Mature rated games and underage gamers.

[AngelKitty]

I've been watching violent movies and playing violent video games since I was a wee tot. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom was my absolute FAVORITE movie, when I was 4. I loved Mortal Kombat, too, and started playing that around age 5. The worst effect Mortal Kombat had on me was fear induced by my Dad pulling Raiden's body-exploding electrocution fatality on me.

 

Some of you are probably like "OH MY GOD WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOUR MOTHER," but the thing is, my mom knew me. She knew those things wouldn't bother me, and that I wouldn't try to emulate them, so it was alright to let me watch things like the Indiana Jones movies. She would NEVER let my seven-year-old sister watch or play the stuff I did, because it would totally break her, and Mom knows that.

 

So, in the end, it's up to the parent to be a parent and to watch their child, and to know what their child can and cannot handle and what they will and will not emulate. Some kids can take violent games, some can't. Some will try to emulate things they see in video games and movies, some won't.

 

Interestingly, seeing violence in movies and video games made me MORE averse to violence rather than the opposite. I've always had a very vivid imagination, but as I got older I also developed an insane sense of empathy. The combination of the two means that detailed, realistic violence began to disturb me more as I got older, and sometimes caused (and can still cause) me physical pain, because I imagine it happening to me. The lava pit scene in Temple of Doom, which fascinated me as a child, causes me to flinch now.

 

Cartoon violence doesn't do that, but I can't watch gory horror movies or play gory video games.

[Rosedamai]

Good to see that some of you are strong enough. I'm way more sensitive to violence and sex than other people, because I have (what the doctor said) too much empathy-i.e I tend to relate to other people to a level that's way more stronger than others, which causes problems in my social life-so I can't, say, play Resident Evil. The most I CAN do is kill stick figures and even then I feel bad. I'm around my early 20s, btw, and the first time I saw a horror movie it scared the crap out of me and couldn't sleep for days. I was in my mid-teens then.

[teslakana]

if it's anything like this i usually just think hey, if they can manage it then let 'em keep it, if not get a refund

 

quit ya *ing

Edited August 11, 2012 by SockPuppet Strangler

[7Deadly$ins]

if it's anything like this i usually just think hey, if they can manage it then let 'em keep it, if not get a refund

 

quit ya *ing 

How insightful. There's deeper problems with parenting if they end up with it in the first place. Getting a refund on a game that they shouldn't have been able to obtain on their own means, in most cases, the parents bought it in the first place.

Edited August 11, 2012 by SockPuppet Strangler

[Landswimmer]

I saw game ratings are whatever.

[7Deadly$ins]

I saw game ratings are whatever.

You what now?

[swanboat]

I think it should be up to the parents to decide, and it depends on the individual kid, and the specific content that got the game an M rating. For example, when my brother and I were young, my parents were fine with us playing Diablo 2 because while it had an M for being violent and gory, it was about killing monsters in a fantasy world with unrealistic, over-the-top visuals. However, they weren't okay with stuff like first-person shooters in real-world settings, which I think is reasonable. Most kids aren't mature enough to process and deal with all the implications of that, regardless of whether it influences their actual behavior.

[Shakirie]

I think it shouldn't be up to the parent alone to decide, even if the kid is young. When I was young and played more mature games, I still acted the same. I hate it when people say that kids are influenced by electronic entertainment in general.

 

I played all sorts of MA games when I was young, GTA and God of War the two I was engaged with the most. Yet I've never done anything save for go to school, go hang out with friends without having to do drugs or anything like it.

[Shakirie]

if it's anything like this i usually just think hey, if they can manage it then let 'em keep it, if not get a refund

 

quit ya *ing 

And I completely agree with you. MA games and R rated movies can only be bought by those 17 and up, 18 and up in some places. The parents sholdn't buy their kids games with those ratings to begin with if they had a problem with them.

Edited August 11, 2012 by SockPuppet Strangler

[Obscure_Trash]

I think it shouldn't be up to the parent alone to decide, even if the kid is young.

