Kids Want Video Games for the Holidays – and for Their Parents to Game With Them!

Did I check the game’s age rating and is it appropriate for my family?

The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) assigns age and content ratings for video games and mobile apps to help parents decide which are appropriate for their kids. According to research from ESRB conducted by Hart Research Associates, more than three in four parents regularly use ESRB ratings. Parents have the key information they need with ESRB’s three-part rating system, consisting of:

Age Rating categories that suggest a game’s age appropriateness. Age ratings include E for Everyone, E10+ for ages 10 and older, T for Teen, M for Mature for ages 17 and older or AO for Adults Only. Most video games have content that is appropriate for kids – of the ESRB ratings assigned to games in 2024, 89% were rated E, E10+ or T.

Content Descriptors highlight the content that may have influenced the assigned age rating. ESRB has more than 30 content descriptors to let parents know if a game includes language, suggestive themes, violence and more.

Interactive Elements provide upfront notice about interactive or online features but do not influence the rating assignment of a game. This includes user-to-user communication or whether players can spend money inside the game.

ESRB rating information is located on the front and back of all video game boxes and on product detail pages before purchase or download on digital storefronts. Parents can also look up rating information by conducting a search using a game’s title on ESRB.org and the ESRB mobile app. Search results include Rating Summaries that provide more detailed information about the content of a game and the context in which it is experienced by the player (rating summaries are only available for physical games sold in stores).

Have I set up parental controls on my game device?

Four in five parents of kids ages 5-9 use parental controls on some or all of the devices their kids use to play games, and 92% require their kids to get approval before making in-game purchases. Tools exist on virtually all game devices to help parents, caregivers, and players easily and efficiently manage the gameplay experience.

Parental controls can:

• Filter games by age rating
• Manage time spent playing games
• Control – or prevent – spending 
• Limit – or block – communication with other players
• Use PIN and password settings to prevent unwanted changes
• Provide parents with regular playtime reports

Have I had a conversation with my child(ren) about playing online with other people?

A growing number of games allow players to interact with others online, which can be a fun way to stay in touch with friends and family who live further away. Families should decide if this is allowed in their household and, if not, buy single-player games or use parental controls to limit or block interactions with other players. 

If children are allowed to interact with others online, discuss appropriate behavior, like treating other players kindly and respectfully, and have conversations with children about interacting with strangers so they know what to do if they encounter inappropriate behaviors online. Remember: kids can always mute, block and report a player and, if they’re unsure about someone’s actions, they can talk to a trusted adult for advice. Kids should never move a conversation with someone they meet on a game platform to another chat service.

To learn more about facilitating conversations around video games in your home, visit ParentalTools.org and follow the ESRB blog. Steps the video game industry is taking to help protect its player community can be found on the ESA website.

“Start a conversation with your kids about how to play responsibly,” said Alanna Powers, Research and Program Specialist, Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI). “You can check out FOSI’s Unlocking Video Games resource and Safer Gaming Guide for tips on how to initiate this conversation. I encourage parents to play games with their children to learn about their interests. When parents give their child a video game related gift for the holidays, they may also be giving the gift of family bonding. Check out our FOSI Holiday Gift Guide: Tech Edition for more tips on digital parenting during the holidays.”