There’s no shortage of benefits that games bring to players, from increased creativity to developing interpersonal skills to greater self-confidence. Yet, gaming popularity grows, so do the silent risks posed to children online. Fortunately, there is an organisation leading the fight against child abuse and developing safe game design guidelines. The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) is the UK’s leading children’s charity, protecting and advocating for youth in the UK and Channel Islands for 139 years. Joining host Peggy Anne Salz on the show this week is NSPCC’s Head of New Product Development and Innovation, Andy Sallnow, and Gaming and Digital Disruption Consult, Kevin Antao. Andy and Kevin discuss how children experience games differently, channels that pose the greatest threat to young users, and the Safe Games Festival. From February 5-11, 2024, at a state-of-the-art eSports venue and featuring live streaming, safeguarding workshops, and a fierce eSports competition, this festival joins parents, youth professionals, young gamers, and industry leaders to celebrate games and “promote safer gaming through design, production, and education.”

CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS
00:00 - Intro
03:25 - How has social gaming impacted children?
08:03 - Safe game design
14:06 - Research into harm in the metaverse
17:35 - Is privacy-first harmful for children?
20:26 - Game Safe Festival
24:08 - The Games Bundle
26:05 - How to get involved in preventing child abuse
29:10 - Impactful NSPCC partnerships and resources
34:26 - Favourite games Q&A with Andy and Kevin

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