Minecraft is one of the most popular children’s game in the world. However, it looks like things aren’t looking very good for them. The UK police has extended warning to parents asking them to monitor the game closely after a 14-year-old kid was murdered in Surrey by an 18-year-old he had befriended online.
The two had come in contact on the platform for Minecraft, but then something went terribly wrong when Breck was murdered by Lewis in a manner that the police believe was sadistically and sexually motivated.
There are increasingly a large number of games, which come with terms and condition that specifies that children have to be over the age of 13-years before they can start playing the game. US privacy legislation specifies that parents under the age of 13-years cannot access the data within the game unless their parents sign a permission form that enables them to do so.
While it is a violation if children under 13-years play the game in UK, it is not illegal and given the fact that Minecraft goes a long way in helping build the minds of children and is a very old game, parents do not have an issue when their children play the game during their free time.
It has been informed by the police, that there is a possibility of the children joining chat groups that are related to Minecraft, where they do not know the real identity of the those chatting in those forums. While the police haven’t mentioned anything about Minecraft, they have asked the parents to strictly monitor the chat-rooms that their kids might be accessing.
Exeter Express and Echo has reported that there is no issue in the content of Minecraft that might make it unfit for the children who are under-13. It is often described to be like a virtual game of Lego and helps the players explore the world around them and build their own landscape and buildings with the use of materials that they get within the game.
Now with a child being murdered with regard to Minecraft, parents have been asked to monitor the young children. If they want to set up an account, the parents should know their email ID as well as be aware of their passwords. They should also check on what setting they have applied to their game, whether they are playing on multiplayer or playing on single player setting.
Single player setting is the safest and is most suitable for young players. However, if a child wants to opt for a multiplayer option that enables them to join other players in a single world, parents need to monitor that.
They can even create a private server for the game that will only allow known people to join the game. This makes sure that the language and the behavior within the groups are strictly monitored. There are multiple sites that will provide server details for Minecraft.
The parents have also been asked to educate their children and draw their attention to the nasty things that can happen if they aren’t careful. Ask the kids to be open about their gaming habit and discuss things with them so that they can come ahead and inform before things get out of hand.
Minecraft isn’t anything like the other violent games that are available in the market. Microsoft is a very responsible company and develops games that strictly help the children to develop.