Go to Windows 7 Insider Guide
Community weekly poll: Keeping violent video games away from children
- 12/5/06 3:35 PM
Who's raising whom?
by cherylgetaws - 12/6/06 6:13 AM In reply to: Keeping violent video games away from children by Marc Bennett
I can't believe that this generation of children have such a narrow scope of interest and the parents don't actively develop other interest. The medical community sits around and wonders why we have a generation of obese youngsters. They sit on their butts in front of an Xbox. Playing Madden is NOT playing football. They need to swim, skate, ride horses, run and yes throw a real ball around. Outside...in the cold fresh air. What a radical idea!!!!! Then you wouldn't have to oversee them blowing up someone's head in a bloodlust video.
VOTE
by howellpr - 12/6/06 6:23 AM In reply to: Keeping violent video games away from children by Marc Bennett
So why do people keep electing people that want to legislate everything from video games to wiping front to back or back to front??
More than one...
by guikenn - 12/6/06 6:33 AM In reply to: Keeping violent video games away from children by Marc Bennett
Vendors and retailers should sell games that represent their ethical standpoints as a company. If you're a "family oriented" business, surely certain games shouldn't be on the shelf. That is more or less an owner decision and not so much a responsibility. The true responsibility lies with the parents at this point in time. Psychologists and study groups have given all kinds of hypothetical links to violent video games and violent behavior but none so convincing enough for any serious federal level laws to be in place. This leaves it as a personal preference as a parent to decide whether you feel a video game is going to be a more effective teacher than you. Do you believe a game can corrupt your child's perception of reality beyond your ability as a parent to teach them right from wrong? Video games, and yes, even violent ones, represent an expression of the industry as much as the player that enjoys them and should remain protected by law, not prohibited. Parental controls and Rating systems exist for a reason.
Parents
by golem3 - 12/6/06 6:46 AM In reply to: Keeping violent video games away from children by Marc Bennett
There is a certain aspect about the US government - a negative liberty that we can be free from government.
It's not like Video Games are something life-threatening to humans. On the contrary, as a light gamer, I find that it enhances my senses and keeps me a bit sharp. Turns out I wasn't wrong, and that games do improve motor skills, and may improve the overall brain.
That's another subject through.
The government doesn't need to step into people's lives when it isn't necessary. Parents know how to raise their children, and if they don't then the kids will rebel and get their way after 18. I do feel bad for those kids with terrible parents!
This is a tough one - all of the above?
by photobuff55 - 12/6/06 7:01 AM In reply to: Keeping violent video games away from children by Marc Bennett
While my first instinct is to respond, "the parents," in reality it's not always feasible. I have 4 kids, currently ages 14, 17, 21 and 25. Of course you can choose what to buy for them while they're small, but at some point in their life, usually in high school, kids begin to move away from allowing us to parent them, and this is as it should be - they need to learn and be independent as they prepare to enter the real world of college and/or work. By age 16 they are driving and working and have their own income and transportation, and I know from first-hand experience you can't always know what they're buying in the stores, never mind control their purchasing habits. My son repeatedly brought home the violent games but was very careful to not let me know. He also became involved in other war-type activities such as paintball battles. I had no idea at the time, deliberately so on his part, since he knew I wouldn't approve. So while the responsibility is on the parents, the parents need help to enforce it. We need ratings on content, and we need laws to go along with the ratings, so that if a game is extremely violent it can only be bought by someone who is 18 or older. We rate movies and TV programs, why not games? You can't buy cigarettes or alcohol until you're 21, why not games? There are studies that prove those who play the violent games become violent as adults. My son is currently in the army stationed in Baghdad, so I guess he fits that profile. At least he's doing it in a constructive and patriotic way. Too many turn to robbing banks at gunpoint instead.
NO ONE GETS IT!
by photobuff55 - 12/6/06 7:13 AM In reply to: Keeping violent video games away from children by Marc Bennett
It's not about WHO is responsible. Obviously, in the end, it's the parents. But at some point you cannot control - nor should you - what your older child is doing with their life. IT'S ABOUT HAVING THE TOOLS TO BE A GOOD PARENT. We have a terrific home. We don't smoke, we don't drink, we don't fight (at least in front of the kids), we have family time, we go to church, we enforce discipline, but in the end it's up to the kid to choose how to live his/her life. My son bought these games on the sly with his own money, and I had no idea at the time because he was very careful to keep it secret, knowing I would not approve. He's fulfilled his "violent" tendencies as an adult, he's now in the US Army serving in Baghdad. But if there had been ratings, and laws to enforce them, he would not have been able to buy them secretly or otherwise. Even good parents need tools and resources to help them!
Who Else!
by cheezdoodles1 - 12/6/06 7:39 AM In reply to: Keeping violent video games away from children by Marc Bennett
Who else but the parent. If the parent doesn't care, who will?
Parents should be the first responsible party BUT...
by emingus - 12/6/06 8:12 AM In reply to: Keeping violent video games away from children by Marc Bennett
Aren't at least SOME of the video game developers parents? You'd think parents worldwide would want to protect their children from violence and sexual misconduct. I want to hear from parents that actually work inside this industry.
