Loot Boxes Are Dangerous for Children, Says Schau Hin!
– 2 min read
According to the initiative "Schau Hin!", loot boxes are a danger to children. The media coaches recommend keeping an eye on what the child is playing and choosing and testing games together at the beginning.
The "Schau Hin!" initiative has addressed the issue of loot boxes. In their opinion, these are particularly dangerous for children because they cannot understand the "lottery principle" behind them. The media coaches therefore recommend that parents and carers keep an eye on what their child is playing and select and test the games together at the beginning.
"The individual purchases seem manageable at first glance, but over the course of the game they can add up to large sums," says Iren Schulz, media coach at "Schau Hin!". The conversion from real to virtual currency further obscures the actual expenditure, and young players lack the necessary experience in handling money to keep track. "Free games are particularly critical at first, but they ensure that without investment - for example in loot boxes - gameplay is hampered," she says. This increases the incentive to buy these "surprise boxes".
To prevent children from falling into the cost trap, parents should talk to them about it in advance. "New games should be played together as a family first, so that adults can get a feel for them," recommends the media coach. For children under the age of 12, parents should discourage games with loot boxes or disable in-app purchases on their devices. If older children want to spend their own pocket money on gaming apps and games, it is advisable to make the purchases together and keep the dialogue going. Over time, parents and children can set a limited budget that children can manage on their own, for example using payment cards.
"Schau Hin! Was Dein Kind mit Medien macht." (translated as follows: Have a look! What your child is doing with media.) is a joint initiative of the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, ARD and ZDF as well as AOK - Die Gesundheitskasse.
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