TV News Report Warns of "Cyber-Bullying" on Xbox Live

[Alpha Maeko]

I was expecting them to say something along the lines of Xbox live being the devil's playground, but the advice and tone- for a news broadcast- was actually quite reasonable.

I might agree if I had a kid who played games online, but I also know that it's impossible to keep them wrapped up in innocence forever.

 

[ChickNaney]

I don't really have a problem with letting them play the games, just that they complain about the stuff that their kids see when they play it. I, myself, was playing games like Duke Nukem 3D at age 5, Mortal Kombat 4(I think) at 6 or 7, and Diablo at around that same time. I came out perfectly fine, because my parents weren't lacking in common sense and "taught" me how to differentiate between the games and reality. If you honestly get bothered by being "cyber bullied", then you're too soft skinned for your own good. As someone I know said about cyber bullying, "they're just words. If they get to you, it's because you're too stupid. You can easily fix it with a mute or ignore button, get over it."

 

[-Samurai-]

I feel kind of left out....

...I never get abused over mic.... mabye that because Im on PSN and no one uses a mic (or Im not playing the right games)

What's your PSN name? I'll shoot you a harassing message, then follow you into a lobby and whisper racist, homophobic, antisemitic comments to you. Then I'll follow up with all the classics. I'll call you garbage, a kid, a 30 year old in his moms basement, a baddy, a nub, and I'll tell you to get good, scrub.

and Im a girl so that entitles me to twice as much abuse for the same price right? (cmon! I want the full online gaming exerpeince!...its xsin_r101)

ok..I kid..I kid

Oh man. Now you've opened up a whole new area of "cyber bullying". Sexism. Or sexual harassment. Which isn't really new, but its typically male on male, and hilarious.

Also, I forgot that I'll have to insult your family. It's pretty much a law.

You know, as much as I hate the typical gamer trash talk, some of the best times I've ever had online is listening to a group of people trying to use the same tired insults as a serious insult. I don't participate, though. It just isn't my style.

 

[samsonguy920]

I think we need to be very careful making sure we don't equate *any* negative interaction a child could have with full-on bullying, lest we dilute the term so much it lacks meaning anymore. There`s a world of difference between being beaten up in the school parking lot during lunch hour and being swore at on a service that you can opt in and opt out of at any time by players that you have the option to mute.

And I fully agree that 8-year-olds shouldn't be playing CoD, online or off, to begin with.

I agree. Most of what comes over the earpiece rests nicely in the area of harassment and debasement. Bullying is a much stronger term that deals with actual violence against a person. Now that doesn't mean physical violence only. But it would pretty much require a bit more than one game session to be considering anyone a bully over Call of Duty's headsets.
This article is good because it actually deals with something in gaming that is actually happening. However, it is equally bad because it is just the same rhetoric that we hear time and time again over mature games and kids. This can become a good tool to help encourage parents to be more aware about what their kids are playing or wanting to play. But there is too much room here for someone to blow it out of proportion and end up doing more damage than anything good.
This could easily become ammunition for the likes of Senator Yee and others who want to regulate game sales more. If Activision and other publishers don't want to see their sales getting throttled, then they need to be more proactive about promoting parental awareness in the games they sale. I'm not saying put more words on the box, that doesn't do any good. The likes of PSA's and such would be a far more effective tool in this matter.

 

[Kotaro]

I'd post a Slowpoke image, but I don't think a Slowpoke exists that is slow enough for this...

 

[Berithil]

I really cant think of anything to say that hasn't already been said:
I've known this for years. This is old news..
People act like douchebags on the internet? GASP! SHOCK! It's not like its commonly know that online+anonymity=douchebaggery and immaturity.
Why is your eight year old playing a rated M game to before with? If your letting him/her play COD, logically, I don't think someone swearing online is the biggest of your concerns..

And most people online I hear cussing up a storm sound like theyre eight anyway, so......

I really don't think its that hard to comprehend, right guys?.... Right?..

 

[HalfTangible]

... Call of Duty.

...

They have 8 year olds.

Playing call of duty.

And they are blaming Microsoft.

...

Isn't that like blaming your dog for shooting your kid because he peed on you while you had it trained on your kid?

 

[Comando96]

I'm kind of hoping someone would have a recording of that for future lulz. It sounds like it would be a pretty funny moment.

As soon as she left... or rather after an Admin for the server went on a kicking spree and perma IP banned that kid, the first question asked was "did anyone record that shit?"

I don't think anyone did because most people said no, or I wish I did/could.

I can't believe someone didn't slap the parent or slap the journalist for the news piece.

Parent if I had to choose. The news reporters report whats happening.
Just because they are reporting on stupid parents who haven't thought things through doesn't mean that they should be given a slap. They should be slapped if they don't ask the question "why are you letting your kid play on a game that says 15+/18+ on it?"

