"My Four Year Old Son Plays Grand Theft Auto" and other family stories...

SuccessAndBiscuts

New member
Nov 9, 2009
347
0
0
QuickDEMOL1SHER said:
That's.......... Creepy.

I mean at first it seems great, but then when you realize that he embodies exactly what the media says about gamers. That we can't establish a difference between games and real life.
I see where you are coming from but he doesn't really. He might not have known right away that it was a game and not real but kids will make exactly the same mistake with TV or Film.
 

Rhymenoceros

New member
Jul 8, 2009
798
0
0
I first played GTA when I was like 7 or 8. I was never like that kid (to be fair he is gonna grow up and be the next Father Theresa...or Jesus) but at first I only did the missions, they were violent but at least they weren't about killing innocents, normally. Then by the time I was 9 I was going on rampages (which is half the recommended age for playing the game, might I remind you) yet I am now a well balanced 15 year old who is taking 5 or 6 GCSE's early.

Playing video games from a young age hasn't turned my brain to mush as some newspapers claim, which is shown by the fact I got an A* in maths a year early, and I haven't been turned into a psychotic, murderer by playing violent games (like GTA) as a young child, this is clearly shown because I haven't killed anyone and nor do I plan to...yet.

It is more about the environment you play videogames in more than the videogames themselves that affects your development. The kid in the article may be playing a game designed for people older than him but I believe that because he has a caring, responsible father figure with him that he wont be turned into a sociopathic murderer.
 

PAGEToap44

New member
Jul 16, 2008
1,242
0
0
Riobux said:
Not what I honestly thought it would be. I'm astounded that the child played a very controversial game and played it in a manner that was nicer (for lack of a better word) than a game of Super Mario Brothers. I mean, Super Mario Brothers, you're killing things that could potentially be neutral characters that aren't out to kill you but can accidentally in the wrong place, at the wrong time.

While that child was out actually not just dispensing justice, but actually saving lives. All while driving safely and controllably. This is in a game that is actually is notorious for it's violence.

I'm sorry, but I can't just get over what this child did. I'm astounded to no end. Not only that he did morally good things, but he showed knowledge of society and a moral system that is higher than children of the same biological age.
Indeed, if you look at it this way, GTA is not a violent game. Just a game carrying the potential of violence. Of course there's a lot of deeper phsycological stuff when it comes to kids' behaviour like genes and the way they're raised. In other words; Awesome Parents = Awesome Child
 

Blue Musician

New member
Mar 23, 2010
3,344
0
0
Urgh76 said:
My friends, WE HAVE FOUND THE NEXT JESUS!!!!
ALL HAIL THE NEXT JESUS!!

OT: Well, this was kinda fun to read. I hope society treats him well, not like to me when I was just an innocent person.
And seriously, this as very surprising, I expected another article about a 4 year kid who stole a car or something like that. *sigh* things like this make me have a little more respect to humanity.
 

dietpeachsnapple

New member
May 27, 2009
1,273
0
0
Very interesting to see the generation of gamers becoming adults; People versed sufficiently in gaming so that THEY can introduce it to their children as participants.
 

Riobux

New member
Apr 15, 2009
1,955
0
0
PAGEToap44 said:
Indeed, if you look at it this way, GTA is not a violent game. Just a game carrying the potential of violence. Of course there's a lot of deeper phsycological stuff when it comes to kids' behaviour like genes and the way they're raised. In other words; Awesome Parents = Awesome Child
I don't even think it's as simplistic as just saying having awesome parents makes an awesome child. There's countless factors involved in a child's development. As much as people would want to deny it, media does play a large role. There's also schools, the friends he/she makes and even other things like religion.

However, I agree that GTA isn't so much a game that is violent, but rather a game that holds the potential of violence. However, I'd think a better case would be a free-roaming game which doesn't reward or punish people for violent or non-violent behaviour. GTA: San Andres (which I keep writing Sand Andres) rewards players who commit violent deeds by progressing them further into the story. However, if there was a game that allowed you to take the pacifist route or the violent route, I'd fully support that. Hell, I'd support any game that allowed multiple routes to the same story goal.

Say for instance, one mission is to get some rebels or a gang off some land. That they're making a disturbance and they need to be pushed along. You should be able to not only shoot and kill all of them if you want, but you should also be allowed to be bribe them or convince them to move on. However, I think one problem with something like that is that it would be hard to create all the different ways to solve the same problem and cover all ground. Someone is bound to think of an alternative way to solve the gang problem. Things like infiltrating the gang, manipulating them into not just moving on, but also disbanding. Hell, some would want to support the gang. Join them and take part in the fight against the company/government.

However, one pacifist and one violent route at least per situation in a sandbox game would not only be good, but revolutionary possibly. I will also admit that I'd be inclined to only count games that are similar to GTA. It's hard to shove into people's faces the idea of choice, when you're pushing people into a RPG.
 

Blatherscythe

New member
Oct 14, 2009
2,217
0
0
Plank of Wood said:
That child is a winner and needs to be thrown at any anti-games watchdog debates.

We must make a statue for him.
Damn rights, present the little man to Atkinson and Thompson and watch their idealogies cruble beneath his kind unviolent might!
 

manaman

New member
Sep 2, 2007
3,218
0
0
IamQ said:
Adamc-mh said:
Whoa Although I've got to ask why in the first place let your 4 year old play gta its not like I did'nt get the article at all
He knew that it wouldn't affect his son negatively?
The joys of living a free society. Gives everyone enough freedom to forget why they should have it in the first place. You are right in that, and it is up to the parent to decide.

