I am surprised it has taken them a whole console generation to figure this out. I know online play has been around longer but it has taken off like never before this gen.
TV News Report Warns of "Cyber-Bullying" on Xbox Live
- Thread starter Greg Tito
- Start date
You do know, when it comes to games like "Call Of Duty" these kids shouldn't be on these servers to begin with. If I'm playing a game aimed at a fairly mature, or at least teenage audience, I am not going to conduct myself with the level of decorum that would be appropriate for 8 year olds being around because there aren't supposed to be any around.
What's more if your concerned about "bullying", understand that while I mostly play MMOs, when I run into a young child that shouldn't be in the game (of any sort) I have been a part of efforts to drive them off, because to be honest in a T or M rated game he shouldn't be there to begin with and his continued prescence creates all kinds of problems, one of which is having to be concerned with their prescence and having to walk on eggshells.
To be honest I'm not sure if the community using bullying to chase kids out of a community that shouldn't be there to begin with is a bad thing. That's a form of policing that probably should have already taken place with the parents saying "no" when their little kid wanted the T or M rated game.
Understand gaming is intended to be something where you can put your hair down and relax. A lot of the foul language and uncouth, and un-politically correct behavior is part of that. People who have to play the role of being nice, entirely tolerant, and polite all day at work or at school in the face of a lot of jerks (obnoxious customers, etc...) want to let their hair down and let off some steam. The kind of language and venting (which is just that as opposed to heartfelt racism in many cases) that you see is typical of sitting around with the guys or hanging out in a bar where your known. It's nothing unusual for adults, or even teenagers who we all know aren't exactly the most polite people in the world when they are off on their own kicking back. You don't let 8 year olds wander around unattended in bars or teenage coffee houses for a reason, and that reason isn't just to protect them from human predators or fear that they are going to saunter up to the bar and bite the neck off a bottle of JD like a bad cowboy movie and start guzzling. You let your kid into CoD, or WoW, that's just like letting them hang out in a bar populated by off duty longshoremen (or really anyone), your going to hear crap that doesn't fly in polite society because the entire point is that they are not supposed to be in polite society. When I play a game that isn't suitable for little kids, I do not want to have to act like I would if I was walking around an elementary school.
In short, while many people might disagree with me, I think this is more or less a non-issue. Kids of the age being discussed aren't supposed to be playing anything above the "E" level for a reason, and parents who don't respect tht have no right to complain. What happens to their kid is on them, not the community, or the service providers.
As far as those shocked by the stupidity of parents, understand that this point also isn't really "stupid". It's called "rabble rousing" it's actually very intelligent because the points are being made to incite attention FROM stupid people, knowing that simply because a kid is involved the ignorant are going to rally, which gives the people involved five minutes of fame... and also promotes the "experts" who want to get their books out there to the intended audience. Basically the people who are dumb enough to not understand this are the target, but wouldn't themselves be able to bring this to anyone's attention. Like it or not there are people out there who will embrace anything that tells them their failings as a parent (or anything else) are not their fault, and buy products like books that will tell them what they want to hear.
What's more if your concerned about "bullying", understand that while I mostly play MMOs, when I run into a young child that shouldn't be in the game (of any sort) I have been a part of efforts to drive them off, because to be honest in a T or M rated game he shouldn't be there to begin with and his continued prescence creates all kinds of problems, one of which is having to be concerned with their prescence and having to walk on eggshells.
To be honest I'm not sure if the community using bullying to chase kids out of a community that shouldn't be there to begin with is a bad thing. That's a form of policing that probably should have already taken place with the parents saying "no" when their little kid wanted the T or M rated game.
Understand gaming is intended to be something where you can put your hair down and relax. A lot of the foul language and uncouth, and un-politically correct behavior is part of that. People who have to play the role of being nice, entirely tolerant, and polite all day at work or at school in the face of a lot of jerks (obnoxious customers, etc...) want to let their hair down and let off some steam. The kind of language and venting (which is just that as opposed to heartfelt racism in many cases) that you see is typical of sitting around with the guys or hanging out in a bar where your known. It's nothing unusual for adults, or even teenagers who we all know aren't exactly the most polite people in the world when they are off on their own kicking back. You don't let 8 year olds wander around unattended in bars or teenage coffee houses for a reason, and that reason isn't just to protect them from human predators or fear that they are going to saunter up to the bar and bite the neck off a bottle of JD like a bad cowboy movie and start guzzling. You let your kid into CoD, or WoW, that's just like letting them hang out in a bar populated by off duty longshoremen (or really anyone), your going to hear crap that doesn't fly in polite society because the entire point is that they are not supposed to be in polite society. When I play a game that isn't suitable for little kids, I do not want to have to act like I would if I was walking around an elementary school.
