🛡️ Internet Safety for Kids · Lesson 6 of 7
Games, purchases and screen time
In-game purchases, loot boxes and when to stop.
Age ratings
In the US, games have ESRB ratings: E (Everyone), E10+, T (Teen), M (Mature 17+). Apps have ratings in the app store. Check the rating and the content descriptors together before downloading.
In-game purchases
Coins, gems, skins and battle passes cost real money, even if they look like play money. Ask before buying anything, and ask a parent to turn on “Ask to Buy” (Apple) or purchase approval (Google Play).
Loot boxes
A loot box is a surprise box you pay for without knowing what you will get. It works like gambling: the chance of a great prize keeps you paying. It is better to buy exactly what you want, or nothing.
When to stop
- Agree on game time before you start
- Use a timer — games are designed to make you want “just one more”
- No screens in the hour before bed
- Notice how you feel: angry, tired or headachy means it’s time for a break
Tip
💡 Family screen-time settings (Screen Time on iPhone, Family Link on Android) can set limits that everyone agreed on.
✏️ Practice: your turn
- Look up the ESRB rating of a game you play
- Check together that purchase approval is on
- Agree on daily game time and write it down
- Try one evening with no screens in the hour before bed
🧠 Quick quiz
Answer all 4 questions correctly to mark this lesson as done.
0 of 4 correct
All lessons in Internet Safety for Kids
- 🔑 1. A strong passwordHow to make a password that is hard to guess, and who may know it
- 🙊 2. What not to sharePersonal details, photos and location
- 🎣 3. Scams and suspicious linksFake prizes, urgent messages and strange links
- 👤 4. Strangers onlineWho is behind the screen, strange requests and meeting up
- 🫂 5. Cyberbullying and group chatsWhat to do when someone hurts you or a friend online
- 🎮 6. Games, purchases and screen timeIn-game purchases, loot boxes and when to stop
- 🗣️ 7. Telling a trusted adultWhy to tell, who to tell, and what to say