Except that is kind of their job. I understand that parents go overboard sometimes. I had a friend in high school whose parents screened every movie they watched and were quite overbearing.

 

But really.

 

Did her not seeing R rated movies actually hurt her? If a child isn't able to play the more mature games is that actually harming them?

 

When I was around three or four, I saw Jurassic Park. Our neighbor had let her twin boys watch it and told my mom it was fine for me, so my mom let me. I loved the movie and wanted to watch it a bunch. When I started calling it "The Monster Movie" she decided she should have stuck with her original instincts and stopped letting me watch it. Believe it or not, that didn't harm me, nor did it scar me for life. ;p

 

~

 

I think that, of course, it depends on the child. But I think in addition to "can my child handle this?" the question of "should my child be handling this at their age?" should also be taken into consideration.

 

When I was young and played more mature games, I still acted the same. I hate it when people say that kids are influenced by electronic entertainment in general.

 

But how can you be absolutely sure they didn't affect you/influence you/change you? I am not saying they did, but how can anybody really accurately judge that - unless we are only counting the most extreme of behavior where it's clear that a video game affected somebody?

[Princess Artemis]

I think it shouldn't be up to the parent alone to decide, even if the kid is young.

So...who would you suggest, outside the parents, ought be doing the job of the parents?

[Ashes The Second]

So...who would you suggest, outside the parents, ought be doing the job of the parents?

This. If the parents cannot use judgement to control mature content, then they should not be parents.

[KageSora]

So...who would you suggest, outside the parents, ought be doing the job of the parents?

That's what I'd like to know. The rating system is designed as a guide to help parents make those decisions, not an absolute law that must be adhered to.

[Shakirie]

Now a days, everything corrupts children. A kid can't step outside without seeing some kind of bad thing going on.

 

I can be sure it never changed me. The only thing that's changed the way I act now is people. I honestly can not stand most of the human race because of their idiocracy.

 

Whether they should be allowed to be parents or not shouldn't be based on what types of games they let their kids play. Games are games. We live in a world where, no matter what a parent does, they're 'harming their kids' in someway. I leave it up to people that actually have a desire to put more humans on this planet to decide.

[Ookami11]

My parents have never followed ratings for games that I should play. I grew up (meaning since age 6 or so, I'm 14 now) on Unreal Tournament (which helped me learn how to type, believe it or not), Quake, DOOM, and Battlefield. No, I am not a violent little prick who takes pleasure in degrading others and disobeying even the smallest demand of my parents. No, my grades aren't flushed down the figurative toilet. I am a straight A student who, in a month or so, will be attending Highschool with getting into all the Accelerated courses.

 

Many think that age defines maturity, but they couldn't be further from the truth. The first time I went online for Battlefield 3 after playing the campaign and building my skills for it, I went on a rather large Team Deathmatch server and after maybe 30 minutes in, having fun as it reduces my stress, I look at the chat and see some guy cussing at me for "hacking" because I was 3rd place, to put it politely. It irritated me that I would be the subject of some rather vulgar language simply for enjoying myself. I didn't even bother correcting them on the fact that I was not a "prepubescent little who missed their naptime." I calmly quit and joined a smaller, more respecting server. That is why I usually stick to games that aren't crawling with immature people, and instead to games where people are always shocked (but not unaccepting) when I tell them my real age, thinking me at least old enough to play the game legitimately.

 

It is not up to the parent to decide how their children should act, and they have minor say in what their children wish to play, but inevidently they have every say in giving that child the game itself. If a parent is concerned that it will affect their child, even if the child wishes for the game, they should not give in and get that game for them unless they have done their research and decide whether or not it's a good idea.

[Cellogeek]

My parents have never followed ratings for games that I should play. I grew up (meaning since age 6 or so, I'm 14 now) on Unreal Tournament (which helped me learn how to type, believe it or not), Quake, DOOM, and Battlefield. No, I am not a violent little prick who takes pleasure in degrading others and disobeying even the smallest demand of my parents. No, my grades aren't flushed down the figurative toilet. I am a straight A student who, in a month or so, will be attending Highschool with getting into all the Accelerated courses.

