Beyond the Rating: Understanding Modern Game Systems | S.18 Ep. 2

While many parents rely on ESRB ratings to judge a game's safety, these ratings primarily evaluate visual content rather than the underlying systems that drive spending and social interaction. By understanding how modern games function as digital marketplaces and social networks, parents can move from reacting with uncertainty to providing proactive guidance for their children.

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Mackenzie DeJong Schelling: 0:10

Welcome back to the Science of Parenting podcast, where we connect you with research based information that fits your family. I am Mackenzie DeJong Schelling, our podcast co-host, and I'm a parenting educator. In our last episode, we explored how modern games have changed and those changes really affecting families. Today, we are continuing that conversation by taking a closer look at micro-transactions and how the information gap that often leaves parents unaware of how these systems really work. We welcome back Syoun Park. Soyoung, Thank you for being here with us again today. Just for our listeners, maybe if they're just jumping in on this episode, can you tell them a little bit more about yourself again?

Soyoung Park: 0:57

Yeah. I'm Soyoung Park, I'm a graduate student in human development and family studies at Iowa State University studying about the digital literacy, game culture and its influence on family relationships and well-being.

Mackenzie DeJong Schelling: 1:12

So lately I -- we're going to just jump right in. These are mini series. So we're going to just jump right in. Lately I have been hearing from parents who are surprised by how much money their kids are spending in games. That's kind of what we're focused on today. It usually starts with those small, frequent purchases. Some dollars here and there until really they get that monthly statement there. You know, they look at their credit card bill or their bank account and it looks nothing like what they expected. Many, they are saying that they don't realize how those in-game systems work. They feel frustrated by how confusing it all is. It's just really adding up. So, Soyoung. What? What the heck is going on? Why is spending in games so easy and yet for families, it is so hard to manage?

Soyoung Park: 2:01

Yep. These days we feel that the monetization system in modern games has become really complicated. So if we go back to earlier generation, buying a game was, usually very simple. Like you bought a game console or a cartridge, one time purchase package. And that's it. It might have felt, expensive at the time, but it was very clear and predictable. However, today's the system works very differently. Modern games. Free to download. And this sounds very harmless or even generous. And I remember reading that, today's game monetization systems is often compared to an amusement park. You can enter for free. And, but once you are inside, almost everything requires extra payment. And that description captures the current game monetization systems very well. Once the child is, inside the game, they enter an environment filled with small spending opportunities, $1 to $5 to here and $10 there. So, for example, they may need to buy a battle pass or a special skin or limited item, limited time item that disappears tomorrow. Each purchase is feels small. It doesn't feel like a big decision. But over time, those small payments start to add up. And that's where a new kind of a financial conflict between parents and children begins.

Mackenzie DeJong Schelling: 3:54

I really love that idea of the amusement park comparison. Right? It’s like you walk in, to -- walk in and there’s no gate fee, but you pay for the rides, you pay for the games, you pay for the cotton candy. Right? All those things. And I can see why parents feel shocked when it really adds up. I will say, what I've gathered from you so far is that it sounds like maybe it's not just necessarily that money per se, but it's that parents are understanding how the system is structured. Like in the first place of how that all comes up. And that's maybe what's causing problems. So is there any way that parents can start to recognize those risks in advance before kids jump into games? Maybe things to look for before. Like I said, those children start playing those games.

Soyoung Park: 4:47

Yes. Honestly, right now there is isn't, clear system to fully explain those risks to parents in advance. And many parents genuinely believe they've done their homework. They check the age ratings. They look at the ESRB ratings, the Entertainment Software Rating Board, which is to give video games their age ratings similar to how movies are rated. So, for example, when, you see lable in the game, it's there is an E, which is for everyone, T is for teen, and M is for mature. They check for language, violence or sexual content.

Mackenzie DeJong Schelling: 5:39

I've definitely seen those. I've played a number of different video games, and I know that they're usually printed like on the front or the back, or even like in your game platform. It's right there virtually for you. It's black and white in your face. And I guess that I always assumed that that was the best way to decide which games would be appropriate to buy.