Keeping violent video games away from children
by jorgesolo1 - 12/6/06 8:26 AM In reply to: Keeping violent video games away from children by Marc Bennett
Why I said parents, because they are the responsible for everything that is good or bad in their family. If the government allow it to be build or done, we can program our children to be careful of the bad influence it's going to cause.
The zoo is allow to exist in the city and parents take their children to see the cobras and other dangerous animals but they take care of then by not allowing then to get close or try to touch them. the same with the video games, is my house my system and I will not allow my children to play something I believe is bad for their healthy mind.
So in my opinion is my responsibility to take care of my love ones.
PARENTS!!!
by maggiepoolwater - 12/6/06 8:51 AM In reply to: Keeping violent video games away from children by Marc Bennett
I'm a gamer.....and I'm a parent. If my kids play a new game at a friends, I'll ask them to have the friend bring the game over. My kids know I'm a gamer, but when their friends find out, they look for excuses to bring games over. My "thumbs up" or "nuke it" reviews go a long way, especially when I explain the reasons. Having one daughter suffer seizures from certain video games, it's easy to relay the importance of monitoring the games they play. Realizing that there could be other harmful effects from those games becomes very believable. "Don't try this in real life-leave it to the professionals!" lol
Video games away from children
by craigel2 - 12/6/06 9:11 AM In reply to: Keeping violent video games away from children by Marc Bennett
As a parent I feel that I am the last line of defense in the protection of my children, it is up to us to police and teach right from wrong to our kids.
All the above
by Ken_Evans - 12/6/06 9:21 AM In reply to: Keeping violent video games away from children by Marc Bennett
As a parent, I limit the types of games my children play, and how much time they consume. I love video games, but I've come to grips with what I played as a child and what is being presented to my children. I played Astroids, PONG, ATARI games, and Pac-Man. There was no blood, no gore, no sex, no drugs, no cussing when I started out.
Parents are, of course, the first place a "filter" should begin. We are the responsible party for not only what types of video games our children should play, but also what TV they should watch (I haven't had a TV for 12 years).
What sickens me is the lack of responsibility that parents in todays world have shown. There is no discipline. I've even worked in special homes where some parents had children to receive more welfare funds. I am currently signing up to become a foster parent, and it's amazing what we have for "parents" today.
However, because of that lack of responsibility in America today, I also feel that the Government should be slightly involved in simply enforcing that some games should not be sold to minors... period.
I also wish that game developers would take some responsibility in this area. Unfortunately, money talks first. I'm sure vendors follow suite by selling to make money, and very little on either part has been done.
It's sad to me that children under the age of 10 can play video games like Grand Theft Auto, which promotes violence, sex, and drugs.
The Associated Press did issue an article some time ago, that proved that violent games shape our youth today. The effects diminish considerably after the age of 18.
Keep in mind, America is the #1 place for violent video games, and also gruesome, psycopathic horror flicks. Also keep in mind, that America is the #1 place by more than twice ANY other country in the world with psycopathic killers.
I wonder often if there's a link between the two. Many instances like Columbine suggest there is!
Violent Games
by Benf - 12/6/06 10:42 AM In reply to: Keeping violent video games away from children by Marc Bennett
The Government needs to step in, Parents dont care and are to busy to care, after all, Mom and Dad work and drop junior off at pre-school so someone else can raise the child during the day, at night it's dinner, chores and bed, no time for junior except on the weekends, if the parents have time, when junior is old enough he takes care of himself.
The retailer is too concerned with making money to care who buys his games, if you have money you get the game.
Game developers will produce whatever will make money for them, whether its porn or violence, money is what drives them, not morality.
The Government is not a great choice , full of self serving and corrupt people that dont really care either, they can occasionaly be scared into passing meaningfull legislation if threatned with the loss of their job so it looks like there the best of the lot in this case.
Parents are responible
by bcheihn - 12/6/06 11:17 AM In reply to: Keeping violent video games away from children by Marc Bennett
Parents are most responsible. It is the obligation they undertook when they decided to have kids. The government is too inefficient, too big to handle the problem. They would enact legislation that is useless or too prohibitive. (Obviously you can see my opinion of Government). As for vendors, retailers, developers; their goal is profit and if it sells then they are all for it until public opinion (by way of the cash register) sways them, as it should be. Let companies continue to develop products and parents can determine what is best for their family.
Parents are responsible.
by Stryker53 - 12/6/06 11:32 AM In reply to: Keeping violent video games away from children by Marc Bennett
Parents are responsible for what there kids do at home.
Store clerks should be required to see proof of age when purchasing violent games just like when minors try to buy tobacco.
| Forum legend: | |
 |
Locked thread |
 |
Moderator |
 |
CNET staff |
 |
Samsung staff |
 |
Norton Authorized Support team |
 |
AVG staff |
 |
Windows Outreach team |
 |
Dell staff |
 |
Intel staff |
