Online gaming is not suitable for children under the age of 10.  In most cases online gaming enables the child to have access to possible predators through online chat whilst playing.  

When schools and parents can make their children aware of the risks of the internet at an age that is appropriate THAT is when children should be exposed to the internet and all the "wonders" it provides.

It depends on what game the child is playing. I grew up during the days of the nes and I played almost all the games on the system from mario to street fighter. Games are a lot different today than before. Games today can be comparable to movies or TV programs. Movies and TV programs are ok for kids but not all movies and TV shows are meant to be watched by kids (like for instance rated R movies and up). Games are now like the movies and TV shows. So, before you let your kids play videogames, you should know if it is for a kid or for an adult.

Yes I do think gaming is appropriate for children under the age of 10, however, they should be  more carefully screened for games that may influence them in negative ways. In general maybe an MA rated video game is not appropriate for an 8 year old, and maybe the obese kid should not be indoors all weekend playing video games either. Interestingly enough, lots of recent research has shown that even violent video games do not lead to violent behavior. Other studies show that children who do not play some video games are more socially awkward and may have more social problems. Still, discretion and context are important as each child is different from any other, even twins.

A child's extra curricular activity should depend on the maturity of the child and the venue in question. For example, my children began playing WOW with us before they were 10 but we were there with them. The guild was a family friendly guild and vent was also family friendly. Anyone who did not adhere to the family friendly rules were banned from vent or kicked from guild. So again the maturity of the child is paramount but also the venue and the parental involvement play a role.

I don't see anything wrong with a child under 10 playing online games that are appropriate for their age. I find the one game that is similar to WOW, but geared towards children is Wizard 101 - though its a game that adults can play too. As a parent, you can limit the amount of time a child is online and it would be up to the parent to decide how much is too much for their particular child. I don't agree that online games make a child obese. I agree that a parent who has no control can contribute to an obese child.

yes i agree.... causing games make the kids more sharp and active....there are many video games but i like need for speed,red line rumbles, monkey quest, and some action games like super bike nation or sewer run 2...... i enjoy alot when playing.... try them hope you will enjoy them......

No it is not suitable for children under 18. Perhaps you should make your child go outside and ride a bike, play kickball, climb a tree, use a swing, do pushups...

I would have to side with the ideals already set up by most public schools. If it is not considered appropriate for children to partake in during school (library, study time, ext..) then its probably not best for those children. There are many dangers to consider in any online gambling / or even a chat setting. Predators are everywhere; this is an unfortunate truth, so we as parents have to do the best that we can to protect them.

If your a parent and truly feel that it is okay for your young child to play these games, I suggest you have a detailed talk with them about the dangers of doing so. Not just about possibilities of online predators, but also of responsibilities with money and finances.

I don't believe that online gaming is suitable for children. This is because in online gaming community, there are unsuitable contents for children that they may encounter. For instance, the pornographic contents, violence, gambling, and other illegal activities. That is why it is always the responsibility of parents to monitor the activities of their children especially the games they play online.

There are a plethora of online games and sites that are perfectly suitable for young children. Obviously as a responsible parent, you will want to regulate where and what the child plays and how long they are allowed to play. I myself am not a big gamer, but my now adult children were and a couple of them still are. In fact one of my sons started playing when he was 3 and is now finishing college with aspirations of being a game developer. I my self have witnessed the increased eye hand coordination and quicker mental reaction times as a result of their gaming activities. Are there dangers to children and online gaming? Sure there are. But the world is filled with dangers. As parents it is out job to protect them, but by isolating them from the real dangers the world has only makes them less equipped to deal with those dangers once they are out from under our watchful eyes. There are a plethora of online games and sites that are perfectly suitable for young children. Obviously as a responsible parent, you will want to regulate where and what the child plays and how long they are allowed to play. I myself am not a big gamer, but my now adult children were and a couple of them still are. In fact one of my sons started playing when he was 3 and is now finishing college with aspirations of being a game developer. I my self have witnessed the increased eye hand coordination and quicker mental reaction times as a result of their gaming activities. Are there dangers to children and online gaming? Sure there are. But the world is filled with dangers. As parents it is out job to protect them, but by isolating them from the real dangers the world has only makes them less equipped to deal with those dangers once they are out from under our watchful eyes.

Definitely NO. Because they must focuse on their studies. They must put it first. Plus, it's a distraction.

nope childrens should not allowed to paly online games untill they get mature after the age on 18 years they can play.if they start playing online games they will be spoiled and they wont concentrate on their studies so avoid childrens playing games online.

Some games are useful - children need to learn to read and count to level up. Kids can learn in other ways too. When my son wanted a puppy I insisted he take care of a virtual pet 1st. Poor little thing starved several time and my son decided that "sharing" the family dog was much better than taking care of a pet by himself

It really depends what game the child is playing.  I grew up in the days before the online gaming became major.  Not every game is meant for kids.  As long as they are doing well in school with their studies, then they can play but only games that are meant for that age group.

Online game playing may not much suitable to kids. because even now a day 3D oriented games are developing. So more number of children may addict to games and nelect the studies. But also depends on the game played by the child.

More important thing is that be aware of the child what he browses on the net

I think the bigger problem is the amount of time we allow children to participate in the online games. Too often parents are allowing TV and computers to act as babysitters and time occupiers. 

In my opinion, online games are completely acceptable for children provided the right measures are taken by the parents. Parent need to educate their children about appropriate computer usage, what to be aware of, what to be cautious of and they need to see the games and the sites their kids are using. 

Most importantly, parents need to set a time limit for how long they can spend on the computer. Integrating active play with non-active will create a healthy balance. Children need activity and creativity to help them thrive. I see no problem with promoting online games as long as the parents are sensible about how their children use them.

Yes I have been playing games online since before 10, you'll be suprised how much kids know, they might even know more then you about certain things. Make sure there is no sex or anything else you don't want them to see but for violence... I believe you should let them play games with it, same with swearing as they will hear the words and see violence happen no matter how hard you try to sheild them.

No, it is not suitable with children ages below ten. One thing is that, there are online games that have brutalities and children ages below ten could immitate what they were playing thinking that it was good for them. So I don't advice you to engage your child through online games. Not if the games is for learning.