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Community weekly poll: Keeping violent video games away from children
- 12/5/06 3:35 PM
Violence has been around WAY before video games hit the scen
by asktheadmin - 12/6/06 11:04 AM In reply to: Video games ARE causing violence by robertopaolozziIf you know anything about history, you know that eras are marked by wars. Violence is as common as people, and it isn't going to change anytime soon. Maybe when adults stop killing each other for whatever reason, then it may be time to cut the violent video games. But America, and every other country in the world, were built and organized through murder, rape, genocide and other atrocities. Most of the countries and governments of the world have been ensconed in blood and guts. As a matter of fact, the worst wars in history were religious. Does this mean that we need to ban kids from churches?
So to try to insulate your kids from video games is totally specious, as all they have to do to see violence all day long is to turn on the news or a stupid talk show or stupid "Judge Slap-Em" show. If your kid is going to be influenced to be a violent attacker or killer by playing a video game, I don't think the kid is too stable and/or the parent(s) aren't doing their job. Every study that I've seen on the video games have not been able to link any real cause-effect relationship between kids playing violent video games and perpetrating violence. I let my kid play them, but I do limit his playing time for other reasons. The bottom line is that while you don't want to turn your children into adults before it is time, you don't want to hide them from reality either. No use in having your kids believe all that lovey-dovey B.S. P.R. that we get from television for them to eventually have to do a mind flush and embrace reality...
parents are responsible ...
by slimbobwe - 12/6/06 12:46 AM In reply to: Keeping violent video games away from children by Marc Bennett
parents are responsible for everything that happens to their children, whether in their presence or not. Parents cannot blame anyone but themselves for the amount of time a child/teenager, etc spends in front of the tv or a vidgame console.
Parents need to keep track of their children
by GreenMunky - 12/6/06 1:01 AM In reply to: Keeping violent video games away from children by Marc Bennett
I am a 25 year old male who grew up on video games. I got my first gaming system in 1986... The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and began playing violent video games at the tender age of 5. I started by spitting fireballs and jumping on and squishing goombas as Mario. Then I learned up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, A, B, Select, Start... and in doing so I got to play Contra from beginning to end, indestructible with all the bloody weapons I wanted. From there things progressed until I got into late elementary school and middle school fighting as Ryu, Ken and Blanka on the SNES in Street Fighter II. Then... there was the ultimate in violence... DOOM and MORTAL KOMBAT!!! I got to buzz through Imps with a chainsaw, rip my enemies heads off with their blood-dripping spinal chords still attached and I even got to do it against my little brother and my best friend across town (cause we had modems back then and they were cool). But alas... since then Congress has started taking the responsibilities of raising children away from the parents and instead granted custody to the corporations. Now... instead of parents actually educating themselves on the things that their children watch and play they have little symbols that come right on the box: E, T, and M (those three being the most common and relating most succinctly to movie ratings PG, PG13, and R). But even when THAT happened parents still wanted more to be done... so there was the invention of the V-chip so that parents could trust a machine to look after their child so they wouldn't have to... and Net Nanny which didn't work because it blocked the Disney website on our first computer that had internet access. And NOW... you can even put password-protected parental controls on video game consoles (I know that the PS2, XBox 360 have them) but parents STILL either don't want to educate themselves enough to learn how to use such controls (if they even know that they're there) or they don't want to have to upset little Johnny because he can't play Halo 2 with his friend down the street because his friend's parents are "cool" and don't restrict the games he gets to play on HIS XBox. There's a very simple solution to all of this... PARENTS, for the love of God, all you have to do is talk to your children about the things you feel are appropriate and inappropriate... THEN listen to how your children feel about those things and reach some kind of compromise that you can both live with. If you think that your child is capable of going to school with a gun to kill a fellow student or a teacher then the problem lies in your parenting skills, not the games he's/she's playing or the movies they're watching. Quit casting blame on everyone else when you know damn well that the blame lies with you. If you need more help then just go to Barnes and Noble, browse the Self-Help section and find a book called "Parenting for Dummies." If that insults you then maybe you should've given the child up for adoption to that a real parent could instill values and morals in your child. And for the record... I grew up playing violent video games... I've never been in a fight... I've never fired a gun at or near another human being... and I don't want to. I just got married a week and a half ago and when I decide to have children I'm going to play video games with them and every time my child kills a monster from outer-space with a laser gun I'm going to make sure that my child understands that it's just a video game and that real people don't do that kind of thing in real life. Okay... I'm done now... if you've made it this far and you agree I'd like to hear about it. If you don't agree... you're entitled to your opinion (but just remember... it's YOUR responsibility to take care of your children and to monitor their viewing/playing habits... it's no one else's).
