Letting Kids Play M for Mature Games.
- Thread starter VanityGirl
- Start date
i'v been play "M" games sense i was 10 i and i dont think i change what i did in life at any point in life.
Because clearly none of those problems ever existed before M rated videogames.furnatic said:
OT: I think it all comes down to the maturity of the child. I don't think they should be exposed to anything like over 12s before the age of 10, but as they get older, if the parent knows they're responsible enough to distinguish fantasy from reality, then they can be allowed to play more mature games.
I say drop 15+ games to 13+ and 18+ to 16+.
At 13 you're already exposed to violence in media, whether its on the news or in the history books. There is an added factor with it being interactive violence, but provided the kid isn't a sociopath and has decent parents they'll be fine.
As for the 18+ rating, drop it to 16, because here in Aus you can have sex at 16 (I don't personally think you should) and any extreme violence in a game isn't gonna be super realistic. Even with the most spectacular looking modern games, you can tell its fake.
Then enforce these restrictions... hard.
Someone who hasn't even begun puberty shouldn't be exposed to over the top violence, regardless of how many people here "turned out fine" its not healthy for a child to be exposed to it. Children need to be allowed to be children, Why a 9 yr old or a 10 yr old need to be mowing down civilians for kicks is beyond me.
At 13 you're already exposed to violence in media, whether its on the news or in the history books. There is an added factor with it being interactive violence, but provided the kid isn't a sociopath and has decent parents they'll be fine.
As for the 18+ rating, drop it to 16, because here in Aus you can have sex at 16 (I don't personally think you should) and any extreme violence in a game isn't gonna be super realistic. Even with the most spectacular looking modern games, you can tell its fake.
Then enforce these restrictions... hard.
Someone who hasn't even begun puberty shouldn't be exposed to over the top violence, regardless of how many people here "turned out fine" its not healthy for a child to be exposed to it. Children need to be allowed to be children, Why a 9 yr old or a 10 yr old need to be mowing down civilians for kicks is beyond me.
Game ratings aren't managed by the Federal government, instead by an independent body, the ESRB. Therefor it technically is not illegal to supply a minor with a mature game. It is however illegal for a retailer to sell a mature game directly to a minor.afaceforradio said:
im 15 still and i can play most M games, my mom askes me what it is M for on the ESRB rating system and if she dosen't approve then i don't get the game, simple as that.
i mean seriously, im 15 and my mom BARELY let me get GTA 4, and thats not even the worst of them in terms of content. and yeah she woulden't get me red dead redemtion either so i can tell my mom is informed about the games.
i mean seriously, im 15 and my mom BARELY let me get GTA 4, and thats not even the worst of them in terms of content. and yeah she woulden't get me red dead redemtion either so i can tell my mom is informed about the games.
i have seenn a woman at Walmart trying to return GTA because she bought it for her lil kid and was offended after she heard him playing it. The employee said that they couldnt accept it and she should have read the rating and the reasons for the rating...i laughed because i hate people who ignore the label and then get upset.
I would say that there is a slight mislabeling in game certificates. I think 12's should be 10's, 15's should be 12's and 18's should be 15's and that there should be no 18 rating. However kids under 10 shouldn't be playing games above a 12 at the very worst. I think it's really stupid that parents like the one the OP described buy a game that's clearly unsuitable for children for their 8 year old kids and then blame the games and developers when their kids grow into spoilt, violent little fucks. BUt hey, you can't realisticly tell people how to raise their kids. so their ain't much we can do about it.
I don't think that video games do cause any damage to a child's mental health. With that said, I don't really think that at that age they should be playing games like GTA. The content is still not good. Not mentally scarring, but still not a positive influence. I don't think it would influence any major actions, but it could make them more comfortable with swearing and the like way too early. While swearing in itself isn't damaging, it's still not the best portrayal of a child, and they shouldn't begin spewing it, especially at that age.
