Dr. Ana Aznar
Question:
Is it safe to let my son play Minecraft? He’s 5 but I know you can hit things in Minecraft and I don’t want him to get violent at home.
Dr. Ana’s Answer:
Considering the guidelines of different organizations, your 5 year old is too young to play Minecraft. The ESRB indicates that Minecraft is suitable for children 10 years old and up. Common Sense Media recommends it for kids aged 8 and up. The European Games age rating system (PEGI) indicates that it is suited for children 7 and up.
Minecraft is not a single player game but a huge creative platform where kids build whatever they can imagine with digital blocks. It has three play modes: Creative, Survival, and Adventure. The creative mode is the safest for younger kids. You can choose what’s appropriate for your child’s age and maturity level.
Something important that you should be aware of is that your child can play Minecraft on their own, with friends, or with strangers. You can control who your child is allowed to play with through the ‘child account’ all children under 16 are required to have.
In relation to the violent content that you mention, there is an element of violence in Minecraft because combat is part of the game. Players can kill others using weapons. However, there is no blood involved, and players cannot die permanently. You are right to worry about your child playing violent video games. However, be aware that even though studies seem to indicate that kids who play more violent video games are more aggressive, this effect tends to be very small. And we are not sure, if more violent children are drawn to play violent video games or if it is the violent video games that make children aggressive. So, yes, be mindful of the content of the video games but also be mindful that playing a video game is not likely to make your child get violent.
I hope this information helps.
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I wish you and your little one all the very best.
Love,
Ana
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