Video Game Ratings Should be Stricter

[thebobman]

[inside]

On a serious note, just cause I think every generation goes up faster, and faster. Maybe there should be a stricter system for games. You can be an allstart parent all you want, but It won't stop the allstar parents kid from accessing games like the new GTA, from thier friend down the street where the parental units suck.

Any thoughts?

[kir mokum]

video games aren't going to make your kid fucked up unless their predisposed to being fucked up and even in that case it will be a cumulation of many influences. if you're a good parent then your kid should be able to understand that GTA4 is not a representation of real life. they should also understand the value of their own life and therefore not want to fuck it up or risk fucking it up by committing violent acts/robbery/murder/etc.

sheltering kids is more dangerous than video games/movies/rap music/metal/the beatles.

[-evil-duerr-]

ringo : you guys can sing and play the instruments, i'll take care of the umbrella

[lildonkey]

Originally Posted by kir mokum

video games aren't going to make your kid fucked up unless their predisposed to being fucked up and even in that case it will be a cumulation of many influences. if you're a good parent then your kid should be able to understand that GTA4 is not a representation of real life. they should also understand the value of their own life and therefore not want to fuck it up or risk fucking it up by committing violent acts/robbery/murder/etc.

sheltering kids is more dangerous than video games/movies/rap music/metal/the beatles.

I agree that video games do not make kids into violent drug dealers, but a 10 year old has no place playing GTA4 where the main objective is to basically be a drug dealer, and fuck hoes and kill people

not to mention the fact that multiplayer consists of everybody calling eachother fags non stop

a good parent would not let their young kid play a game like GTA4, there is really no disputing that

[inside]

kir mokum makes a good point, but I have to agree with lil donkey on this. I don't belive a kid under 13ish should be playing somthing as crazy as GTA. I'm ok with sport violence (hockey, boxing, mma), but even if your an allstar parent, how would you protect your kids from accessing this kind of material from sorces that don't give a rats ass.

[kir mokum]

1. i think you underestimate kids.
2. online dialogue will make anyone a raping, pillaging, meth binging, nazi regardless of age.

[kir mokum]

Originally Posted by lildonkey

a good parent would not let their young kid play a game like GTA4, there is really no disputing that

a good parent would also know that their kid is going to play it regardless and would know to have a conversation about reality v. make-believe and the effects of violence in the real world among other topics.

[lildonkey]

Originally Posted by kir mokum

a good parent would also know that their kid is going to play it regardless and would know to have a conversation about reality v. make-believe and the effects of violence in the real world among other topics.

You're making it sound like kids from the age of 3 have the mental capacity to make all the right decisions and not let anything influence them or the way they act....

[ppcock]

For sure Josh.

But, i think games like GTA 4, esp. this new one. since it's so simulation based, i think that there could be some problems down the road.
Granted, you cant make your real life car do all them crazy physics.

I'm never going to pop a pig with an m4, but little tommy 5 year old, might cause he doesnt know any better.

[kir mokum]

i think you guys are ignoring the fact that kids are going to be around this kind of stuff regardless. go watch much music for 2 min. watch the news for 5. look at the front page of a newspaper. check out what the upcoming summer blockbusters are. it's all varying degrees of the same shit. even if you ban all entertainment, the real world is dangerous and fucked up. kids may not have the mental capacity to tell "right" from "wrong" at age 3 (nice reductio ad absurdum, donkey) but that's when they should start learning. you can't keep kids in relative isolation until their 19 and then let them loose on the world. you can't ignore that they see everything and are influenced by everything. as a parent you're there to help them process that information. while having conversations about what is going on in the world you're preparing you kid to be able to make better decisions, develop empathy, problem solve, and form their own morality (which they should come to on their own terms). you (as a parent) have to prepare your kid for the GTA IVs of the world. if you don't, they will never be ready to play it (ie, make their own moral decisions or properly understand the difference between fake an real life).

[NinjaBoy]

Video Game ratings exist, and largely do a good job. The ease in which minors have been able to purchase video games has fallen dramatically. And compared to every other format has better controls. (Source: Undercover Shoppers Find it’s Increasingly Difficult for Children to Buy M-Rated Games)

I'm not going to spout some crap about politics and people fearing what they don't understand though.

Video games are great. But no matter what anyone says, parents should know what their kids are playing. Not only for the content, but also to know the kids. I think the worst thing for a kid isn't necessarily the content of games, but the time spend playing versus other activities.

Growing up I played games, my parents knew what I was playing (the argument "kids will get it anyways" is pretty weak), and how long. If I spent too much time with games my parents would make me do other activities (reading, playing outside etc...).

Raising kids is hard. You have to say no, and you have to be their parent not their friend. And this is something parents these days haven't figured out.

[decypher]

Gun control, access to education and proper engagement with youth in real activities would do much more than rating systems and ragging on video games.

[NinjaBoy]

Originally Posted by decypher

Gun control, access to education and proper engagement with youth in real activities would do much more than rating systems and ragging on video games.

But requires acknowledging that there are problems with lobbyists and government budgets.

[kir mokum]

Originally Posted by NinjaBoy

the argument "kids will get it anyways" is pretty weak.

how so?

Originally Posted by NinjaBoy

Raising kids is hard. You have to say no, and you have to be their parent not their friend. And this is something parents these days haven't figured out.

upvote.