 

Many think that age defines maturity, but they couldn't be further from the truth. The first time I went online for Battlefield 3 after playing the campaign and building my skills for it, I went on a rather large Team Deathmatch server and after maybe 30 minutes in, having fun as it reduces my stress, I look at the chat and see some guy cussing at me for "hacking" because I was 3rd place, to put it politely. It irritated me that I would be the subject of some rather vulgar language simply for enjoying myself. I didn't even bother correcting them on the fact that I was not a "prepubescent little who missed their naptime." I calmly quit and joined a smaller, more respecting server. That is why I usually stick to games that aren't crawling with immature people, and instead to games where people are always shocked (but not unaccepting) when I tell them my real age, thinking me at least old enough to play the game legitimately.

 

It is not up to the parent to decide how their children should act, and they have minor say in what their children wish to play, but inevidently they have every say in giving that child the game itself. If a parent is concerned that it will affect their child, even if the child wishes for the game, they should not give in and get that game for them unless they have done their research and decide whether or not it's a good idea.

I second that!!!

[Ashes The Second]

Now a days, everything corrupts children. A kid can't step outside without seeing some kind of bad thing going on.

 

I can be sure it never changed me. The only thing that's changed the way I act now is people. I honestly can not stand most of the human race because of their idiocracy.

 

Whether they should be allowed to be parents or not shouldn't be based on what types of games they let their kids play. Games are games. We live in a world where, no matter what a parent does, they're 'harming their kids' in someway. I leave it up to people that actually have a desire to put more humans on this planet to decide.

I played Dragon Age Origins, I played Halo, I played Battlefield 3, ect. I'm going to a private, respectable school, with 2x the skill level in reading a /college/ student has. I'm twice exceptional in everything except Math, am kind, do not attack others' views, and keep mostly to myself.

 

Assuming makes an ass out of you and me.

[Shakirie]

I played Dragon Age Origins, I played Halo, I played Battlefield 3, ect. I'm going to a private, respectable school, with 2x the skill level in reading a /college/ student has. I'm twice exceptional in everything except Math, am kind, do not attack others' views, and keep mostly to myself.

 

Assuming makes an ass out of you and me.

You were the one assuming in this situation. I was merely stating what most people believe. I don't believe that violent games make children act violently or even do terrible in school. I'm going into college with almost half of my gen ed credits finished and most games I play are MA.

[Violletta]

I think the parent should make the ultimate decision if their child can play that game, or maybe even this game. I also think that the parent should keep in mind when they think their child is emotionally ready and is able to handle such new experiences in one game. It's like the "birds-and-the-bees" talk to me. You should give it to them when you think they're ready.

 

Now of course, I despise parents that think kids cannot handle this. Even when they are old enough to know things that they don't even want the parents to know that they know. Is that a confusing sentence? Hope your still following me...

 

I babysit two kids. One of them is 2 years old, the other is 4. Everytime my sister and I go over to babysit, we turn on the Wii and play some games. Now, we play regular games such as Mario Party and Mario Kart Wii. We have even played Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Now, if you don't happen to know the game rating on SSBB-- it's rated T.

 

When I first played SSBB, I was expecting it to be exactly like the previous SSB game. Which it was. I have no idea why SSBB is rated T. To me, it has no serious violence. It's just a bunch of characters smacking around one another. There is no blood, gore, or suggestive killing. The two kids handle it just fine. They think that SSBB is basically fun rough-housing. Bad guys vs. Good guys. They're not scarred. They're not going around kicking people in the face or getting swords and beating other kids to death. Nope, they're perfectly normal boys.

 

So, being that the parents of these two boys told us they were able to watch my sister and I's game play and even allowed to play SSBB says it all. Parents should make the decision, but keep in mind when you think they can handle it.

