Online Conversation Between a Teen and a Kid

My sons and I are currently playing, (read: addicted to), the mobile/app game Clash of Clans. They both started playing on their Nooks about four weeks ago, and I got into about a week later. We’re all in a clan with some of Calfgrit10’s school friends. There are 50 people in this clan, of which CG10 knows personally maybe half a dozen, and maybe another half dozen are personal friends of those friends. The other people are from who knows where around the world, including at least one player from Asia. (He/she communicates only in an Asian language. I don’t know specifically which one.)

As with most games, there is online chat available for players to talk to each other. We only use the clan chat. Calfgrit10 is a chatter box in it, (too often with nonsense), and Calfgrit13 only chats when he’s asking for something, (like support troops). I often check the chat log to keep an eye on both boys’ interactions, including what they’re saying, what others say to them, and what time of day they are on the game. (They better not be on it after bed time or before they’re allowed to play in the morning.)

Today, while I was at work, I opened the game to play a few minutes while I ate lunch. My boys were not on, but there was someone looking to talk. This player, Q Kids, I had seen in the chat often, but I knew nothing about other than I *think* it’s a friend of one of CG10’s friends. I was almost going to converse with the player, but another player spoke up before me. I watched the conversation out of curiosity.

Below is the conversation. There’s nothing particularly noteworthy about any of it, but I found it interesting to watch the interaction from a third-party, (and father), perspective. I think I may be the only adult/parent in the clan, so I feel a sense of wanting to keep a protective eye over all the kids in it.

Q Kids: any i am bored so i am back on there is nothing to do

Q Kids: anyone there?

sayo: k

Q Kids: thx

sayo: ya

sayo: k

Q Kids: my mom is gone so i can’t go outside and my bros r playing a 2 player viedo game and i can’t play and the other 2 r watching the

sayo: the

Q Kids: game and will not o anything else

Q Kids: viedo game

sayo: huw old r they

Q Kids: 4,6,and 8

sayo: and the uther

sayo: u

Q Kids: i mean my other bro is watching i only have 3 bros lol

sayo: k

sayo: u

Q Kids: how old am i? 11

sayo: su u r the buss uf them

Q Kids: ya

Q Kids: u?

sayo: u can ask ure bru if he lets u play

sayo: im 18

Q Kids: the 1 has autium and only wants him and my other bro to play

sayo: why

Q Kids: ?

sayo: whatis autium

Q Kids: a disability(bad speller)

sayo: k

Q Kids: his brain doesn’t work and he can cry up to an hour

sayo: uj

sayo: what game r they playing

Q Kids: lego batman 1

sayo: and u wanna play

Q Kids: ? it was a christmas present and i want to see if it’s any good

Q Kids: i don’t want to badly

sayo: ddiid u give it tu them

Q Kids: no santa ;)

sayo: k

sayo: ure mum

sayo: r dad

Q Kids: they e gone but my mom will be home soon

Q Kids: r

Q Kids: so i prob

Q Kids: have to get off soon

sayo: they dunt let you play

Q Kids: ya but they will soon(mom)

Q Kids: r u in college?

sayo: guin

Q Kids: ?

sayo: im guing

Q Kids: cool

sayo: ya

Q Kids: want troops(lvl 5 barbs or arch)

sayo: nut awsume that im guing cause my gf is guing tu anuther college

sayo: sure

sayo: any

Q Kids: k

Q Kids: my mom is home bye

sayo: bye

sayo: r u scared uf ure mum

Q Kids: no

Q Kids: i get to play the viedo game :)

Q Kids: bye

sayo: k

sayo: wich 1

sayo: batman

[That was the end of that conversation. Then a few hours later, I just happened to catch them talking again.]

sayo: suo did ure mum let u play the videu game

Q Kids: ya 4 20 mins

sayo: batman

Q Kids: yep

Q Kids: brb raid

sayo: k

[3 minutes pass]

sayo: u there

Q Kids: ya

[cross conversation about the game]

sayo: wanna hear a joke

Q Kids: sure…as long as it’s not dirty

sayo: k

sayo: Knock knock

Q Kids: who is there?

sayo: Eat mop

Q Kids: eat mop who?

sayo: hehe u said eat mo po

Q Kids: k

Q Kids: when you arrange it ya

sayo: ha

Q Kids: oh now i get it

Q Kids: lol

Q Kids: thx

sayo: ya

[game stuff]

Q Kids: brb in 10 mins or more

sayo: where r u guing

Q Kids: I am not getting on again bye

sayo: why

Q Kids: because i am not allowed to

Q Kids: because I was on too long today

And that was the end of their conversation. About an hour later, I saw sayo ask Calfgrit10 to make him a co-leader of the clan. Actually, he didn’t “ask”:

sayo: co-leader

Calfgrit10: huh

sayo: give me

At least he did give CG10 some dragon troops before asking, I guess as an introductory bribe. But CG10 didn’t give him co-leader rank; he didn’t even respond to sayo after that, and sayo didn’t chat any more.

So, like I said, the conversation wasn’t really noteworthy, but it was interesting to see two strangers, (one a child, the other a teen), conversing online. It also reminds me that I need to make sure my boys don’t let it be known when their parents aren’t home. We’ve already discussed not giving away their real last names or any real world information.

Bullgrit