And since other people are sharing their personal story on the matter, here's mine. 16 now, 17 in a month. I started playing games like GTA when I was 12. My parents never really cared about the rating on a game, except when it would come to a game with a lot of stigma attached to it, like GTA or Manhunt. At 12, they stopped caring, and would buy me whatever game I felt like provided I gave them my money first. After turning 15, I was told I looked old enough to be about 19-20, so I decided to try to buy an M game. It worked fine, I wasn't even ID'd. Now I just buy whatever I want.
And since other people are sharing their personal story on the matter, here's mine. 16 now, 17 in a month. I started playing games like GTA when I was 12. My parents never really cared about the rating on a game, except when it would come to a game with a lot of stigma attached to it, like GTA or Manhunt. At 12, they stopped caring, and would buy me whatever game I felt like provided I gave them my money first. After turning 15, I was told I looked old enough to be about 19-20, so I decided to try to buy an M game. It worked fine, I wasn't even ID'd. Now I just buy whatever I want.
I would probally think a more simple to understand age system, similar or the same as films set out the same way: U, PG, 12, 15, 18.
In Australia you have to ask for 18+ games which is a shame as when I buy games in a store Browsing random games of all levels is fun.
Unless making the perches of M games harder, like having to show ID, if a parent asks for a game not for them asking for the age of the child and then refusing sale if under age.
But really I dont know there is probally something that can be done. Just got to brain-storm ideas.
In Australia you have to ask for 18+ games which is a shame as when I buy games in a store Browsing random games of all levels is fun.
Unless making the perches of M games harder, like having to show ID, if a parent asks for a game not for them asking for the age of the child and then refusing sale if under age.
But really I dont know there is probally something that can be done. Just got to brain-storm ideas.
I just meant i think its wrong and sad that a parent wouldn't even take the time to read the label or know what the game is about before they expose their children to it. It exposes them to world they don't really understand and shouldn't experience until they're older. It'd be like letting a five year old watch Pulp Fiction.Penguinness said:
Now, I know I wasn't very mature at 5-10 years old, but I pretty much had my dad watching what I did the whole time. Of course, he was a gamer too so it didn't bother me, in fact, he helped me along.
It's because of him I am where I am. The whole argument of parents buying their underage children games is mostly valid, I agree. However, if the parent does have a real interest, games can be used as a serious bonding method. I wouldn't be half as close with my dad if it wasn't for Command And Conquer (Westwood's. The good ones.).
It's because of him I am where I am. The whole argument of parents buying their underage children games is mostly valid, I agree. However, if the parent does have a real interest, games can be used as a serious bonding method. I wouldn't be half as close with my dad if it wasn't for Command And Conquer (Westwood's. The good ones.).
one those case where the Clerk should have just said "sorry madam i can't in good conscience let you buy this game for a 7 year old. How about lego batman? or any of the Lego games?"
but whatever she was warned. She cant *****! Gamestop man did his job.
Fail parenting always a good laugh.
but whatever she was warned. She cant *****! Gamestop man did his job.
Fail parenting always a good laugh.
My parents had issues with me playing rated T games before the recommended age as well as rated M, but I turned out fine.
The main issue I have with kids playing rated M games is more towards the fact I don't want to be listening to them in online multiplayer.
The main issue I have with kids playing rated M games is more towards the fact I don't want to be listening to them in online multiplayer.
When I was that age I was playing games like Pikmin... the most mature game I ever played at that point was Street Fighter II[footnote]However, I was being babysat by someone once when I was a kid and they had this PS1 game I think... it started in this room and they had a magnum that exploded the zombies heads and there was a boss who beat someone to death with a huge concrete pipe I think and had purple blood... anyone know what game that is?[/footnote]... now, I'm a firm believer that kids should be allowed to play whatever they want but this is a bit much. Kids need to be kids, you know? I still had an imagination back then and I would set up pillows to make a makeshift bouncy house at that age. Kids don't need to be trying to act like adults...