Being a parent is hard enough, let alone when you’ve also got to worry about keeping your kids safe while gaming. It is no secret that the digital world can be challenging to navigate securely, especially as a young person, but there are steps you can take to keep your child safe. Whether your kid is begging you for a PlayStation account of their own, wants to be added to yours or you simply just want to know a bit more about how to manage your family's accounts, you’ve come to the right place. Take a breath and rest easy, because we’re here to explain all you need to know about PlayStation’s Family Management System and keep your head from spinning!
What is a PlayStation Family Manager?
A PlayStation Family Management account, or Family Manager, is the primary account designated as the overseer of several family group accounts for one or more PlayStation consoles through PlayStation Network (PSN) accounts. This useful feature is perfect for parents of younger or children gamers because it generally helps parents keep track of their kids' gaming, chatting, spending and more. All designed to keep younger users safe while still gaining access to what the PlayStation Network has to offer.
What can my child do on the PlayStation Network?
When you sign your child up for the PlayStation Network, you are giving them access to the extensive and exciting community of PlayStation gamers worldwide. They will be able to play games online, chat via text and video, message other users, meet gamers like them dedicated to the same virtual worlds they may be and stay updated with the latest news regarding the games they love. But with great power comes great responsibility as any parent or guardian knows. So how do you keep your child safe while still allowing access to the PlayStation Network? That’s where the Family Management System really comes in handy.
What can a PlayStation Family Manager do?
Designed to keep gaming safe for the whole family, here are some parental controls and features you can take advantage of:
-
Add and manage family members.
-
Set age restrictions for games and media.
-
Set a playtime restriction.
-
Monitor chat function and content sharing.
-
Restrict web browsing for child accounts.
-
Set monthly spending limits.
How to set up a Family Account on PSN
Creating a Family Manager account on the PlayStation Network is easy. First, you need to set up an adult PlayStation Network Account for yourself. This account acts as the hub for managing family members' accounts and permissions. You can then invite family members (like children or other adults) to join the family group under your Account Management dashboard. There are three types of accounts you can Manage.
-
Family Manager: This account has the controls. You can manage all the features listed in the previous paragraph from here and edit your account settings, allowing you to add a guardian or family member as well.
-
Guardian: A guardian can also share the Family Manager settings and permissions, but must be appointed by a Family Manager first.
-
Family Member: Up to 7 Family members (including the Manager) or child accounts can be added by a Manager. Each one can be personally tailored to your individual family member. This means spending limits, playing time and more can be specific to each child depending on age, habits, or permissions within the family.
Don’t want to share game progress or achievements? Don’t worry. Every family member account has its own save data, progress and trophies all unique to the player.
Why do I need a Family Manager?
A Family Manager is the only person who can create a PSN account for a child under the age of 18, or the allowed age depending on the user’s country. Therefore, a family management account gives a young user the opportunity to sign up and gain access to the PlayStation Network while still adhering to safety nets put in place by their parent or guardian.
Adding PlayStation Voucher Codes on Child's Account
One cool feature of PlayStation Family Management is the ability to control spending and choose how you want to add money to a child’s PlayStation account. Adding PlayStation Gift Cards, to your child's account is a great way to give them the freedom of spending with some parameters. A great allowance tool too, gives them the chance to buy games without linking your credit card. Simply log in to the Family Manager account, navigate to the child's profile, and redeem the voucher code. This ensures your child has funds to spend on games or subscriptions within a safe budget set by you.
Game safely with PlayStation Family Accounts
All in all, the PlayStation Family Management account is designed to give parents greater control and oversight over their children's PlayStation gaming usage and activity. It provides tools and settings to create a family-friendly gaming environment while allowing for flexibility and customization based on individual family needs and preferences, giving young gamers the chance to grow up gaming safely. It’s easy to adapt these settings as the child grows and you can let them battle, race, build or explore with peace of mind another day.
