Netsafety Week 2025: Tools and Tips for Navigating Games, Films and Harmful Content

This week is Netsafety Week – a nationwide initiative led by Netsafe to help all New Zealanders stay safer online. Here at the Classification Office, we’re using this week to highlight some of the mahi we’re doing to support rangatahi and their whānau as they navigate digital spaces, from gaming to streaming and beyond.

Gaming blogs: Breaking down the games young people love

First up, our gaming blogs are here to help you understand the games and platforms your tamariki might be spending time on. Whether it's Minecraft, Mario Kart, Roblox, Discord, or Twitch, we take a closer look at how these games and platforms work, what young people are saying about them, and whether they’re right for your whānau.

We know it can be tough to keep up with the ever-changing world of games and online communities, especially when they’re packed with features like chat functions, in-game purchases, or user-generated content. That’s why these blogs aim to support parents, caregivers and educators by offering clear, up-to-date information to guide your conversations with tamariki.

We also talk directly with young people and tamariki to get their first-hand experiences – what they love, what they’re cautious about, and what advice they’d give to others. Their voices help shape these blogs so that they reflect real-life use, not just what the box says.

Each blog follows a simple structure to make it easy to find what you need:

• What do young people say about the game?
• What is the game, and how does it work?
• What do we say about it?
• Does it have a classification in NZ?
• While you’re here just be aware...

These blogs are a great starting point for understanding your child's digital world and having informed conversations about it. Check out a few below:

• Fortnite
• Minecraft
• Mario Kart
• Roblox
• Twitch
• Discord
• Jurassic World Evolution 2

Not into gaming? Let’s talk movies and series

If games aren’t your thing, we’ve also got lots of resources that focus on popular films and TV series – especially helpful when deciding what’s appropriate for different age groups. Which leads us to our Through the Ages series...

Through the Ages: Helping you pick age-appropriate content for your whānau

When actors like Paul Mescal or Florence Pugh take on roles across a wide range of genres and age ratings – or when film franchises like Studio Ghibli offer a mix of family-friendly and more mature stories – it’s easy for young fans to want to watch everything, even if not all content is right for their age.

That’s where our Through the Ages blogs come in. These blogs explore actors and franchises across age ratings, giving parents and caregivers an overview of:

• What each film or series is about
• NZ ratings
• Moments to be aware of
• Whether it’s a good fit for your whānau’s comfort levels

It’s a way to help guide conversations with tamariki about why some stories are more suited to older viewers, how different genres feel, and what healthy viewing boundaries might look like.

We offer some conversation starters in our TTA blogs, including:

For younger tamariki:

• What was your favourite part of the movie? Why did you like it?
• Were there any parts that felt scary or confusing?
• How do you think the characters felt when something bad happened?
• If you were one of the characters, what would you have done differently?

For rangatahi:

• Did any of the characters’ choices surprise you?
• What themes stood out – friendship, family, dealing with tough stuff?
• Did any scenes feel intense or emotional? How did they add to the story?
• Do you think the film had a clear message? Did it relate to real-life issues?

You can find all our Through the Ages blogs below:

• Timothée Chalamet (actor)
• Paul Mescal (actor)
• Florence Pugh (actor)
• Marvel (franchise)
• Studio Ghibli (franchise)
• Tim Burton (director)

What about harmful content online?

Lastly, we want to shed light on one of the most important areas we work in: harmful online content. Following the release of our report, Content that Crosses the Line: Conversations with young people about extremely harmful content online, We’ve already created – and are continuing to build – a suite of resources to help parents, young people, educators and support workers understand topics such as:

• Extremely harmful and illegal content online: What are young people seeing and what does it mean for parents?
• Algorithms 101
• What rangatahi tell us about seeing extreme content online
• How do we talk with our kids about seeing harmful content online?
• Conversation starters about harmful content online
• What if my child searches for illegal material—such as manifestos, live-streamed violence, suicide content, or child sexual abuse material?
  

Our goal is to use evidence-based resources to improve media literacy, reduce online harm, and support a safer online environment for everyone in Aotearoa.

Follow us on social media to stay up to date as new content and tools become available.