Last Updated on January 25, 2024 by Gamesver Team and JC Franco
Despite its age, Minecraft is still growing in popularity at a tremendous rate. People of all ages love the game, especially children. What should you know if your child enjoys playing Minecraft or wants to start playing it? Should you be concerned? We will now go through the fifteen most important things that all parents should know about Minecraft if their children are playing it.
Minecraft is fun, simple, educational, and one of the best and safest games for children to play. There are not many things that parents need to be concerned about, but that doesn’t mean you can just relax with no concerns. Let’s examine the pros and cons for parents whose children play Minecraft.
Why Should Parents Be Happy With Minecraft?
There are many reasons for you as a parent to be happy if your children are playing Minecraft. There are many worse games that they could be playing. Here are some of the great things about your kids playing Minecraft.
1. Minecraft Has Three Game Modes To Fit Different Gaming Styles
Minecraft can keep your children entertained for hours at a time due to its three-game modes. Creative Mode allows almost unlimited building ability to unleash their creative side. Then there’s Survival Mode, in which they must survive in dangerous conditions. Lastly, there’s Adventure Mode, that’s perfect for puzzle-solving games. Each mode has benefits for your child.
2. Minecraft Is Educational
Between the three game modes, Minecraft has boundless possibilities for educational use. Teachers even use Minecraft in live lessons in classrooms, and Microsoft released Minecraft Education Edition to focus even more on this teaching opportunity. Educators over all phases use Minecraft to teach a wide range of subjects and topics in a fun and entertaining way that children can resonate with.
3. Minecraft Teaches Technology
Minecraft has its own built-in technology called Redstone. Redstone is a type of resource that can be mined and used to build incredible mechanical and electronic devices. Some players have even used Redstone to create things like working calculators and mini-computers in the world of Minecraft. The possibilities are nearly endless, which is valuable for any child to learn.
4. Minecraft Teaches Coding
There are various platforms that allow you to customize the way Minecraft works using coding or code block technology. This is an easy and fun way for your child to learn coding and computer programming. Children interested in computers or information technology will have fun with this and get to understand all the complicated nuances of computer programming.
5. Minecraft Is Comparatively Inexpensive
Minecraft is affordable compared to other games. Other popular games often sell at nearly double of what Minecraft will cost you. It’s even possible that your child could get Minecraft Education Edition for free if they are at a school that partners with Microsoft Education.
6. Minecraft Is Available On Numerous Platforms
Don’t have a PC? That’s no reason for your child not to play Minecraft. The game is available on a wide variety of platforms, including Windows, macOS, Linux, PlayStation, XBOX, Nintendo Switch, and even mobile devices like iPhone, Android, and iPad. Each platform has its own pros and cons, but the gameplay and advantages remain essentially the same regardless of which platform you choose.
7. Minecraft Can Be A Social Game
You can play Minecraft in single-player mode or multiplayer on a server or a LAN. This means that children can interact with others to help them socialize. Some children even make friends with children in other countries, which expands their worldview and gives them more of an understanding of different cultures and perspectives.
8. Minecraft Is Good For Autistic Children
Children with autism struggle with social cues, which can be detrimental if they play other games. This is not so much of a factor when it comes to Minecraft since it is a simple game without complicated social cues. It also allows them to unleash their brilliance and creativity in a safe environment, where others can be in awe of what they achieve without seeing them as “different.”
9. Minecraft Can Be A Good Way To Spend Family Time
Since Minecraft has a stable multiplayer platform, and it can be fun for people of all age groups, it could be an excellent way for parents to get involved with their children’s passions. Many families start playing Minecraft together, either on a server or a locally-hosted LAN game, where parents can connect and bond in a completely different way and even become part of their child’s fantasy world.
10. Minecraft Is An eSport
Many schools are adding Minecraft to their eSports programs. This is an excellent way for children that aren’t sporty types to start participating in something that could even become an eSports career in the future. Full competitions and international Minecraft tournaments are held annually, so don’t be fooled: Minecraft is a sport complete with coaches, team captains, and sponsorships.
Some Risks Of Minecraft That Parents Should Be Aware Of
As excellent as Minecraft is, there are always risks involved with any game, especially when multiplayer is concerned. Here are some of the potentially harmful things that parents should be aware of.
11. Minecraft Has An Age Restriction
Minecraft is extremely popular with kids, but it is crucial to note that it has a rating of E10, meaning that it is safe to play for everyone ten years of age or older. There is fantasy violence involved, which is the primary reason for this rating.
Though none of the “villains” of the game are humans or real creatures, and there’s no gore in standard Minecraft, Survival Mode requires you to occasionally kill monsters (“mobs”) or defeat the Ender Dragon using swords, axes, and bows.
12. Not All Minecraft Players Are Children
Due to the game’s popularity with kids, it’s easy for parents to assume that only kids will play the game. This is not the case. If your children play on multiplayer Minecraft servers, they will be exposed to chats containing foul language and other players who may or may not be who they say they are. Scammers and catfishers abound on these servers. Keep an eye on the chatbox.
13. Not All Servers Are Family Friendly
Most of the popular Minecraft servers have measures in place to try and protect the safety of players of all ages. But some servers (known as Anarchy servers) are outright free-for-alls where anything goes. Players on these servers could become violent, use foul language, outright scam your kids, and possibly worse. Look closely at the details of the servers that your kids like to play on.
14. Minecraft Has Micro-Transactions
Minecraft has an active modding community that sells its creations in online marketplaces. Many of these items can be purchased directly within the game itself or from a server-hosted market. This can be confusing for kids since there’s a lot of free content mixed in with the paid content. Ensure that your child cannot accidentally buy something online without your knowledge.
15. Minecraft Can Become An Obsession
This is true of all games, but Minecraft has a reputation as being addictive, and people obsess over it quickly. It can become a time thief, distracting children from their school work and extramural responsibilities. Kids who aren’t playing Minecraft start watching YouTube videos of other people playing Minecraft.
Children should be encouraged and guided to maintain balance in their lives. Access to Minecraft and YouTube platforms should be controlled so that it does not change from a healthy passion into a dangerous obsession.
In Closing
Minecraft is possibly one of the best games for children to play. It has none of the graphic violence that most other games are known for. The Minecraft players community, for the most part, is wholesome and safe. Be sure to keep the balance and show interest in your child’s passion for Minecraft; then, there is no reason for any parent to be concerned about their children playing Minecraft.
This article was co-authored by our team of in-house and freelance writers, and reviewed by our editors, who enjoy sharing their knowledge about their favorite games with others!
JC Franco
JC Franco serves as a New York-based editor for Gamesver. His interest for board games centers around chess, a pursuit he began in elementary school at the age of 9. Holding a Bachelor’s degree in Business from Mercyhurst University, JC brings a blend of business acumen and creative insight to his role. Beyond his editorial endeavors, he is a certified USPTA professional, imparting his knowledge in tennis to enthusiasts across the New York City Metropolitan area.