The new Minecraft game helping kids stay safe online for Safer Internet Day

“Players will learn to navigate through common situations and emotions encountered online“

When it comes to our children and the online world, it can be daunting for parents to navigate how best to keep their kids safe.

Safer Internet Day is on February 6, 2024 and is an annual campaign designed to raise awareness for a safer and better internet for all – especially kids and young adults.

This year for Safer Internet Day, we are all encouraged to take three simple actions when approaching online safety: Connect. Reflect. Protect.

• Connect safely by keeping apps and devices secure and reviewing your privacy settings regularly. 

• Reflect on how your actions online may affect others or your safety. 

• Protect yourself and others by visiting eSafety.gov.au to find out how to stay safe online and report online abuse.

Ahead of Safer Internet Day, Minecraft Education has created a new addition to the CyberSafe collection of immersive Minecraft worlds designed to help young people stay safe, happy, and thriving online.  

Through unique scenarios and challenges, CyberSafe: Good Game is a one-hour story-based adventure that helps players understand the responsibilities, tools, responses, and strategies that enable healthy online interactions, collaboration, and rewarding digital experiences.

Players will learn to navigate through common situations and emotions encountered online – and of course, keep the fun in gaming.

“Good Game is the latest learning adventure in the CyberSafe series where players are given the tools to be agents on their safety journey. In a world that deeply needs more collaboration and dialogue, what could be more important than sparking a cultural shift to foster healthy and respectful communities,” says Carlos Figueiredo, Director of Player Safety on Minecraft.

Research shows the role that parents and educators can take to help young people navigate the online world. Microsoft’s annual Global Online Safety Survey found that 87 percent of children surveyed reported talking to their parent about an online risk.

That means young people often trust their parents for support on these issues, and speaking with parents, caregivers or trusted adults is an important part of creating safer online habits.  

These conversations aren’t always easy, but there are some powerful strategies parents can keep in mind. A report from the National Institute of Standards and Technology shares some key findings.

Three ways parents can keep their kids safe online

Start the conversation early. 

Discussions about digital citizenship can start as soon as young people begin using technology. By the time they’re in elementary school, children often already know about security, privacy, and online risks, and they’re eager to learn how to stay safe.  

Talk it out to help young people navigate online spaces. 

Parents might hesitate to bring up online privacy and security because they don’t feel like they know enough. But when children talk to their parents, they become more knowledgeable, even if the conversations aren’t highly technical – just topics like online activities and making good choices.  

Understand how young people see the digital world. 

Children tend to see online privacy and security as within their control, and they understand that different risks come with different situations. On the other hand, parents tend to see most online activities as risky, so they often enforce restrictions instead of discussing positive behaviors and outcomes. 

Minecraft Education users can find CyberSafe: Good Game in the in-game lesson library. The world is also available for free for Minecraft Bedrock players in the Minecraft Marketplace. 

If you’re looking for more resources and tips for family gaming, visit xbox.com/family. You can learn more about what Xbox offers for families, including information about privacy and access to privacy tools, the Xbox Family Settings app, and our Community Standards.

Finally, explore the Family Online Safety Toolkit to find further guidance and support for safe, fun, and healthy digital communities.