gaming Why do parents buy their little kids mature video games?

[Champion RD92 8,655]

You know what gets on my nerves? I always see these parents buying extremely violent, mature video games for their children who are like 4 years old, and I'm just like "Are you kidding me???" How bad of a parent do you have to be to buy your 4-year old child a game like Grand Theft Auto??? And the cashiers even tell the parent that it contains extreme violence and nudity and strong language, and then the parent is just like "yeah whatever i dont care."  Seriously though, am I the only one who thinks little kids should really not be playing games like that??? 

[FoxyCryptid 4,328]

I consider it debatable if you should be buying anything outside maybe very simple DS and Wii games for a kid that young. Mature content aside I don't even know if they'd have the cognitive ability to play anything that complex.

 

I can't talk much though, I was playing Mortal Kombat and such in like Kindergarten.  

Edited November 7, 2013 by Shoboni

[Jokuc 8,172]

Well I agree. I remember that I used to be really annoyed by the fact that my friend were playing gta san andreas when it first came out. And we were way too young to play those games back then.

 

Then again, I watched gory horror films at the age of 10 so I shouldn't say anything xD But I did that myself, it wasn't my parents who were okay with it.

[Floris 287]

A rather delicate matter.

 

It all comes to down on how people are different, one parent might be over-protective and might not allow videogames to be even in the house because they believe it will have a bad impact on them.

 

While other parents like the ones you were talking about don't care at all, they probably believe video-games aren't harmfull towards children at all.

 

That said; It also depends on the child, one might get scared but the other will forget about it the next day.

 

 

But I personally think that quite the amount of game ratings are quite inaccurate.. More then enough "youngsters" are playing 18 rated games without gaining any trauma's or anything.

 

 

As long as a parent keeps an eye out how their kid responds towards the game.. It should be fine, IF they would become more violent or starting to use more swear words the parents need to tutor them that this is bad.

 

If their child just enjoys the game and doesn't take any of its negative vibes into reality.. There probably is no harm.

Edited November 7, 2013 by Floris

[Armchair Adventurer 211]

I think it depends a lot on the given child. I'm not gonna lie I have been playing Grand Theft Auto since a pretty young age too. It didn't affect me all that much I believe. Though today's games are a lot more graphic. If I was a parent, I definitely wouldn't like my children to get their hands on stuff like GTA V. Not until they are mature enough to fully understand it. Which comes for everybody at a different age I believe.

 

Still, 4 year old kids? Yeah,that is way too young. I still would allow my children to play games if they wanted to but I would maintain a lot of control over what they play.

[Champion RD92 8,655]

I consider it debatable if you should be buying anything outside maybe very simple DS and Wii games for a kid that young. Mature content aside I don't even though if they'd have the cognitive ability to play anything that complex.

 

I can't talk much though, I was playing Mortal Kombat and such in like Kindergarten.  

 

I wasn't allowed to play any kind of violent video game when I was a kid. My mom was very very strict about it. Actually, she was a bit too unreasonable about it, she wouldn't even let me play games like GTA until I was like 18 rofl. 

 

But seriously, I would never buy my kid a mature video game unless they were like 14 at least. Kids younger than that really shouldn't be playing those kinds of games in my honest opinion.

[Red Diamond 549]

"Mom can I please have Call of Duty: Ghosts? I swear I will be mature! Please please PLLLLEEEASSSSEEEE?"

 

When the boy gets home:

 

"STUPID BUCKING F*****! GO TO HELL!"
 

[Floris 287]

"Mom can I please have Call of Duty: Ghosts? I swear I will be mature! Please please PLLLLEEEASSSSEEEE?"

 

When the boy gets home:

 

"STUPID BUCKING F*****! GO TO HELL!"

 

 

This post is very useful and relevant towards the question that was asked.

 

 

*Slight hint of sarcasm*, if you didn't notice.. yeah..*

[FoxyCryptid 4,328]

I wasn't allowed to play any kind of violent video game when I was a kid. My mom was very very strict about it. Actually, she was a bit too unreasonable about it, she wouldn't even let me play games like GTA until I was like 18 rofl. 

 

But seriously, I would never buy my kid a mature video game unless they were like 14 at least. Kids younger than that really shouldn't be playing those kinds of games in my honest opinion.

 

By the time I was like 14 my mom had pretty much let go of the reins on anything that wasn't like straight-up porn when it came to media because I matured fairly quick when it came to handling adult content. 

[Cyan Blue 946]

I am a young brony but I have actually no clue.

 

I might be sort of a hypocrite but I am almost 13 and I play Ghosts, Borderlands, etc.

 

I do have some limits though, like no GTA5

 

My parents make me do well in school to get the games, so that may be a reason why.

