The Pokémon Go game exposes children to certain risks. The British Child Protection Association issues recommendations for the youngest.
On Pokémon Go, we wrote almost everything. The game is sometimes dangerous, accused of modifying the perception of reality and causing accidents in reckless players. Other times, we are delighted with his arrival because the gamers go out, walk and take the air to hunt the animal.
But we haven’t said everything yet. This time it’s the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC), the UK’s largest child welfare charity, who is speaking out on this hugely successful app for kids. as with the grown-ups.
“The Pokémon Go game is good news for parents who dream of seeing their children take to the air. On condition, however, to take some precautions, ”she warns. In fact, Pokémon Go exposes children to specific risks – bad encounters, misguidance, aggression, addiction …
Set geographic limits
It is therefore necessary to set limits – geographically, to begin with. “If a child is going to find a few Pokémon near his home, he will probably have to travel a few more kilometers to find others … It is therefore recommended to tell him how far he can move away from home.”
In addition, the concept of private property must be reminded to him, so that the child does not find himself in a situation of illegality. Indeed, “the Pokémons can appear in private places where it is not allowed to enter”, recalls the association.
Avoid bad encounters
“The game can bring together several players around the places where the Pokémons are ” present ”, underlines the NSPCC. The child Pokémon hunter can thus have bad encounters, in particular with adults, on which the association calls out. “Also watch out for the theft of laptops in places where the Pokémon are found.”
Moreover, “in a country in a state of emergency, like France, gatherings in certain sensitive areas can also be discouraged”, suggests the association, which recalls that France has banned the tracking of Pokémon in the Luxembourg gardens. . Finally, in unfamiliar places, she recommends not to let children play alone, but to “hunt” with family or friends.
Take care of your environment … and your battery
Like his adult counterpart, the child tracker is absent-minded by nature. “All absorbed in his game, he can forget to pay attention to his environment. He must therefore be reminded of the importance of concentrating near roads and in general when walking on rough terrain ”.
Finally, the association recalls how much the game consumes battery. “There is therefore a risk that the phone will run out quickly and that it will no longer allow the child to reach his parents. The NSPCC stresses the importance of alerting children to this problem and possibly providing them with portable batteries ”.
At what age ?
As for the age limit below which the practice of Pokémon Go would be discouraged, the NSPCC does not comment. She “suggests to parents to bring their children with an adult or an older child if they seem too young to understand certain risks”.
To conclude, “parents must be careful that the game does not become too time-consuming, that it does not have a disproportionate impact on the practice of other activities of the day, or on the sleep of the child”.
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