Experts have warned about the growing behavioral, psychological, and financial risks associated with online gaming among children, including addiction, exposure to strangers, and uncontrolled in-game spending.
Charuka Damunupola, Senior Information Security Engineer at the Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Readiness Team, said the rise of online gaming has significantly changed how children interact with games, particularly through real-time communication with unknown players from around the world.
Unlike traditional offline games, many modern online platforms allow live interaction with global users, creating virtual environments where children may spend extended periods of time.
According to Damunupola, some children gradually begin seeking emotional support from strangers they meet online and may start sharing personal information and private problems.
He warned that such interactions could expose children to serious risks, including the sharing of sensitive personal data and private images with unknown individuals.
Damunupola also highlighted concerns regarding gambling-like mechanics increasingly used in modern games, including paid in-game purchases and reward systems designed to encourage continued spending.
He stated that parents have complained of children using credit cards to spend between Rs. 400,000 and Rs. 500,000 on games without supervision.
The expert further noted that some parents have reported behavioral changes in children — including aggression and emotional distress — when access to gaming platforms is restricted.
He pointed to PEGI as one of the international systems that provides age ratings and content warnings for games, including indicators related to gambling, fear, discrimination, drugs, sexual content, and offensive language.
According to Damunupola, regulating online gaming remains difficult because most platforms operate globally and digitally. Instead, he suggested practical measures such as parental controls, screen-time management, and closer monitoring of children’s online activity.
The issue has received renewed public attention following the recent death of a 16-year-old student in Kurunegala, which sparked wider discussions about smartphone use and online gaming among children.