In short, while many people might disagree with me, I think this is more or less a non-issue. Kids of the age being discussed aren't supposed to be playing anything above the "E" level for a reason, and parents who don't respect tht have no right to complain. What happens to their kid is on them, not the community, or the service providers.
As far as those shocked by the stupidity of parents, understand that this point also isn't really "stupid". It's called "rabble rousing" it's actually very intelligent because the points are being made to incite attention FROM stupid people, knowing that simply because a kid is involved the ignorant are going to rally, which gives the people involved five minutes of fame... and also promotes the "experts" who want to get their books out there to the intended audience. Basically the people who are dumb enough to not understand this are the target, but wouldn't themselves be able to bring this to anyone's attention. Like it or not there are people out there who will embrace anything that tells them their failings as a parent (or anything else) are not their fault, and buy products like books that will tell them what they want to hear.
you know, sometimes you have to wonder how bad parents people can be to:
1. buy your kid a game that he is not old enough for
2. not scouting out if it will expose your kids to vulgar and violence
3. not utilizing safety measures that block your kid from communicating with other people
4. not spending time with your kid long enough to realize that he is being exposed to vulgar
5. blaming others for your own stupidity
1. buy your kid a game that he is not old enough for
2. not scouting out if it will expose your kids to vulgar and violence
3. not utilizing safety measures that block your kid from communicating with other people
4. not spending time with your kid long enough to realize that he is being exposed to vulgar
5. blaming others for your own stupidity
People are swearing on the internet, or even then, an M rated game?
At least these people are not biased against video games in general. Or better yet, there are parents who are actually watching their damned kids for once. (aside from letting an 8 year old play Call of Duty.)
At least these people are not biased against video games in general. Or better yet, there are parents who are actually watching their damned kids for once. (aside from letting an 8 year old play Call of Duty.)
Whatever. People have been cussing me out online since I was 12, and I turned out just fine.
People are way too sheltering of their kids. Just because little Johnny hears the word "fuck" every once in a while, that isn't going to turn him into some drug-addicted felon rapist or something. It's also not going to make him kill himself, unless he was already mentally unstable.
Long story short: Parents are stupid. A well-adjusted child is not going to freak out over profanity or racial slurs, nor are they impressionable enough to let it influence them.
People are way too sheltering of their kids. Just because little Johnny hears the word "fuck" every once in a while, that isn't going to turn him into some drug-addicted felon rapist or something. It's also not going to make him kill himself, unless he was already mentally unstable.
Long story short: Parents are stupid. A well-adjusted child is not going to freak out over profanity or racial slurs, nor are they impressionable enough to let it influence them.
Umm....Correct me if I'm wrong, but those games are rated M, right?
Why are parents letting their 8-10 year olds play it?
Why are parents letting their 8-10 year olds play it?
Hold the phone, did I just read parents are bitching about the profanity in xbox live voice chat in games like CALL OF DUTY (rated M for MATURE 18). Now i'm not saying to follow the ratings like some sort of Nazi because I was playing violent video games WELL before 8 but if you're a parent and you buy the little shits M rated games, wtf did you expect to happen?
1) BREAKING NEWS: Lots of people use foul language online! In other news, Obama wins the 2008 presidential election!
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Why the hell are kids that young playing Call of Duty? If you let a kid as young as 8 play CoD Multiplayer, you have no right to complain about what they hear from others.Greg Tito said:
The insults being flung on XBL definitely have the potential to be emotionally damaging to the person on the other side. That's precisely why they get used. But XBL is hardly an isolated incidence, as this is the kind of language that gets thrown around school grounds everywhere. I actually get the feeling that if XBL was truly only populated by people 18+, it would actually become more civil and less profanity ridden. I don't want to advocate parents constantly looking over their kid's shoulders for the sake of policing their kid's free time, but they should take an active interesting in what their kids are doing and do a bit of learning. If parents actually stuck around to play games with their kids, not only would their kids probably respect their parent more and be less of an annoying brat, their kids would probably be more conscientious about how they behave overall. All of this language is going to be picked up at school anyway; it's cool and rebellious, or at least it is for a bunch of hormone riddled kids. At least the parents can set an example towards the kind of civility that people respect.