Social gaming seems to be an ever growing network and a big topic for us this here at SocialShield this week. We talked about Moshi Monsters hitting its 50 million user mark earlier this week, and today we’re discussing the latest gaming application on Facebook – The Sims. Gaming company Electronic Arts recently announced plans to launch an extension of the popular The Sims computer game online, called Sims Social. According to AllFacebook.com, people have to “Like” the game’s Facebook page to find out when the application will be available to users.

Following popular Facebook games like Farmville, Sims Social is an opportunity for gamers to play online while having a more social and shared experience. However, kids need to be as careful as ever when participating in any kind of interactive online situation in order to avoid risks like cyberbullying and online predators. While most online gamers are harmless, there are still some people who might take advantage of online interactive communities and environments. Remind your kids that when participating in any online games – whether they’re through Facebook or not – they should never give out their full name, phone number, address or even information about their school or different sports teams and groups they’re involved with. Any overly personal information shared online can put them at risk. Emphasize to your kids that they can keep their information as private as possible while still having fun and healthy competitions with other online gamers!

What online games do your kids like to play?