➟ Some games are installed on your cell phone; others
require game consoles. Some games cross multiple
device environments.➟ You aren’t likely to break anything. For some reason,
many adults are very hesitant about playing games on
dedicated gaming devices, because they seem to think
they’re going to break something. In reality, gaming
devices are sturdy and in a legitimate game you aren’t
going to get you into trouble, so press all the buttons,
move all the levers, and try all the features — Worst
case? You lose the game.➟ You can find a broad range of online games, from
simple games you play against the service (such as
Solitaire, shown in Figure 10-1) to two-person games
such as chess and checkers that you play with a friend
or against the service, to highly interactive games that
you can play with thousands of people at a time in
enormous fantasy worlds. (See Figure 10-2.)➟ A 2008 study by NPD Group notes that 72 percent of
Americans have played online games. Contrary to
popular belief, the average player of casual games isn’t
a teen — it’s the teen’s mother or grandmother. 71
percent of survey respondents were 40 years or older,
76 percent of them female.You can find much more information about gaming
and kids on our Web site, http://www.ilookbothways.
com, if you want to help your grandchildren stay safer
when gaming online.194
Part II: Using the Internet While Dodging the Risk