No one is born with a digital mind. That’s why the Norwegian Media Authority is launching a computer game to help parents talk to their children about social media and video games.
The computer game “Stjernekolonien” will be launched at Øreåsen school in Moss on Wednesday afternoon.
The action of the game revolves around the challenges that Luna and Noah face in the digital world. The game is aimed at first and fourth graders, but both parents and children can see the various dilemmas Luna and Noah are facing, according to the Media Authority.
-One in three children receives their first mobile phone even before the age of eight. It is therefore important to talk to children about everyday digital life from an early age,” says Mari Velsand, director of the Norwegian Media Authority.
The game is the first of its kind, as it is a concrete tool that can help parents turn their children into media-conscious users, and can be a great help when the family agrees on rules for the use of social media and video games, according to the audit.
” The Space book” and “The Moon Sword”
Luna and Noah live in a digital world to be confused like ours, including the social media “Space book” and the computer game “The Moon Sword”. Topics covered in the game include screen time, game spending, privacy, social media, and parents’ habits in digital media.
The idea is for children and adults together to tackle the situations Noah and Luna encounter, even if there is not always a fact.
Start soon
“The Norwegian Media Authority’s Survey for Parents 2020 shows that nine out of ten parents talk to their children about computer games and social media. That’s good, but we know that these conversations are often characterized by conflict and strong emotions. Therefore, it may be nice to lead the discussions through a game with characters to identify with. We hope that “The Star Colony” will create a space for reflection and learning, for young and old alike,” says Velsand.
The survey also shows that there is a difference between what parents know about their children’s digital media habits and what the children themselves report. Children start social media at an earlier age, have more open profiles, and buy more in games than their parents think.
“Our advice is to start conversations about digital life at a young age, so that children can develop a critical understanding of media and good digital judgment before the toughest dilemmas arise,” says Velsand.
© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today
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