Soyoung Park: 6:04

Yeah. Most rating systems, including ESRB, were designed to evaluate content what you see on the screen, but not how the game actually works. They don't tell parents how much time a game may take. How strong it encourages spending or hard time it can be to stop once play begins. So generally when parents don't know much about how the game works, they often look at the graphic and think, this game looks kid friendly and the name of the game sounds harmless and the rating says E. It is for everyone. So the contents may even appeal creative or educational, and the visuals may look very simple and safe, but underneath, the system follows rules that parents were never clearly told about.

Mackenzie DeJong Schelling: 7:05

And that's really eye opening. Like I said, I just assume that checking the rating was enough, but that, you know, if it says E for everyone, I feel a little reassured. And we we often don't have time. Many of us don't have time to really dig in to every detail. We trust that, we watch a preview. We look at that rating, we figure, oh yeah, we're good to go, but can you give us an example of a game that maybe looks that way? That looks simple, but might, work like very differently underneath?

Soyoung Park: 7:35

Yes. A really great example is a Roblox, to many parents, Roblox, looks like a cute, Lego style creative game because the characters are blocky and the colors are bright. It feels, playful and safe. And on the surface, it's a game where kids can build, explore, and be creative. It can be. It can also be, used in positive ways, including in education. However, behind that simple appearance, Roblox is much bigger than it looks. It's not just a game, it's a platform.

Soyoung Park: 8:20

There are many servers that users can join. So simply inside of Roblox, there are several key features. First, economic activities where children can buy and sell virtual items. And second, user generated content. Meaning anyone can create games on the, platform. And third, social interaction, including chat features and multiple players play together. And all of this happens at the same time. So for children, it may feel like a just a fun game, but for parents, it's not clear that Roblox It's more like a digital marketplace and a social network combined, not just a single game.

Mackenzie DeJong Schelling: 9:12

Yeah, it's it's so much more. And that's really interesting. It definitely is more complicated than it looks, right?

Soyoung Park: 9:19

Yes. It's and this is where the limits of the rating system become clear. Again the ESRB rating may tell you about kind of general content, but it doesn't fully reflect things like in-game spending pressure and kind of all about open chat with strangers and item trading in virtual economies, or pressure to scam and manipulations. So these are, kind of system level features, and not just visible content.

Mackenzie DeJong Schelling: 10:01

There's so much more going on. And what I'm hearing is that it's clear that if parents are better understanding how that all works, that underneath side of things, if they're understanding those games their children are participating in, maybe that can help them to change how they're responding as children are playing those games.

Soyoung Park: 10:20

Absolutely. When parents don't really understand how the game system really works, they may react out of uncertainty. That's completely normal. But when parents say no without really understanding the games, it may weaken their authority. Since kids often know more than parents do, and that can quickly lead to frustration on both sides. So parents don't need to become, gaming experts, but they do need a basic understanding of how those games work and what kind of a risk may be included in games, and even a small amount of understanding can completely change the conversation at home with children. And that's really the goal. Not panic, not overreaction, but understanding.

Mackenzie DeJong Schelling: 11:21

I really like that. Yeah. We're not trying to panic. We're not overreacting. We're trying to understand. It's less overwhelming when you put it that way. We're not trying to ban everything. We're not trying to constantly fight, we’re just trying to understand what's what is really happening and responding in a smarter way, which is such an important shift. And with that shift, because these are mini episodes, we're actually going to wrap things up for now. I am looking forward to our next episode, which we are going to dive into those practical parental guidance pieces, how parents can communicate about and navigate those modern game, those modern games, with their children. Again, once we understand that system, we're not just reacting, we're guiding. Again, you know, at the Science of Parenting, we love guidance, right? So thank you again, Soyoung, for sharing all of your insights. I'm looking forward to further conversations with you and, listeners, we look forward to you all joining us next week as we tackle the ups and downs, the ins and outs, and the research and reality all around the science of parenting.

Anthony Santiago: 12:36

The Science of Parenting is a research based education program hosted by Mackenzie DeJong Schelling. Produced and edited by Brock Beirman, with contributions from Barbara Dunn Swanson, Dr. Connie Beecher, Haley Walker, and Morgan Newell. Send in questions and comments to parenting@estate.edu, and connect with us on Facebook. This program is brought to you by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.