Minors playing M rated games. How do you feel?

[revl8er]

If a parent is alright with letting their kid play a "Mature" videogame then who are we to judge.  It's not anything they won't see on tv, movies, read about or hear about on songs.  

[MEC-777]

IMO, it depends entirely on the individual child. Some can maturely understand and handle mature subject matter (of various degrees) at certain ages, while other can't. As parent's it's your job to know your child better than anyone else and know what they could handle or shouldn't be exposed to (yet). 

 

At friend's houses, you can't always control what your child will be exposed to, but you can talk to the friend's parents to find out what they're doing when hanging out at the friend's home. If those parents don't know and don't care, then that is part of the problem. I would also talk to my child about such things so they understand my concerns as a parent.  

[Thaldor]

I don't really mind minors playing M-rated games. As child I got to watch almost every movie I wanted (only major restriction was The Shining from those I was interested in) and I got to play whatever games I wanted.SO, I ended up growing up while watching Terminators, Robocops, MacGyver and a lot of other action movies even before I could understand english and I played everything from Mario to Leisure suit Larry and ended up being stable and well behaving adult. I probably will let my kids, some day, do just the same (as long as I know the movies they want to watch and I see them suitable for them be they M-rated or not).

 

I think it's important to teach the kids what is real and what is not and it's far more easy to tell them that movies and games are not real and that no one gets hurt in them for real because they are movies and games with actors and bits than start telling them that violence is bad while news are rolling with images from latest terrorist attack or some ongoing war. This also works as a great donkey bridge to that, it's extremely important to teach kids healthy common sense and best way to teach it is to let the kids be kids and do some crazy stuff that kids do even if it has potential to cause some cuts and bruises, they heal and kids hopefully learned thing or two.

 

I also think that those who blame games nad movies for violence that people do are just plain stupid (and I'm somehow not supprised that most of those people live in USA where even adults are mentaly at the class of 5 years old because every single thing needs warnings that just are common sense (like "coffee is hot", "don't put a cat into microwave" or "don't try to stop the chain of a chainsaw with your genitals")). People who get violent because something that isn't real are even mentally disabled and/or just really really badly teached. Normal human can differentiate fact from fiction and real-life from made.

[ThinkWithPortals]

It's very difficult to give an all-encompassing answer to this.

- Actual content of the game plays a huge factor. M-Rated, but for what? Violence? Sex? Drugs?

- Maturity level of the player is also a factor, and can circumvent age.

- Finally, "minor" is too broad a term. A minor can be anywhere from 0-16, that's a big age range to give a blanket statement for.

[Chaos_Sorcerer]

12 hours ago, LAwLz said:

Children are stupid

Well...someone clearly doesn't have children.

[CtrlAltELITE]

Eh, I mean it annoys me whilst I'm trying to enjoy a game designed for adults online and end up running into kids. Can't really criticise them though or the parents, it was only ~15 years ago I was pestering my dad for his copy of gta2. Or playing my pals copy of the original manhunt whilst I was very much below 18.

 

Kids will get their hands on them either way, its been like that since the begining of age restricted media.

[Fetzie]

I dunno. If it was a game like Manhunt I'd probably strike up a conversation and ask if they know what kind of game they're buying. And then explain rather graphically what the game is about (after which if they still want to buy it for their kid then at least I tried).

[Misanthrope]

Depends on how "minor" is the minor. I'd be ok with my son playing violent games at the same age I started playing them which was 9 or 10 years old. Before that it was all NES and SNES games so I'd be fine. Perhaps even a bit younger and I would just talk to him about games and make belief.

[B-17rocks]

in gamestop they give people a warning notifying you of the game so when things like that do happen you will lose the court case it is the parents decision 

[daniielrp]

On 12/4/2016 at 10:36 PM, Axeonelite said:

 

But let me be very clear that gaming today is not the innocent happy-go-lucky experiences they used to be. Today, games are filled with realism in many forms, Violence, Sexual interactions, and drug & Alcohol usage.

 

 

What do you guys think? 

Today games are like that? You're either very young or know little about video game history. 

The first GTA came out in 1997 - almost 20 years ago! 

 

I bought the first Mortal Kombat myself, when I was 8 years old - know how I did that? It was before games ratings even existed! 

 

Your kidding yourself if you think games have suddenly become "full of child-warping nonsense" - they've always been that way, and people like Jack Thompson  and the PTA or whoever have been spinning this crap forever. 

 

------

 

More on topic - I would never judge a parent for buying their kids violent/etc games, it's not my place to do so. 

 

If if a kid understands the subject matter, shielding them from it won't help anything, they'll just find it in worse places. If the parents take the time to play/watch the kids play the game then they can understand what's going on with it. 

 

Their probably are some children for whom these games are not a good idea, but they'd have the same issue with any media - films, tv etc. 

[Prysin]

i don't feel a thing.

if they wanna play it, let em.

i mean, when i grew up we climbed trees, cliffs and other places and fell down. Now they arent allowed to do that due to the fucking nanny policies running rampant. Neither can they have fights or say mean words.

[Guest]

Just don't let them have the microphone. They have to be no-mics. 