[GrauWitz 1,010]

I can't complain, I've been playing Quake and Half-Life when I was 4 and now I'm playing GTA 5 at the age of 13! Probably because my Dad loves these kind of games and has been recommending them to me. He's cool

[Renon Strike 67]

Games like GTA V are not meant for little kids even the company that makes it could tend to agree , but kids get exposed to so much things in this world that it really doesn't surprise me none the less, i was at EB and a young kid i think 5 to 6 years old  picked up a copy of the game and i told him that sort of game is not for you and someone as i presume as his sister told me that his parents already bought the game, i was pretty shocked. Usually i wouldn't mind letting kids be exposed to mature life lessons, but i don't think GTA V is a good medium for kids to learn about mature things..they have public sex scenes, and other adult themes that can scar a kid..that mother was probably shocked to see his son look at that and probably regret buying the game.

 

But then again I'm also not the best example of a role model for kids, in a family get together my cousin who is 12 years old watched me played dishonored with his brother who is at my age, sometimes when you kill someone in a game..you can literally lob off they're heads and when my cousin saw that his brother alright time to play another game.

[Scootalove 10,684]

I guess the parents don't really care about what their children play, so they just buy the games for them no questions asked.

[Megas 27,176]

What gets me more is when parents complain about violent content in said game, even when they are warned about it.

 

The ESRB and that F***ing M-rating exists for a reason butt-nuggets

Edited November 7, 2013 by Rusty Shackleford

[Dr. Vojislav Seselj 691]

I was playing C:DS2, Blood Wake and CoD2 when I was like 6, GTA:SA at 9.

I find it really hard to believe, unless you were born in a puritan family or something. :/

[MLPForums Phanact 1,374]

Kids should be able to play what ever video games they want as long as the parents make it clear that violence is acceptable only in video games and never in the real world.

 

It's not the video games that create killers, it's the parents that don't help their child distinguish the reality from the imaginatory.

 

Edit: To the parents whose kids swear when they're playing CoD and other games, all it takes is a slap round the ears each time they do it to make them realise they should stop.

Edited November 7, 2013 by Ella_Ess

[Wingnut 6,738]

This sounds like an extreme case too.  The maturity "rules" are bent in most households, no doubt.  And there are plenty of reasons for that.  One of my relatives had several children, the youngest of whom was about 8 at the time.  Now if she were an only child or the oldest child, I can see avoiding violent games and cartoons like South Park.  But in a home with older kids, she adapted to her brother and sister having access to mature stuff and it didn't harm her in any way that I could see.  An important thing is that a game like that gets introduced with proper guidance and supervision. 

[Fluttershyfan94 5,738]

Well depends on the age, I was playing Gta with my little sister and she is way too young to be playing it but you know she wanted to try it out. She was only driving in it, nothing more.. I don't see a problem unless the kid is too young like 4-6 years old. When they're like 10 I think it's okay, I used to play gta with my friend and many other violent games at a younger age I think. So I guess it's okay but back then games weren't as realistic like they are today. So I guess I should raise it from ten to twelve, as long as you realize it's just a game then it's okay. I let my little sister play skyrim and it's mature, so whatever it depends on the maturity level I guess.

 

So I guess yes and no, as long as they are mature enough it's okay but I guess kids younger then 12 may not be mature enough..

[Koelath 444]

You know what gets on my nerves? I always see these parents buying extremely violent, mature video games for their children who are like 4 years old, and I'm just like "Are you kidding me???" How bad of a parent do you have to be to buy your 4-year old child a game like Grand Theft Auto??? And the cashiers even tell the parent that it contains extreme violence and nudity and strong language, and then the parent is just like "yeah whatever i dont care."  Seriously though, am I the only one who thinks little kids should really not be playing games like that??? 

 

I'd say a kid that young shouldn't play GTA simply because they'd be unable to appreciate the stories and satire. The violence and "mature" content are a complete non-issue. It doesn't make anyone a bad parent to buy that stuff. Kids aren't brainless imbeciles and it will not magically turn them into murderers or porn stars or anything. Anyone who actually believes that paranoid dreck, they're the ones who are bad.

[The Elusive Cinder 1,328]

When it comes to video games, parents tend to fall into a number of broad categories. The problem lies in: 
 
1. Ignorance: "Games aren't as graphic as films, how could they be? They're not real people!"
2. Confidence: "Our child knows the difference between a game and real life, so we don't need to be concerned."
3. Indifference: "Let him have what he wants, and let him learn from his own mistakes."
4. Cultural stupidity: Out of respect, I'm not going to leave an example of this. Suffice to say it involves the type of people who are perfectly aware that a game is inappropriate for a child, but telling them just incites snigger's or violence. You know the type.
 
Now, the first three of these aren't inherently bad. I myself was exposed to violence in games from an early age thanks to a combination of 2 and 3 and I turned out just fine. Apparently. Each of these is a fault that had strengths and weaknesses. For example: I would not be so desensitized to violence, horror or gore. To stress or anger, if I had not been left to my own devices when gaming. It worked out as a boon to me - I think I turned out fine.
 
But that doesn't mean its the right thing for parents to do.

 

Games don't make it easy: with Call of Duty churning out a new murder simulator every few months. (C'mon guys, it is. Sure it's fun, but it's an adult game that's barely about war any more - it's a murder simulator.) among others, a lot of kids don't make the distinction between game and reality. 

