Ensuring a safe gaming environment for kids on Among Us

Even though Among Us has been around since 2018, it exploded in popularity in late 2020. Every streamer played this game and collaborated with friends to rake in thousands of live viewers. These viewers ranged from underage kids to adults, driving more traffic towards Among Us. Many kids started playing this deduction game, and it raised questions among parents like “Is Among Us safe for kids?”

It is only natural for parents to get concerned about what their kids do on their electronic devices all day. Moreover, some aspects of Among Us are sketchy enough to raise concerns for any parent. So, let’s discuss whether or not you should allow your kid to be on this game all day.

Is Among Us safe for kids?

The elimination mechanics and unrestricted chat in Among Us doesn’t make it safe for kids. Don’t get me wrong, the animation in this game is pretty kid-friendly. However, that still doesn’t cover the fact that some players must eliminate others in a match. This aspect of the game can shift your kid towards being more violent. Moreover, it is scary to think that strangers can talk to your kid through the quick chat features. So, it is safe to assume you’ll have to monitor your kids when playing Among Us.

What is Among Us?

Among Us is a deduction and deception game that features up to 15 concurrent players in a match. Aside from the modded versions, players within a match are divided into crewmembers and impostors. The purpose of the crewmembers is to fix their spaceship for departure while the impostors try to sabotage and eliminate them. Depending on the number of players in each match, you’ll have one or two impostors.

To win the match, impostors must either eliminate all crewmembers or sabotage the spaceship until departure. Conversely, crewmembers can win by voting out the impostors or fixing the spaceship before the impostors eliminate all crewmembers.

It can be a pretty fun experience to have with your friends. However, if your kid is playing with strangers, it can be equally as alarming.

Is Among Us Violent?

Yes, Among Us is violent as the impostors have to chase the crewmembers and eliminate them in secluded spots. Now, some people do claim that the elimination animations are pretty funny and kid-friendly. However, that doesn’t mitigate the fact that you will still have to eliminate other players as an impostor.

Some instances of violence in Among Us underscore avatars getting murdered with a knife or a gun. So, it is best to keep your kid away from this game if they have anger issues. The violence will only grow as the game becomes more competitive. Moreover, you won’t be able to keep your kid away from this game once they become addicted.

What is the age limit for Among Us?

The minimum age limit for Among Us is ten years old. However, you shouldn’t let your kids near this game until they are 13. Kids ages 13 to 15 should be monitored how they spend time on this game. There is no point in giving in to the pressure and letting your kid play just because they keep nagging you for it. As a parent, it is your responsibility to divert their focus towards other activities.

Does Among Us have in-app purchases?

Yes, there are in-app purchases in this game. Your kid can spend your money on this game to get cosmetic upgrades like new hats, skins, and accessories. Even though these upgrades do not impact the gameplay, kids are often tempted to enhance visuals for their avatars. So, you can expect your kid to demand a few things within Among Us if they’re addicted.

Other than that, Among Us is totally free. If you don’t want to spend money, just let your kid play with the default character. They will still be able to enjoy the same deduction and deception experience. The only downside is that they must view a few ads between their gaming sessions.

Can other users access my kids’ personal information?

Now, the most alarming thing about Among Us is the quick chat feature at the end of each round. You can chat freely with other players, whether you’re an impostor or a crewmate. Even if your kid is pretty social, chances are slim that they have 15 friends online to play the game every time. So, it is safe to assume some strangers will be in your kids’ games.

These strangers can also use the quick chat features to get your kids’ personal information. Even the predators online know that kids are easy to target, and they are pretty much crazy about this game. So, they will join random lobbies and try to extract data from random kids. It doesn’t take an expert to trick a kid. Moreover, if your kid is young, they’ll be less suspicious and won’t hesitate to share their details with a stranger online.

How to make Among Us safe for kids?

After going through the alarming aspects of Among Us, many parents ask how to make this game safe for kids. I mean, no one wants to let their kid feel down or miss out on a chance to collaborate with their friends. So, if you wish to let your kid enjoy this game, you’ll have to enable a few safety features. These features will at least kid-proof the game for your child and give you some peace of mind.

Are there any safety features in the Among Us?

