Should I install Steam on nieces pc?

[Slowhand]

Hi everyone, I keep having to remove spyware and adware and malware from my nieces pc. She is 12 and very advanced, but she keeps downloading those cheesy games from cheesy websites and the spyware that goes with them.

So I just got her pc all cleaned up but I'm actually thinking about installing Steam for her so at least the games she downloads will be virus free. The only problem I can see is if they will have games for her age to download.

Anyone have any experience in this area and advice?

 

[KidNiki1]

Do her parents know anything about computers? Although even if they don't, they should be telling her not to download anything unless she asks for help. Also, imo, they (or you, if they dont know about computers) should explain to her why she should not just be downloading things. ALso, what kind of games is she downloading? As in, what kind of games does she like? That might make it easier to recommend games.

My minions are 11 and 9 and I have had to remove spyware crap, but not very often because they know that if they get anything about downloading something, they need to ask me if it is something that is ok. And each time, I explain to them why, and ask if they understand why there are certain games I will not let them download. (please keep in mind this took a few years of them randomly donwloading stuff and me telling them they cant just do that. )

They do both have Steam accounts of their own as well. So I know there are a lot of games that kids her age can play, but a lot of that will depend on what her parents feel is acceptable. Some parents are more strict about what levels of violence they accept in a game. But there are plenty of puzzle games and arcade style games that have no violence at all.

I like Steam because the kids don't have any payment methods set up on their accounts, so they cannot just randomly buy and download anything. I buy all the kids' games on my account and then gift the games to them. However, there are some web based games that they just really like, so sometimes they still dont use Steam for playing games.

 

[pontifex]

most steam games require you to buy them. if she just likes free games like farmville or whatever, i don't think steam is going to be much help.

 

[Slowhand]

Do her parents know anything about computers? Although even if they don't, they should be telling her not to download anything unless she asks for help. Also, imo, they (or you, if they dont know about computers) should explain to her why she should not just be downloading things. ALso, what kind of games is she downloading? As in, what kind of games does she like? That might make it easier to recommend games.

My minions are 11 and 9 and I have had to remove spyware crap, but not very often because they know that if they get anything about downloading something, they need to ask me if it is something that is ok. And each time, I explain to them why, and ask if they understand why there are certain games I will not let them download. (please keep in mind this took a few years of them randomly donwloading stuff and me telling them they cant just do that. )

They do both have Steam accounts of their own as well. So I know there are a lot of games that kids her age can play, but a lot of that will depend on what her parents feel is acceptable. Some parents are more strict about what levels of violence they accept in a game. But there are plenty of puzzle games and arcade style games that have no violence at all.

I like Steam because the kids don't have any payment methods set up on their accounts, so they cannot just randomly buy and download anything. I buy all the kids' games on my account and then gift the games to them. However, there are some web based games that they just really like, so sometimes they still dont use Steam for playing games.

She likes to play two games: Wolfquest and Wizard 101 but she really likes all games so......

Do you mind me asking how you link your pc/steam to the kids pc/steam accounts. They must have some kind of option on your account...the master account if you will, that the children can't access and "accidentally" buy anything.

Btw, I rent a room in my nieces home and I do all the pc stuff, but there's only my pc with Steam, and her father's pc that I want to install Steam on, but not if she has random access to buy games....understand?

And thanks for your feedback btw. :thumbsup:

 

[KidNiki1]

My steam account is not linked to my kids' steam accounts.

They have their own steam accounts using emails that i set up for them. The first thing i did on their steam accounts was add myself to their friends list. This allows me to send them games through steam. This is also why they have no payment info set up, because I never set anything up. If they see a game that want, they ask me if they can have it, and if they can, I buy it on my account and then send it to them via steam friends list.

I hope that makes sense. I know steam recently added a family option or something, but i prefer the way i do it. just works better for me personally.

I use the steam sales as a great way to buy games for them. Spend only a few dollars and get them 6-7 games. They both really enjoy playing Don't Starve, which i got during the christmas sale. My oldest minion has been playing Team Fortress 2 which is free. She is having fun with it and actually not doing too badly. I got the half life combo a few sales back for my youngest minion and he likes to fire it up every once in a while.

They also both like minecraft, which is not a steam game, but they both have fun playing. I have spent a lot of time learning how to, and then helping to, install mods with that one though, just a warning. That was the reason for most of the spyware/adware that ended up on the pcs. They make it really really confusing to download those mods without installing a bunch of other junk. That's when the 'no downloading things unless mom looks at it first' rule started.

Hope that helps.

 

[KidNiki1]

also, just to add, if you want some free web based games/fun things that I have not had issues with check out:

www.orisinal.com - a bunch of really cute, fun games with nice music

www.weavesilk.com - really neat free form drawing thing

edited to add:
here are some of the steam games they have that they play a lot:

Audiosurf
Auditorium
Bejeweled 3
Don't Starve
Garry's Mod ( although this has guns and blood and stuff, idk if you want that)
Half Life
Orcs Must Die 2
Reus
Scribblenauts
Universe Sandbox
Lyne
Plants Vs Zombies
Spore

 

[werepossum]

My steam account is not linked to my kids' steam accounts.

They have their own steam accounts using emails that i set up for them. The first thing i did on their steam accounts was add myself to their friends list. This allows me to send them games through steam. This is also why they have no payment info set up, because I never set anything up. If they see a game that want, they ask me if they can have it, and if they can, I buy it on my account and then send it to them via steam friends list.

I hope that makes sense. I know steam recently added a family option or something, but i prefer the way i do it. just works better for me personally.

I use the steam sales as a great way to buy games for them. Spend only a few dollars and get them 6-7 games. They both really enjoy playing Don't Starve, which i got during the christmas sale. My oldest minion has been playing Team Fortress 2 which is free. She is having fun with it and actually not doing too badly. I got the half life combo a few sales back for my youngest minion and he likes to fire it up every once in a while.

They also both like minecraft, which is not a steam game, but they both have fun playing. I have spent a lot of time learning how to, and then helping to, install mods with that one though, just a warning. That was the reason for most of the spyware/adware that ended up on the pcs. They make it really really confusing to download those mods without installing a bunch of other junk. That's when the 'no downloading things unless mom looks at it first' rule started.

Hope that helps.

My seven year old grandminion (yup, totally stealing that now) is a wizard with Minecraft, including cheats that allow him to fly. Also Plants versus Zombies, another game I totally do not get. And yes, gifting is the only way to go with kids, limits their buying and also keeps your account clean if a minion offends the Great Lord Gabe. My only complaint is that Steam doesn't have kid-friendly categories to make it easy to search by age-appropriate games.

OP, by all means load Steam, but remember that most of the games they load are free and loaded because they are free - and puffed full of malware because they are free.