 

You know whats sad? There was an army recruitment stand in out town center, about 18 months ago. A kid runs up to the stand and shouts out "Cool! Is it like Call of Duty? Can I shoot up the Russians?"

 

This kid cant have been older than seven or eight, and he thinks that war is great. Why? I love war games: I play Battlefield 3, W40k (Tabletop and the videogame), all sorts. But it's just wrong that an eight year old has been brought up to glorify killing. Whether you're religious or not, ask yourself what happened to teaching them about the sanctity of life?

 

So you can hardly blame the parents 100% - some of the fault is with the industry for changing what a 'game' is. Some of the fault is our own for giving them our money to fund these changes.

 

It's all of our faults.

 

...

 

Okay, Sorry I got a little carried away. I used to work in GAME (or gamestation, back before they merged, which is basically England's version of gamestop for all you Americans.) and its an issue thats close to my heart. Games get made the designated villain because of things like this, and it's not fair to the industry.

[Malinter 3,064]

Its simple: They are idiots.

 

They are wilfully pissing over the very rated gaming system that is supposed to protect their kids form inappropriate content.

Its just like leaving kids unsupervised on a computer with not filters or parental controls.

 

Ofcourse if they get called out on this they won't admit to being lousy parents they'll just make lots of noise and blame the game, the game they bought for for there children's behavioural problems.

[PinkiePieJr 122]

I personally think that it is one of the most stupid and dangerous things you can do to a child. I don't play these horrible games like GTA, because for that very reason. To much violence, cussing, nude. What exactly does it teach? That being bad is perfectly fine. I think it's awful that these kind of games exist. And to those who don't think it effects you, well it does. Crime in today's world has only gotten worse. Many people who were convicted from crime or murder admitted they were influenced by video games. And this is coming from "mature" adults, who should know better. No 5 yr. old understands what they are doing. But their brain is developing. If people are teaching their kids violence with these video games, then they WILL grow up to be a violent person. It's just how the brain works. It's so frightening. It's why I stay away from these kind of games.

[Malinter 3,064]

I personally think that it is one of the most stupid and dangerous things you can do to a child. I don't play these horrible games like GTA, because for that very reason. To much violence, cussing, nude. What exactly does it teach? That being bad is perfectly fine. I think it's awful that these kind of games exist. And to those who don't think it effects you, well it does. Crime in today's world has only gotten worse. Many people who were convicted from crime or murder admitted they were influenced by video games. And this is coming from "mature" adults, who should know better. No 5 yr. old understands what they are doing. But their brain is developing. If people are teaching their kids violence with these video games, then they WILL grow up to be a violent person. It's just how the brain works. It's so frightening. It's why I stay away from these kind of games.

 

 

Thats not quite true. A lot of people play GTA (me included.) Sure its got death and explosions everywhere in it but that doesn't mean i'm gonna do it. And it doesn't effect me because I know shooting someone in the face in real life isn't nice, just as I know taking drugs will leave me dead. Games are not responible for violence if played by an adult who knows basic human values.

 

Giving the game to a child however who is still growing and developing mentally and pyshically however is bad. They have yet to develop a true understanding and are more likely to be influenced by the game's content. But even this isn't a universal truth. alot of folks played DooM when that came out and they didn't grow up into angry marines with mini-guns.

 

Still. Parents really should heed the ratings on games and stop thinking that just because it didn't effect them that it won't effect the child, they should also stress the importance to children about waiting until they are the right age before playing or watching certain things.

[ReverseFaller 2,483]

I remember my first M game was Call of Duty: Black Ops, I was 14 when it came out. Prior to that the only M game I ever played was Halo 3, and that was just at a friends house. Ahh, memories...

 

I guess in the end it's the parents decision. The ratings on the game case are there for a reason. If the parent knowingly buys their kid an M game then I just hope the parent thinks their kid is mature enough to handle it, and they aren't just buying the newest Call of Duty game for their 10 year old as a babysitting device.

[PinkiePieJr 122]

Thats not quite true. A lot of people play GTA (me included.) Sure its got death and explosions everywhere in it but that doesn't mean i'm gonna do it. And it doesn't effect me because I know shooting someone in the face in real life isn't nice, just as I know taking drugs will leave me dead. Games are not responible for violence if played by an adult who knows basic human values.

 

Giving the game to a child however who is still growing and developing mentally and pyshically however is bad. They have yet to develop a true understanding and are more likely to be influenced by the game's content. But even this isn't a universal truth. alot of folks played DooM when that came out and they didn't grow up into angry marines with mini-guns.

 

Still. Parents really should heed the ratings on games and stop thinking that just because it didn't effect them that it won't effect the child, they should also stress the importance to children about waiting until they are the right age before playing or watching certain things.

If you know it's wrong to kill, and rape, and whatever in real life, you say you don't do it. But why exactly is it any different in a game? Just because you may not be doing it physically, does not mean now it's alright to do. That's why I don't do it. If you know it's wrong, why do it?