World of Warcraft Community Magazine Issue 13 | Page 56

ARTICLE

56 // World of Warcraft Community Magazine

W

PARENTING IN AN
ONLINE WORLD

By Leanne Dugan

ell the user

for gamers and for the children

to protect them and realistically

agreement says

in a generation of media galore

not to piss off the adult population

age 13, but do I

that is at their fingertips, whether

of the gaming community.

really want to let my child play an

you want them to see it or not.

MMORPG like World of Warcraft?

How do you do this? Rules. Your

All the stereotypes that the game

I’m a WoW mom: I’m a gamer

children need to respect you, and

has, that gaming in general has,

mom. I game, my husband games,

you have to enforce and set up the

they aren’t great. Let me list them

my children game, and this is

boundaries in their worlds. Don’t

for you: unhealthy eating habits,

reality in our day in age. You have to

hide them from the online world,

living in their parents basement

learn to cope, you have to learn to

they are going to find it whether you

until they are 40, poor health, lack of

adjust your parenting to deal with

want them to or not. I have been

exercise, obesity, addiction, loss of

the mass input of available media

frowned upon for letting my children

jobs and dropping out of school. I’m

that is thrown at your children. You

game at a young age, I always snap

here to advocate, advocate for WoW,

have to KNOW what tools you have

back with the same remark, “My

The GameOn Magazine