[NinjaBoy]

Originally Posted by kir mokum

how so?

This is basically forgiving a lack of parenting.

Lets say some 12 year old kid manages to save the money. Somehow convinces a store to give him an 18+ game. This is difficult to say the least, since even I've been ID'd. Brings it home.

Where is he going to play this game? At home. Shouldn't the parents notice what he's playing? I find it hard to believe that a kid is going to get a game that he'll play for a couple hours at a time probably on the family TV without the parents noticing. Hell, it's easy enough to put parent locks on the 360 or PS3.

The parents in this situation aren't expected to know what their kid is saving up for and buying? Or what he's playing for hours on end? Or use the parental controls available on all video game systems?

[decypher]

I agree parents should exercise their role in keeping kids away from what is perceived to be harmful but that seems to be rarer these days. What about those kids who have no parents or have parents who are never there and don't care?

[mapleleaf4ever]

Originally Posted by decypher

What about those kids who have no parents or have parents who are never there and don't care?

See kir mokum's comment about rapist meth binging nazis...

Sad but fairly true.

[kir mokum]

Originally Posted by NinjaBoy

This is basically forgiving a lack of parenting.

not at all.

Originally Posted by NinjaBoy

Lets say some 12 year old kid manages to save the money. Somehow convinces a store to give him an 18+ game. This is difficult to say the least, since even I've been ID'd. Brings it home.

Where is he going to play this game? At home. Shouldn't the parents notice what he's playing? I find it hard to believe that a kid is going to get a game that he'll play for a couple hours at a time probably on the family TV without the parents noticing. Hell, it's easy enough to put parent locks on the 360 or PS3.

The parents in this situation aren't expected to know what their kid is saving up for and buying? Or what he's playing for hours on end? Or use the parental controls available on all video game systems?

no, they'll go play it at their friends house 'cause their friend has bad parents and lets him/her play what ever video games they want. or they'll find something else equally as "bad" like porno, R rated movies, going to Akon shows. i used to work at a store that sold video games. we never sold M games to minors. you would (obviously) not believe how many parents would just accept that little johnny wanted to play GTA II/III, Turok, Doom, etc. etc. i saw like a 5-6 year old get GTA III for his birthday.

like i said before, you will never be able to keep your kid from the outside world, short of a large pit and some chains. did you forget all the shit you got into when you were a kid?

[Grapes]

I wish we'd stuck to banana peel and turtle shell jokes.

[NinjaBoy]

Originally Posted by kir mokum

no, they'll go play it at their friends house 'cause their friend has bad parents and lets him/her play what ever video games they want. or they'll find something else equally as "bad" like porno, R rated movies, going to Akon shows. i used to work at a store that sold video games. we never sold M games to minors. you would (obviously) not believe how many parents would just accept that little johnny wanted to play GTA II/III, Turok, Doom, etc. etc. i saw like a 5-6 year old get GTA III for his birthday.

Isn't this forgiving bad par renting.

You can't keep your kid away from every terrible thing, but in your home you can moderate what is there. As for going to a friends and playing yes that does happen. But it doesn't have the same effect that it would at your home life.

like i said before, you will never be able to keep your kid from the outside world, short of a large pit and some chains. did you forget all the shit you got into when you were a kid?

Exactly, I managed to get a hold of some terrible things for my age. But I wasn't exposed openly at my own home to them.

That's the point I guess I'm trying to make. You can't keep your kids away from everything. But you can keep your home life relatively free of this sort of stuff.

[ebbomega]

Kids will always find ways around their parents' systems of protection if they want to. That's a major part of growing up. The important part is that the parents make the effort to make sure the kids understand that those lines are in fact there, why they shouldn't cross them, and that if they do there will be some repercussions if they're caught. It at least lets the children understand that there's a reason you're not allowed to play GTA, and that will stick with them. And likely when they do cross that line they'll understand that it's a fantasy game and not real.

Main problem with a lot of parents today is that they're afraid to enforce the repercussion part of the rearing, and so the children don't pay attention to the lesson being taught.

[SEAN!]

Originally Posted by kir mokum

1. i think you underestimate kids.
2. online dialogue will make anyone a raping, pillaging, meth binging, nazi regardless of age.

on that line would you let your kid watch xxx porn?

I see games like gta4 in the same light as extremely violent interactive movies, i dont think kids should be playing these vids their not made for that audience anyway.

but what do i know, im 25 and still a dumbass

[SEAN!]

Originally Posted by decypher

I agree parents should exercise their role in keeping kids away from what is perceived to be harmful but that seems to be rarer these days. What about those kids who have no parents or have parents who are never there and don't care?

they're already fucked and video games aren't going to make them any worse off then they already are.

[kir mokum]

when did i say you should let your kids freely play these types of games? i'm not forgiving bad parenting. i'm acknowledging bad parents and suggesting how to deal with them (and the real world) in relation to your own kid in a realistic way. i'm saying that kids are going to get into it regardless and to be a good parent you have to prepare them for it. whether or not you think your kids is mature enough to play them is up to the individual parent. some kids are, some kids are not.

video games still don't make kids go out and commit crime. look at any statistic. the may influence a troubled kid, but it would be a small piece of the puzzle.

on that line would you let your kid watch xxx porn?

first of all, porn and violence are not the same thing. secondly i don't have a kid so i can't say for sure but probably not. however, i would be doing it for different reasons than you think.