violent video games

[Sr_Sally]

I’m not sure that video games should be seen as a ‘treat’ or a ‘perk’ over any other activity. That simply raises them to a coveted level. We do allow our children to play video games but also encourage many other activities. Sometimes a treat or reward is a video game, often it is something else-- going to a play, a new book, music. The goal is moderation, but also a realization that video games can be addictive, that playing them can be isolating, and that many of them present immodesty, violence, and other ills as glamorous.

 

[cthulhubryan]

We have a WII and the kids play it sometimes. My son (12) loses interest fairly quickly. My daughter (8) doesn’t enjoy it for long unless someone plays with her.

To this day, I am the only one who can beat her at WII tennis. This may not sound like much but you’ve never seen her go at it.

 

[mom24boys]

I think video games can be very addicting for some personalities. It is amazing how many people play them and claim to not have a problem (I don’t believe it). I was civilly married to a man in my early twenties who played video games whenever he wasn’t working… and he only worked part time… probably 80 hours or more a week. He would use our grocery money to buy video games. I couldn’t leave our baby with him while he was home and I was out working because he would neglect the baby. I had to put the baby in daycare even though he had a dad at home. I know this sounds extreme, but I think it is more common than people want to admit.

 

[likfan748]

One must beg the question and ask, does gaming really need a defense?
A lot of people seem to think that gaming is just a big waste of time. And people who go to defend gaming use the “arn’t games art” example. But if you look at it, it would lead to the other question “is art a waste a time?” And this would lead to “Are music,films and books a waste of time”? Someone could provide examples why some of books,films,music,ect. arn’t a waste of time. But there is still alot of garbage inside these items. And some games actually don’t involve killing prostitutes, and some of them are good. If you look at a game from a different perspective you would see that all it involves is button presses and flashing screens and icons and involving some type of reward system that makes the gamer happy. Now, one may look at this and say “Wow games are really useless”. But if you look at movies don’t they carry the same type of premisise. You stare at a huge projection screen while some type of sequence tes place or you are introduced to some characters. And these moments develop into scenes which follow in some kind of story arc or cliffhanger which makes you want to watch more. Now this can also be said about television. Now with games you actually get some interaction and even sometimes with people. Now that dosn’t mean that you shouldn’t go outside or anything. I like to hang with my friends outside of gaming. So where has all of this lead us? mybe we should take a step back and try to balance our lives with the good and the bad. So do I play a little too much game? Perhaps yes, but nobodys perfect.

 

[3dogs]

My husband and I go back and forth on this issue, and we have learned that many households are the same. We have been fortunate to have a manager at a local game store advise us on the individual games as we purchase. Our son is 10, and while we have on occassion allowed for him to play a T game it is a matter of content. I agree with a previous posting that there is some level of violence in all games. The problem is the peer pressure of the kids. The PS3 and XBox are really for 14 and up because most of the games are more adult in nature. We limit play time to 2 hours aday= no play during school, sometimes on the weekends. During the summer he has been able to earn extra play time, by banking his 2 hours from a previous day. We’ve been creative and flexible.
When we feel it is interfering with who he is, we take it away.The game systems were gifts and I wish we had never allowed them into our home.
Good Luck!
Jo
.

 

[slyboots]

Several of the adults (in our 50s) in our family play Warcraft together. WOW is a good outlet for our frustations.
My 8 year old grand daughter wanted a toon and I let her make one. However, I always sit with her while she plays. I steer her into the less “hack and slash” activities whenever I can. She is a hunter though so animals are “killed” for food, pelts and defence. The pelts are sold to help her make “gold” to buy, I kid you not, pretty dresses to wear.
In our family my toons are known for going through areas without coming into combat at all. I know. People who like to whack NPCs don’t always understand why I would do that. It is a challenge and I enjoy it. Also my two level 80 toons have explored all of the “regions” of Azeroth, the world where the game is played. That is something my grand daughter wants to do in the game.
Anyway, aside from the overuse of alcohol, most of WOW’s violence is fairly cartoonish. A few quests I have declined to do because they contain torture scenerios.
Bottom line to me is to watch over these kiddoes while they play. Don’t let them wander into adult themed games.
But children especially boys seem to find one way or another to play violently. No criticism here believe me. But give a 5 year old shepherd boy a staff in a Christmas play and don’t be surprised when he starts shooting out the ceiling lights with it. “Bang, bang, bang”. (True story).

 

[been2HipHop]

Parents take it from me, I am 23 and grew up with these kind of video games. Video games have little influence on the kids. It is all about the friends they hang out with or, if they are
a leader and not a follower. If they have good friends and your child is a follower than your
child will understand good/bad.

Myself, I was growing up with a few bad apples and well…I grew to be one myself. I did not calm down until yesterday!(literally)

If your kid is a leader than he/she will set the pace at what other kids will become.

It is not the video games, but the mindset of your kid. You must sit down and
educate the child on the rights and wrongs in the video game. If you deprive
him/her of the games, it is not wrong, but once they get a little taste in the future
they might be hooked.

I still play Call of Duty, and NHL but not to the point of paleness.

 

[johngh]

It really depends on the game.

Games such as Call of Duty, Halo, World of Warcraft, etc. I see absolutely nothing wrong with. I grew up playing games like that and I am not in the least messed up by them.

However games like Grand Theft Auto, Postal, and other over the top brutal games I do think should be discouraged. It is of course quite possible to play those games and never be affected by it, but why take the risk?