State programs exist for those that prove they do not have capabilities of determining that, but until they prove that they can't nobody should be interfering in the way they raise their child.
 

thethingthatlurks

New member
Feb 16, 2010
2,102
0
0
Normally I'd say something along the lines of "made of win," but that would sound weird. Still, the kid is great! We should all band together and build monuments to him, assuming he won't start killing people for fun in the near future.

I'm also surprised at how well the father handled it. That was actually some really good parenting.
 

razer17

New member
Feb 3, 2009
2,518
0
0
Cid SilverWing said:
This is tragic. Downright tragic.

Don't believe me? [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/100833-Rockstar-Only-Terrible-Parents-Buy-Our-Games-for-Their-Kids]
I am going to assume that you mean the article is tragic? Did you not get the point? Did it totally escape you what the point of that was?

OT: That is awesome. He's probably going to be a great kid. Or kids of that age usually try and be good anyway.
 

Safe in the Dark

What is a man?
Jun 5, 2010
11,861
0
0
Reminds me of when I was 6 and my dad played Deuy Ex,Half life and the Good sonic games with me,God I miss my dad.
 

Ldude893

New member
Apr 2, 2010
4,114
0
0
A model citizen indeed. Jack Thompson is going to have nightmares of that kid.
 

Riobux

New member
Apr 15, 2009
1,955
0
0
Blatherscythe said:
Plank of Wood said:
That child is a winner and needs to be thrown at any anti-games watchdog debates.

We must make a statue for him.
Damn rights, present the little man to Atkinson and Thompson and watch their idealogies cruble beneath his kind unviolent might!
Okay, I'm sorry but I can't stand this longer.

The reason why Atkinson and Thompson is so aggressive towards video-games isn't so much because kids play them and get exposed. It's the longer term effects that poor moral control and being exposed to violent media can bring in terms of development. Just because the child right now is playing nicely on Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, doesn't mean he always will. He will grow up and he will experiment. He'll toy with moral limits. First it'll start with "the crusader, who goes out and kills people who are bad!", then it'll slowly dissolve into someone who doesn't mind shooting an innocent person and then killing cops.

Does this mean Atkinson and Thompson hold a point? No. Yes, video games can cause people to become murderers. However, does it mean video games are the only reason? God no. To put everything down to video games is horribly reductive and ignoring so many factors. There are two parts to someone breaking moral boundaries: The idea of how to do it, and the moral mechanism compromise. The idea of how to do it, yes it can come from games. However, it can come from so many other places as well: It can come from media (watching the news for instance), it can come from history and it can even come from military training. The idea of how to do it is hard to fix and would require complete blockage from all sources of information. This, for obvious reasons, is impractical.

The second part, the moral mechanism compromise, is slightly easier to fix. For a compromise to happen, requires either a very weak moral system (which can be due to poor childhood development, e.g. child abuse or bullying) or a strong motive to do it (e.g. poverty or revenge). However, usually, it's both in one way or another. This is what people should be concentrating on. It's easier to instil a strong enough moral system than to block all knowledge of crime from someone.

Anyway, sorry for that tangent. It's not the initial "I'm playing a game, now I get to be violent!" thing that the moral crusaders have a problem with, it's the development that may occur due to exposure to violence. The development from the child which is shown here to be filled with morals, into a grown adult that doesn't see anything morally wrong with rape and murder. However, as long the child grows up with no comprise of his moral mechanism, he'll be a happy citizen until the day he dies.
 

darth gditch

Dark Gamer of the Sith
Jun 3, 2009
332
0
0
Epic. Win.

Mainstream Media doesn't post things like that because it wouldn't cause an uproar. And the media is trying to sell things. Positive stories generate less controversy than negative ones. And controversy sells papers/cable news/ad space.
 

Abedeus

New member
Sep 14, 2008
7,412
0
0
Redingold said:
Abedeus said:
I think you still don't know that kids below the age of 5 don't know right from wrong, and can be psychopaths even till the age of 9. Seriously, their emotions aren't even developed yet.
They obviously can know right from wrong, because this kid has done it. He may be a rarity, fair enough, but you can't say that all kids below the age of 5 have no morals.
Science doesn't lie. They really are sociopaths.
 

Kurokami

New member
Feb 23, 2009
2,352
0
0
Redingold said:
Abedeus said:
I think you still don't know that kids below the age of 5 don't know right from wrong, and can be psychopaths even till the age of 9. Seriously, their emotions aren't even developed yet.
They obviously can know right from wrong, because this kid has done it. He may be a rarity, fair enough, but you can't say that all kids below the age of 5 have no morals.
Kids are impressionable, if you tell them eating apples is wrong and punish them for it they will go with it until they see that its fine to cross that line. That being said I don't really see that to be much different to morals (though in my perspective morals require rational). As for kids having no emotions developed, that sounds like crap, maybe some more complex emotions but they are very capable of happiness, anger, even guilt.
 

Adzma

New member
Sep 20, 2009
1,287
0
0
A glimmer of my faith in humanity has been restored. Don't worry though, it'll disappear with the next event in Australian politics.
 

fletch_talon

New member
Nov 6, 2008
1,461
0
0
Personally I find it difficult to believe a four year old managed to play GTA with any degree of competence. Though it's been a while since I or anyone I know has been four, so perhaps I'm underestimating the motor skills and comprehension that they are capable of.

Either way my opinion on this is conditional. A game like GTA is fine for young children (probably not as young as 4) provided they are accompanied by their parent. There are other games however that are really just inappropriate, alot of FPS games revolve entirely around killing, you don't have the non-violent options present in GTA. Whilst I definitely wouldn't make claims of "killing simulators" but young children don't need to be exposed to such high levels of violence at that age.