Now that you've unwrapped your kid's brand new Wii, Xbox, or PlayStation, there are several things you should know about keeping the tyke safe. The best advice is that you should participate in their gaming activities. There's no substitute for the watchful eye of a parent, someone who knows the different safety and content issues of gaming and can explain how to handle them as they come up. Just like physical games (you know, sports), video games can be fun and rewarding—as long as children play them in a safe arena.

The right content makes for a positive gaming experience. Many parents allow their children to have only games with a certain rating, such as "E" or lower, but it's also sensible to understand why a game carries a particular rating. Study these ratings so you'll know whether a game is age-appropriate.

In addition to the ratings, 30 content descriptors—such as alcohol references, violence, sexual themes, and even simulated gambling—provide further context for your decisions. Some content may be fine with you, even if it causes a game's rating to bump up a level.

The ESRB provides a full explanation of its ratings and descriptors.

  •Early Childhood ("EC"): Ages 3 and older
  •Everyone ("E"): Ages 6 and older
  •Everyone 10 Plus ("E10+"): Ages 10 and older
  •Teen ("T"): Ages 13 and older
  •Mature ("M"): Ages 17 and older
  •Adults Only (Adults Only): Ages 18 and older only

The Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, Sony PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable (PSP) all offer parental controls you can use to set restrictions on factors such as game type or interactions with other players. Below are some settings to consider.