Not all fun and games: Amid tech advancements, experts share how children can be kept safe – Mid-day
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Updated on: 28 September,2025 09:16 AM IST  |  Mumbai
Nasrin Modak Siddiqi
Behind the bright screens of games and AI chat lurk predators and addictive traps. Experts share how parents can protect children from these pitfalls
When children interact with AI or chatbots, they are often exposed to adult content that can harm their still-developing emotional, social, and cognitive skills. REPRESENTATIONAL PIC/ISTOCK
It began as a game of make-believe. Two children, aged 10 and 12, were chatting with their favourite characters from the Harry Potter universe — or so their parents thought. What unfolded, however, was far from playful. Hidden in those exchanges were adult themes and explicit conversations that no child should have to navigate.
The line between fantasy and danger had blurred in a way the children’s parents had never imagined possible, transforming beloved fictional characters into a gateway to inappropriate exposure. On condition of anonymity, they shared with Sunday mid-day how the incident was a sobering reminder that while AI chat platforms are rapidly becoming part of children’s digital playgrounds, the risks they carry are often invisible. “What seemed like harmless fun quickly turned into a space that chipped away at trust, imagination, and safety,” they said.
Manish Mimani
Child psychologist and parenting counsellor Riddhi Doshi warns that when children interact with AI or chatbots, they are often exposed to adult content that can harm their still-developing emotional, social, and cognitive skills. This premature exposure may take the form of harmful behaviours, sexualisation, desensitisation, emotional confusion, or aggression. Doshi cites a recent case where a chatbot told a child it was acceptable to kill a parent, underscoring the dangerous influence of unchecked AI interactions.
“A major risk for children engaging with AI chat platforms that mimic popular characters is the “illusion of trust”— kids naturally let their guard down with familiar figures. “Such platforms, if unregulated, can become conduits for data misuse, grooming attempts, or exposure to harmful content under the guise of entertainment,” says Manish Mimani, Founder CEO of Protectt.ai Labs Pvt Ltd.
According to Mimani, many AI chat platforms rely on keyword detection, which fails to capture context. This allows grooming, manipulation, or subtle inappropriate suggestions to bypass safeguards. With AI chat platforms rapidly entering children’s digital lives, safety cannot be left to chance, and Mimani says the role of governments, schools, and tech companies is critical. Transparency for parents, he believes, must move from optional to mandatory.
Ashish Javeri, parent
“Governments must establish clear regulations and enforce accountability for platforms; tech companies have to build child-first platforms with safety controls, advanced moderation, and parental visibility,” Mimani adds. “Awareness initiatives should also teach children safe AI habits — how to question digital interactions, recognise red flags, and protect their personal information. Schools must integrate digital literacy and safe AI usage into curricula,” he says.
Thane resident Ashish Javeri, once an avid gamer himself, now watches his 12-year-old immersed in a world that looks nothing like the one he knew. “Back then, games were simpler,” he says. “Mostly offline, with limited online play and hardly any chat. Today, nearly everything is connected — multiplayer modes, live chats, voice calls, even social media tie-ins. Players form global communities, streaming, competing in esports, and befriending strangers they may never meet in real life.”
The evolution has its upsides — creativity, collaboration, and friendships that cross borders. But Javeri knows it comes with shadows too. From predatory strangers to cyberbullying, and financial traps like loot boxes, the risks are many. He tries to strike a balance: his daughter is encouraged to play only with known friends, report abuse, and keep personal details private. “We set time limits, stay involved in game choices, and use Google’s Family Link to block what isn’t appropriate,” he explains.
Juhu-based artist Tanvi Desai Thakkar has drawn sharper boundaries. Her daughter, almost 11, started with Minecraft but has since moved on to Roblox. “All the kids want to connect after school, and since many don’t have phones, they use Roblox chat as their version of WhatsApp,” she says. But after reading about predators targeting children through the game, Thakkar and her circle of parents collectively banned in-game chatting. “Even on ‘safe’ servers, accounts can be hacked and a stranger can easily pose as a school friend.”
For her daughter, the compromise is calling a cousin on FaceTime while playing — a safer way to stay connected. “We’ve also banned in-app purchases and skins, which often come with sexualised or mature content disguised as play,” says Thakkar. Many of her friends have extended these restrictions to other platforms too. “Filters on apps like Snapchat look like harmless anime effects, but many are hyper-sexualised. Being a girl mom makes me extra cautious, but honestly, parents of boys share the same worries.”
It’s not just about safety. Thakkar has noticed how reward-based games like Subway Surfer affect attention spans. “Every coin collected, every sound effect is a dopamine hit. When kids get used to instant gratification, patience for real-life tasks like homework wears thin. That’s why we’ve banned iPads on weekdays — they need to learn that real effort takes time.”
Now, as exams approach, Thakkar and her friends are debating whether to delete Roblox altogether. “We’re trying to do it collectively as parents, so no child feels singled out. It’s tough, but protecting young minds from unsafe, addictive patterns matters more.” Roblox has been banned in Turkey, Qatar, Kuwait, and Jordan over safety concerns.
Doshi warns that children who engage frequently with AI begin losing touch with empathy and human connection. “Their tolerance for violence or inappropriate behaviour increases. They lack the vocabulary and the experience to process what they are exposed to, so you see anxiety, panic, shyness, shame, fears, and social disconnection. I’ve seen 10- or 11-year-olds saying, ‘Aunty, can I not tell you right now?’ or ‘Don’t tell my mom,’ which signals trust issues and emotional isolation.”
Another red flag, she adds, is overly mature behaviour — dressing in sexualised ways, adopting adult mannerisms, or showing curiosity about adult content far beyond their age. Withith this come mood swings, shorter attention spans, and a dip in creativity. “Sometimes they can’t stay with me in a session beyond 6-7 minutes before they want to move on. Their creativity suffers, as they rely on AI for even small tasks, such as writing a speech, which can’t reflect their personal experience.”
The bigger question is: how can parents protect children online without making them fearful of technology? “The key is conversation,” assures Doshi. “Families should make weekly check-ins a practice — discussing emotions, wins, challenges, and resilience, with technology as one of the topics alongside values and boundaries. Parents must also model healthy digital behaviour themselves, as children learn by watching.
Doshi cautions against oversharing: “I’ve seen cases where parents disclose marital issues, and children go online to ‘research’, accidentally stumbling upon pornography or harmful content. It starts at home — children must feel safe to talk to their parents without fear of being judged, shamed, or punished. “AI is here to stay — but if parents maintain trust, openness, and age-appropriate guidance, children will be able to navigate it with resilience rather than harm.”
What’s the right age?
At what age is AI use developmentally appropriate? Counsellor Riddhi Doshi says, “Nothing below 13. Between 13 and 16, only with supervision and only if the child is emotionally mature, empathetic, and has a strong emotional vocabulary. Below 12, they are not cognitively, emotionally, or socially ready. If there were AI platforms explicitly designed for children, the story would be different, but most available tools are not age-appropriate.”
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