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[#1]

Whether it’s in print, radio, TV or video game form, kids today are constantly bombarded by media content everywhere they go.   This fact may often leave many parents feeling lost and bewildered, as they know they cannot always be present to protect their children from questionable content or material.  Thankfully, however, technology has advanced to the point where parents do have a number of options that can be used to limit their children’s entertainment choices within their own home.

One such option is using video game parental controls.  All three of this generation’s major consoles (PS3, Wii & Xbox 360) feature some kind of family settings that can effectively prevent kids from playing games that contain questionable content or are not age appropriate.  How these settings are configured does vary from console to console, but step-by-step instructions for each console can be found using the links I’ve provided below:

•    PS3
•    Wii
•    Xbox 360

Additionally, all three of these consoles have options to restrict web browsing, access to news channels, allowable game ratings and various other features.  The PS3 and Xbox 360 also have the option to limit playable Blu-ray or DVD movies by their Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) film ratings.

Remember though that these parental controls are NOT automatically set straight out of the box!  As such, it’s always recommended that parents be present when a new video game console is hooked up to help choose the settings they feel are appropriate for their children

[#2]

Its also a good idea to hide the instruction manuals as they describe how to override the parental controls