[themctipers]

does it fucking matter?

kids will always bypass it, and theres no downsides for allowing them to be playing (excluding the community being toxic)

[redtute]

I'm more worried by what my Kids see on TV or on YouTube.

Im eldest son is 8 years old and we play GTA together and I have had to answer a few questions but he had seen most of what's in GTA on YouTube already. But it's a good conversation starter drugs have come up (Bong Smoking in GTA) and I think education is the key. He knows what's he wants to see and he doesn't. 

 

Did you see the first episode of The Walking dead this season when Deegan Smashed in heads with a baseball bat. 

That's the stuff that scares kids for life as its looks real. My boy is not going to watch that for a long time.

[Donut417]

I have done a project in College related to this issue. While I will tell the Government to fuck off if they try to censor or other wise mess with the gaming industry. I do feel the Government forcing the industry in to regulating its ratings was a good move. Part of the issue today is most parents dont want to adult when it come to their kids. They stick them in front of the TV or PC and let me go wild. 

 

While I did play some violent video games back in the day. Most notable Duke Nukem 3D when I was in Elementary school. I turned out fine btw. I would not let my niece or nephew play these type of titles. Not until they are old enough. At most they get Mario and Sonic. I feel more parents need to be informed about the perfectly good rating system the industry uses. 

 

To be frank I am a little shocked about how some of these games have gotten really raunchy. I mean, when you first meet Trevor in GTA 5, hes banging a women from behind. I think its more critical than ever parents heed the warnings about content. Because graphics are only getting better. So I do find it a little disturbing, that under age people play some of these games. Plus these kids have a habit of just making the game play of those games shit as they tend to take these games a lot more seriously. 

[Axeonelite]

18 hours ago, Bananasplit_00 said:

ehhh too shit at english to care tbh. did it at like midnight and cant be bothered to go back and fix it lol

At Least you're honest. lol

[Axeonelite]

9 hours ago, RooR said:

Letting a kid play a violent video game isn't a problem... not teaching your child between right and wrong is the problem.

 

If your kid cannot distinguish between right and wrong, its not because of GTA, or Gears of War.. its because either you failed as a parent or guardian.. or there are other underlying mental problems that have 0 to do with video games.

I argee. 

[Chaos_Sorcerer]

Just now, Axeonelite said:

I argee. 

Quick question. Is your profile picture L from Death Note?

[Axeonelite]

8 hours ago, MEC-777 said:

IMO, it depends entirely on the individual child. Some can maturely understand and handle mature subject matter (of various degrees) at certain ages, while other can't. As parent's it's your job to know your child better than anyone else and know what they could handle or shouldn't be exposed to (yet). 

 

At friend's houses, you can't always control what your child will be exposed to, but you can talk to the friend's parents to find out what they're doing when hanging out at the friend's home. If those parents don't know and don't care, then that is part of the problem. I would also talk to my child about such things so they understand my concerns as a parent.  

Very well put. It's the not caring that is the most upsetting part to me. Especially in my "fictional" story. 

[Axeonelite]

8 hours ago, Abyssal Radon said:

 Peggie 

PEGI*

 

But other than that I agree. It helps sometimes for parents to not care, I just hate the ignorance that they don't even know what their children are playing. I don't care that they are playing it, I care about the secrecy. 

[Axeonelite]

4 hours ago, Fetzie said:

I dunno. If it was a game like Manhunt I'd probably strike up a conversation and ask if they know what kind of game they're buying. And then explain rather graphically what the game is about (after which if they still want to buy it for their kid then at least I tried).

Great way of handling it. 

[Axeonelite]

2 hours ago, redtute said:

Did you see the first episode of The Walking dead this season when Deegan Smashed in heads with a baseball bat. 

That's the stuff that scares kids for life as its looks real. My boy is not going to watch that for a long time.

I agree. Side not: Also I found it funny a women wrote a letter complaining about the cursing in that show rather than the violence. 

 

But yeah they can be exposed to these things in many other ways, but Video Games are more personal\private experience, so most of the time the parents do not know what the kids are playing. 

[Axeonelite]

1 hour ago, Donut417 said:

To be frank I am a little shocked about how some of these games have gotten really raunchy. I mean, when you first meet Trevor in GTA 5, hes banging a women from behind. I think its more critical than ever parents heed the warnings about content. Because graphics are only getting better. So I do find it a little disturbing, that under age people play some of these games. Plus these kids have a habit of just making the game play of those games shit as they tend to take these games a lot more seriously. 

 

I agree. It is completely unnecessary most times. Granted it sets the tone for who Trevor is but if a child were to get into that game without knowing that, it could lead to a great family discussion around the dinner table come Thanksgiving\Christmas. 

[Axeonelite]

7 minutes ago, Chaos_Sorcerer said:

Quick question. Is your profile picture L from Death Note?

Indeed

[Chaos_Sorcerer]

Just now, Axeonelite said:

Indeed

Big fan of that. Binge-watched it over the summer - my first anime, and the only one I've ever made it through. 

 

I hated Near and whatever the fuck the other guy's name was.