The good thing about Among Us is that you’ll be able to access several parental control features through its web portal. This game takes child safetyy very seriously. All child accounts must first link their guardian’s email with the account to fully access the game.

Once your email is linked to your child’s account, you can access the Innersloth Parent Portal.

Here are some of the safety features.

• Free text chat: Allowing this permission will allow your kid to interact with anonymous players in the quick chat. Moreover, they will be able to play in random lobbies and talk to anyone they like.
• Custom display name: Your child can change their display name when this permission is allowed. Obviously, you don’t want your kid to play the game using their real name. So, keeping this feature off will ensure that they don’t change their game name to their real name.
• Account linking: This feature allows the child to connect their account to other devices under the same name. So, if your kid has a habit of switching between devices during their gaming sessions, consider allowing this feature.
• Friend List: Lastly, the friend list restrictions won’t let your kid add any random guy or girl to their game. Even if you allow your kid to play with strangers, it is more dangerous to let these strangers become friends with your kid.

These are some ways you can keep your kid safe in Among Us. The only key point is linking your email with the child’s account. From there, you’ll control how your kid plays in this game.

Tips for keeping kids safe while playing video games

Now, you might think that your job is done as a parent! However, here are some tips for keeping kids safe while playing different video games.

1. Educate your kid about online stranger danger: You must tell your kids that even seemingly harmless text or audio communication with strangers can be dangerous. Just talk to your kid daily about how their games went and who they played with.
2. Activate parental control: Several online games now offer parental controls to keep your kids safe. So, make time to link your personal email with their gaming accounts. That way, you can turn off inappropriate content within the game remotely.
3. Use a random username: Don’t let your kid use their real names in online games. Moreover, tell them why hiding their personal information online is important. Strangers can use your kids’ data to arrange meetups or groom them inappropriately.
4. Monitor their friend list: You should make a habit of monitoring your kids’ accounts daily. Check their conversations and see if they added new friends.
5. Limit screen time: Limiting how much time your kid can spend playing online games can also keep them safe from addiction. Ideally, 3 hours are enough for most kids these days.
6. Only buy age-appropriate games: Before you just give in to the pressure and get your kid the game they wish to play, do your research! Make sure that the game you’re buying is age-appropriate and doesn’t have mature content.

Benefits of playing Among Us for kids

After I’ve said all these bad things about Among Us and its safety issues, you might think that it’s the worst thing for your kid. However, implementing all the necessary safety features can be a decent social experience for your kids. Here is how your kid can benefit from Among Us.

• Better social skills
• Improved deduction ability
• Enhanced problem-solving skills
• Improved reasoning and logic

Your kid will learn a lot from this game. Just don’t let them play outside of your supervision, and you’ll be in the green.

Bouns: FlashGet Kids-Best parental control app to keep kids safe

Keeping your kids safe online is next to impossible if you’re not using a decent parental control tool like FlashGet Kids. Several parents think they are invading their kid’s privacy with such tools. However, you can’t be further away from the truth. A parental control app is necessary to keep your kid away from online predators, cyberbullies, groomers, inappropriate content, and more.

Here is what you’ll get from FlashGet Kids to keep your kids safe.

• Screen mirroring: You’ll be able to see whatever is going on on your kids’ devices with a single tap. So, if they are playing a game, you can quickly check how they behave and if a stranger is in their lobby.
• Web filter and alerts: This feature prevents kids from accessing inappropriate online content. Moreover, you’ll get notification alerts whenever your kid attempts to search for such content.
• App blocker and time limits: You can remotely set limits to how much time your kid can spend playing different games. Usually, limiting the gaming sessions to a 2-hour daily timer is enough. That way, there are slim chances of your kids getting involved with a stranger.

These are just some of the features you’ll get from FlashGet Kids. This app offers so much more, like monitoring surroundings, location tracking, social app tracking, etc. So, you can rest easy once FlashGet Kids is installed and linked with your kids’ devices.

Conclusion

After going through everything above, you’ll be able to answer for yourself, “Is Among Us safe for kids? You don’t have to worry about anything as long as you monitor your child and regulate the safety features daily. So, set up your kids’ account through the parental portal, and you will be green.

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