[TikindiDragon]

It is not up to the parent to decide how their children should act, and they have minor say in what their children wish to play, but inevidently they have every say in giving that child the game itself. If a parent is concerned that it will affect their child, even if the child wishes for the game, they should not give in and get that game for them unless they have done their research and decide whether or not it's a good idea.

Funnily enough it *is* up to a parent to decide how their children will act, if not in quite the way you are thinking. Parenting in the early years tends to define how children will act as they get older - decent parenting normally = good kids.

[Drachenlied]

It all depends on the kid, really. I would trust that a parent knows their child well enough in order to judge what is and isn't right for them. (However, I am against children playing games that are outright violent without and adult supervision - the one time my little brother had come home from his friend's house and told my little sister that he was going to shoot her brains out like he did with the zombies, he got his ass busted and told he wasn't allowed to play that game again. Some kids just don't understand that some things are not meant to be done in real life. Again, parents should be able to gauge whether or not their children are like this. This also applies to my following statements.)

 

Hell, I watched a couple of the Nightmare on Elm Street movies when I was 5-6 years old. I also played mature games, too. It hasn't effected me, except for the fact that it gave me the affinity for horror moves, games, etc.

 

Really, I would kind of endorse exposing kids to "scary" things. I know too many older adults who are scared by the silliest of things (things that are silly to me, anyway.) Usually it's because their parents sheltered them. (My boyfriend can't even listen to me describe a horror movie without getting scared. It boggles me to no end because I never grew up scared about horror related things.) Plus, I think the more you expose a kid, the more prepared for life they'll be. Horrible, violent things happen to good people. Ignoring the fact that they happen is (to me) pointless. Acknowledge the fact and accept it. Maybe, by exposing a kid, they'll become the type of person who puts a stop to those horrible violent things.

 

That's just my opinion, though. I'm hardly what you'd call qualified in child psychology.

[grimace]

Really, I would kind of endorse exposing kids to "scary" things. I know too many older adults who are scared by the silliest of things (things that are silly to me, anyway.) Usually it's because their parents sheltered them. (My boyfriend can't even listen to me describe a horror movie without getting scared. It boggles me to no end because I never grew up scared about horror related things.) Plus, I think the more you expose a kid, the more prepared for life they'll be. Horrible, violent things happen to good people. Ignoring the fact that they happen is (to me) pointless. Acknowledge the fact and accept it. Maybe, by exposing a kid, they'll become the type of person who puts a stop to those horrible violent things.

 

That's just my opinion, though. I'm hardly what you'd call qualified in child psychology.

I completely second this.

[Ashojj]

Its easy for children to get exposed. Look over a couple threads and you see one about prostition (dont google that kids). Google something wrong and you can get bad things. I personly play a game thats 13+ (I am 12) and recently noticed that if you were under 18 you couldnt play without asking your parents. oops. Cause these days people dont give a d### about ratings. If they want to play or watch it they do it. Then its over and they have been exposed.

[satyr76]

I've always known my limits, even when I was little. If a book turned out to be too gory, I'd put it down. If a song I was listenin to was too explicit (and, as I like rap, songs can get pretty bad ), I'd stop listening. Now, at fourteen, I know I can handle more mature books and songs. But I still know there are things I can't handle, like gory movies/games. I don't play M rated games, not because I'm not allowed, but because I don't want to. So really, I think the parents should have a say, but if a kid can handle violent games, I don't think it does too much harm.

[Syiren]

Well, I like to respect the rating system, but I also base it on my own judgement as well. And if the parent wants to get them the game that's fine too. What I don't support is that the clerks, people selling the games *cough*Walmart*cough* don't pay any attention to who is buying the games. Last week I saw a kid that didn't look like he was older than 7 or 8 ask for a bloody, R-rated game. It was one of those war-type games too where killing and bloodshed is pretty much 90% of the gameplay.

 

Now a responsible clerk would ask the kid to get their parents, but these guys, they just pull out their key, slid the door open and hand them the game like it's no problem.

Edited January 6, 2015 by Syiren