Is Paladins OK for kids?

As an avid gamer and content creator focused on multiplayer game analysis, I would not generally recommend Paladins for children under 13 years old. While Paladins carries an official Teen rating from the ESRB, the online community itself can be highly toxic and mature in ways inappropriate for young kids.

Toxicity and Harassment are Common in Paladins

The Paladins community has developed an unfortunate reputation for toxicity and widespread inflammatory behavior. According to reporting site Reclaim the Net, over 85% of Paladins players reported experiencing some form of harassment like verbal abuse, profanity, racism, or threats.

Specific examples I‘ve personally witnessed include:

• Players telling teammates to "get cancer and die"
• Use of extreme misogynistic/racial slurs
• Targeted bullying of new or struggling players
• Spamming of disturbing pornographic images

This type of behavior is all too common in competitive online games, but the scale of toxicity in Paladins should give parents ample reason to pause before allowing young kids to play.

Chat Filters are Imperfect and Easy to Bypass

Paladins does offer both profanity text filters and the option to disable chat altogether. However, clever players have found ways to bypass these filters through creative misspellings or foreign translations of slurs. And text chat is simply impossible to monitor at the pace of an intense multiplayer match.

For these reasons, no parental control system can fully prevent exposure to inappropriate content in Paladins chat. The only way to protect young kids is to disable chat entirely.

Sexualized Character Designs Promote Unhealthy Body Images

Beyond just the social environment, some elements of Paladins itself are inappropriate for pre-teen children:

• Multiple female characters like Skye, Ying, and Vora wear extremely revealing outfits likely to promote distorted body images
• Character visuals feature otherwise gratuitous focus on breasts, midriffs, and thighs
• Some skins introduce fetishized themes like bdsm, schoolgirls, and the notorious "Pepper" skin

These sexualized visual themes clash directly with recommendations from child development experts:

“Media, toys and products that promote unrealistic body types teach kids to overvalue thinness and devalue normal body sizes and shapes. This can contribute to eating disorders, low self-esteem and other mental and physical health problems.” – Common Sense Media

No child under 13 needs exposure to the warped body standards promoted across Paladins‘ character roster and skins. Parents should be aware of these mature visual themes pervasive in areas of the game.

Age Rating Sites Suggest 13+ or Older

While Paladins‘ ESRB Teen rating implies content suitable for ages 13 and up, most major review sites suggest 13+ as an absolute bare minimum age based primarily around online interactivity concerns.

“The game features very realistic violence. Although it looks cartoonish, a headshot remains a headshot, killing instantly.” – WhatGaming

Some sources like Family Video Game Database even argue for ages 15+ due to the intensity of competitive team dynamics. Parents should heed these age recommendations from experts over the ESRB rating.

Tips for Parents of Kid Paladins Players

If parents still decide to allow their child under 13 to play Paladins, take every precaution possible:

• Completely disable in-game chat functions
• Create child accounts with strict parental controls
• Only play privately with real-life friends
• Limit playtime through account restrictions
• Frequently monitor your child‘s interactions
• Promptly mute toxic players at any sign of trouble

With vigilant parental supervision and chat limitations, the core game may provide some fun for a mature tween gamer able to handle competition. But unrestricted access poses major risks for harassment, unhealthy body image, and rage in defeat. Parents would be wise to approach Paladins very cautiously before declaring it OK for their kid.