Violent games and kids

[0098386]

Inspired by a little discussion from the 9 year old professional gamer thread-

What's your view on violent games and kids? Any link? No link? Link and Zelda? He does cut down foes with a sword after all.

What about sexual references, drugs or swearing in games?

 

[Chone]

Well there is a LOT to talk about here actually but I'll just say a few things.

I don't think violent games are bad for kids but of course there is a limit, my biggest qualm about the whole "violent games are inappropriate for kids" is how isolated it is, I mean, the media expects to blame videogames for influencing people to be violent but there has always been violent people.

Does this mean you can just go and make your 7 year old go and play Postal or something? Well yes and no. I say no because the real problem is not video games (or movies or anything else) but parenting, there is nothing wrong with letting your 7 year old son play Grand Theft Auto or anything just as long as you know it isn't really affecting him on a real level.

What I'm trying to say is, it all depends on how a person can tell fantasy from reality and its not a matter of age... you can't classify people by their physical age, we all know the mental age of a person varies wildly, someone who is 12 might have the same mental age as someone who is 23, yet the 23 guy is allowed to drink, drive and play violent video games... its an easy way to sort people but not exactly effective.

I have a little cousin, he really enjoys GTA Vice City, he is 7 but I really see no problem in him playing the game simply because when I see him playing its like any other guy playing, he does the missions, he likes to drive, he shoots people of course and all but he knows its all fake... after playing he just goes and do whatever a regular 7 year old would do... then I see a 17 year old play it and he is more affected than my cousin... so really, what the hell?

So my whole point is, its not a matter of physical age but rather their mental age, if you want to be a good parent, try to find out how your child's mind works and let him do this and those things accordingly to let him grow by himself.

Isolating issues is never a good idea, there is this little phrase that says "Guns don't kill people, people do" and while its a little cheesy it does illustrate my point exactly, we should stop blaming everything and try to find the answers within ourselves, we all have after all, a rational part to our beings (even if the emotional part is still the dominant part of us).

Excuse me for my English, I'm not a native speaker and I'm trying to use words that are already complicated enough in my native language

 

[Shotgun OS]

I'll try to keep my opinion short. No, I dont think playing violent games makes you a violent person. Just because I decapitate a Medusa in GOW doesn't mean I'm gonna go around trying to kill people. I think its more about how the parents teach the kid. I was taught 'don't hurt people in any way, shape, or form'. Therefore, I didn't. That's just my opinion.


edit: on the reference of drug use, sex, and swearing: Still don't think so. Yet, even the M games I play now don't have many sexual themes. I think drug use would be more infulential if a kid saw his friends/older brothers doing it. Same goes with swearing. Still think its how the child is taught.

 

[gco212]

I have absolutely no problem with kids playing violent video games. Let them go ahead. It's the parents who don't pay attention or don't discipline their children that are, for the most part (obviously, sometimes even perfect parents can have something thats out of their control screw up their children), responsible for bad children. Also, Chone, I read your whole post (which I agree with) and never once thought your english was out of the ordinary. I would have guessed you were a native speaker, and I just thought I'd compliment you on your proficiency.

 

[e²Studios]

Don't blame the children, or the industry, blame the parents that have a misconception that a video game console is a baby sitter. Parents need to play an active role in what their children are exposed to, their lack of parental responsibility is to blame.

Ed

 

[SamIchi]

Some kids are more impressionable and aware of the line between reality and what's on the screen, but then there are kids who knew from the start. Ultimately it's the parents duty to find out what the kid is thinking in his head. Yes I think it's that simple, media & politics is playing the blame game and in need of useless discussion, that is all.

 

[0098386]

As I previously mentioned - I was brought up on the likes of Mortal Kombat, Midnight Resistance. My dad knew what I was playing, heck on my 10th birthday I got £10 off a distant relation and went into town and bought Mortal Kombat 1 with my pop. I was free to play whatever I wanted so long as it wasn't a game about sex (Lesiure Suit Larry) or was a game purely celebrating drugs. Whereas Caroline's parents put a lockdown on violent games, and none of them have turned out violent or aggressive either.

Although I do think there might be a link. All media has some kind of influence over people. Music, films, games. They're all designed to evoke emotions. I suppose it's just not acting upon them emotions that makes the difference.

 

[aaron.lee2006]

Games never really changed me. I was playing Half-Life when I was like 8 years old. I am now almost 16. I have also been playing GTA for as long as I can remember. I still play Counter-Strike and Half-Life.

Video games do not make evil people

 

[applekid]

The media might have an influence on people, but I wouldn't say it's potent and the media alone isn't going to make anybody violent. You gotta be pretty mentally unstable in the first place to do harm.

So yeah, I blame bad parenting for all of the problems in the world

 

[cycocelica]

Don't blame the children, or the industry, blame the parents that have a misconception that a video game console is a baby sitter. Parents need to play an active role in what their children are exposed to, their lack of parental responsibility is to blame.

Ed

100% agree. The industry has every right to make the games they want, as there are adults that like to play these games. The parents need to have a brain cell or two to know that a M-17 rating on game does not make it ok for 10 year olds. This is why I have no problem swearing when I play online during a game that is rate M-17 and there are little kids in the game. This is no ones fault other than the parents.

Then again I have been watching and playing violent video games since I was young. Its how the parents raise their children, that will make the outcome of child.

Readers Digest: Don't blame the video game industry, blame the parents.

 

[Oneness]

I have to agree with the general consensus of the replies that ultimately its the parenting that has the most effect on how kids turn out. But to totally dismiss the effect of media (not just video games of course) is not right either. Media does have a powerful effect on how children approach and deal with different life situations. Outside of a parent or teacher or some other adult role model children will look to movies, TV, and to a much smaller extent video games for guidance on how to act. (I don't mean to exclude peer groups because that may by the most important influenence of all which is why parents need to know who their kids are spending time with - but that is another subject).
Does playing Mortal Kombat make someone violent? No, I don't think so. But when kids are inendated (sp?) (overwhelmed) with messages of violence or sex or drug use or happines or kindness or whatever value you want to place here their worldview, their reactions, how they relate to others become tainted by that overwhelming message. Now they may be strong enough in who they are and how they were brought up by their parents to overcome the prevailing culture's message, but they may not.
I think it's a sticky question with validity of both sides.
So that's my $0.02 worth......