complies online privacy laws and best practices.  That being said, when registering for a new game or device, you want to ensure that your child’s birthdate is accurate or else important default protection measures may be overridden by mistake.
• Create a welcoming environment for your kids to talk to you about their concerns. Crucially, kids need to know that they will never get in trouble for something someone else does, so they can always go to you if they’re uncomfortable about anything they experience (be it online or in person).

One of the best ways to stay on top of your kids’ online safety is to regularly talk about what they’re playing, why they love it, and with whom they play. Approaching video games from a judgement-free perspective will help you better understand what your kids get out of video games, and what you can do to make sure they’re having a great time while staying safe.