 

[Nouw]

I wouldn't really call that cyber-bullying since it's a random yelling shit at you. If they purposely targeted you, moving from game to game that'd be cyber-bullying. At least that's how I see it.

 

[viranimus]

Thank god Ill already be dead by the time they wrap us all in bubbles to protect us from each other, us vicious word sayers us.

Why do people forget that the only one who can give words power, is you? Hell, just this week I got refered to as a villianous pedophile for making a joke about the giant rats in florida are not actually Rats, Its the early assembly of the Republican national convention. And you know what? nary a fuck was given. If I spent all my time getting bent out of shape over someone saying something completely moronic on the internet my heart would have exploded by 2001

 

[Fappy]

I've always said that when I have kids they are not aloud to play games online with voice chat on (unless playing with friends and its supervised or whatever) until they are at least in high school. For all the people who say they hear worse in school: this maybe true by the time high school rolls around but if I heard some of the shit I say now online in a game I was playing when I was 13 I think my brain would explode. People can say way crazier shit than, "You suck dick noob-******".

 

[arnoldthebird]

Tends to happen because most parent's use game's as 'Electronic baby sitters', the world is full of lazy people

 

[waj9876]

Hah...I guess it never really sunk in before just how bad parenting is lately. Guess I should feel lucky to have grown up in a home where that kind of shit wouldn't be tolerated.

Case in point: My guardians took away a T rated game when I was thirteen because an adult they knew (my biological mother) told them it was full of nudity and hardcore sex. She never once told them that it was just her own copy that had this, being modded and all.

Of course they did the same mistake these "I do not care what my child does" parents make as well. They didn't read the rating for the game. Eh, guess it's just a parent thing.

 

[uguito-93]

I still find it really strange that I've had xbox live for about 2 years and still have not had a single 11 year old scream profanities at me.

 

[ranger12116]

Just remember life is unrated. also are Call of Duty games not rated M for strong language as well? and it will say that "Online interactions are not rated by the ERSB" so parents more pewpew less QQ kk? once they leave don't expose them to everything at once,let them learn,life has NO AGE LIMITS, so insted of complaining to a company about something that has been going on for years read the ratings and if you have a problem then leave or ignore it.

 

[ranger12116]

Hah...I guess it never really sunk in before just how bad parenting is lately. Guess I should feel lucky to have grown up in a home where that kind of shit wouldn't be tolerated.

Case in point: My guardians took away a T rated game when I was thirteen because an adult they knew (my biological mother) told them it was full of nudity and hardcore sex. She never once told them that it was just her own copy that had this, being modded and all.

Of course they did the same mistake these "I do not care what my child does" parents make as well. They didn't read the rating for the game. Eh, guess it's just a parent thing.

Dude there are people in middle school kids who are already having sex. yeah parenting has gone to shit.

 

[SL33TBL1ND]

Until they learn to play more civilized games like Magic, it probably isn't a bad idea for parents to pay attention to what is being said over the headsets.

A child this young shouldn't be playing COD in the first place. Teach them Magic instead, it's hard to play at a high level, but I know 8-10 year olds who at least know how to play a basic game.

 

[Jamane]

news report there is swearing racism and homophobia on xbox live which could be interpretted as cyber bullying. next up the sky is fucking blue!

 

[Strazdas]

A father of several boys, Matthew Kinney, said it's important to listen to what you're kids are hearing from other players. "Don't let your kid go upstairs and close his bedroom door, and sit there and play all night," he said. "That's crazy. You have no idea what's going on, who's saying what."

dear father, please die. What is crazy is thnking you can control your childrens private gaming life. you have NO RIGHT to hear what kids are playing. it is THEIR CHOICE.

I've always said that when I have kids they are not aloud to play games online with voice chat on (unless playing with friends and its supervised or whatever) until they are at least in high school.

please dont have kids. We already have enough people with mental disabilities caused by sheltering.

 

[Seanfall]

Here's an idea...don't give your underage kids access TO FUCKING CALL OF DUTY IN THE FIRST FUCKING PLACE! This is why we have an ESRB. But parents don't pay attention to that cause they don't actually want to raise their kids they want to turn on the system let them veg out and go and...I don't know what parents do...whack off? Certainly ain't raising kids oh hell noooooo!

A friend who worked at game stop told me this story. He was working the register when a mother and child walk up to the counter. She was buying Grand Theft Auto. (I'm not which one but does it matter?) The boy, according to my friend, looked a little over 10 maybe 12 or 13. My friend being the helpful sales clerk he was told her that this game was rated for a Teen or an adult and may not be right for the little tyke. The mother replied 'he can handle it'. Two to three hours later the mother returns ranting and raving about what was on the game and why he sold it to her. He said. "I tried to tell you."

So what I'm getting is that parents by and large are lazy, ignorant, and well incompetent. By no means all certainly but in the big picture? Yeah they...shouldn't be breeding.