It is the parent's job!
by tarasman - 12/6/06 1:01 AM In reply to: Keeping violent video games away from children by Marc Bennett
If a kid saves up the money, and asks for an inappropriate game, it is our job to say "no." If somebody buys an inappropriate game for our kids, it is our job to take the game away. If they buy a mature rated game, without asking, it is our job to take it away and ground them to their room. It is also our job to keep the volume down on the t.v., so they don't hear us playing the game we took away from them.
We don't need more laws, just more parenting!
Depends on the age and upbringing of the child
by Jill - 12/6/06 1:39 AM In reply to: Keeping violent video games away from children by Marc Bennett
If a parent has a good relationship with the child/ren, is patient, listens and hears what is being said, and discusses problems without threatening, so there is always a win-win situation, then there wouldn't be a reaction to parent applying a violence filter - there are plenty of hosts sites prepared to supply them. On the other hand if a parent has used TV as a "nanny" for the child/ren from an early age,while they are busy doing other things, they can expect erratic behavior, bullying, lying and stealing. That type of behaviour only escalates as they get older, because movies, videos, DVDs and video games are part of the child/ren's view of the world.
Developers...
by ohwell8 - 12/6/06 2:44 AM In reply to: Keeping violent video games away from children by Marc Bennett
I think this is a no-brainer. If the developers did not produce the content we would not have violent video games. Thus, this discussion would not be needed.
Parents IF ONLY!
by herbertc - 12/6/06 4:03 AM In reply to: Keeping violent video games away from children by Marc Bennett
Sadly many parents do not see the dangers, others are just not interested. Those who care are in the minority.
Both the Developers and Vendors are only interested in making money and lots of it whatever the cost.
Federal or local government could make a difference but have to be instructed to do so.
Legislation would be unpopular but is there an alternative?
Parents - Who's definition?
by zclayton2 - 12/6/06 4:47 AM In reply to: Keeping violent video games away from children by Marc Bennett
What I think is unsuitable for my step children will differ from what their father thought, but is more in line with what my wife thinks. What I think is ok is different from what my sister thinks is ok. When you have that much difference in a family, who is the self appointed gatekeeper to tell anyone else what is appropriate? Know your children's friends and their parents and let them know what you do or don't approve of as entertainment. Once they are out of your sight those are the only guidelines that will matter - outside of how much you do or (sadly) don't trust your kids to follow your rules.
Absolutly Not the Government
by zclayton2 - 12/6/06 4:55 AM In reply to: Keeping violent video games away from children by Marc Bennett
Would you trust a group of people who have said that torture of prisoners is okay? That subjugation of an entire race was alright until the 60's? That an entire class of people who want to serve their country and put their life in danger in that service can't -simply because they may not be attracted to the "correct" gender?
With the Federal bar set that low, they have no standing, credibility, or moral ground to determine what is appropriate for my children to see or play.
So true
by jdbwar07 - 12/7/06 1:56 AM In reply to: Absolutly Not the Government by zclayton2Like I've said, this is simply a bogus issue to distract from the damage they're doing. They want to ban violence in games, but yet they support it in real life (torture, indefinite detentions, war based on lies, etc.). Frankly, I'm amazed that people actually listen to them and get riled up every time they manufacture a "crisis" like flag-burning or video games.
Parents should only do this
by Fuzzerelli - 12/6/06 5:09 AM In reply to: Keeping violent video games away from children by Marc Bennett
Parents should only do this and not depend on the government, game makers, retailers, etc. They are the first line in defense as far as keeping violent games away from children. And their decision will have the final say on this matter!
Hands down - PARENTS!
by clsmith - 12/6/06 5:31 AM In reply to: Keeping violent video games away from children by Marc Bennett
It is, after all, the responsibility of the parents to ensure the safety and security of their children. This would include knowing what they are doing in their spare time. Many children these days engage in video games and parents should check out a video game before buying it (allowing it to be bought) for their child or allowing them to borrow it from a friend. You wouldn't let a child eat something that you couldn't identify would you? So why let them play games that you don't feel are appropriate?
The name of the game is responsibility
by steelrabbit - 12/6/06 5:53 AM In reply to: Keeping violent video games away from children by Marc Bennett
The source of so many social issues is simply responsibility, or the lack of it. Video games are no longer just for children. Early V-gamers are now adults & some of the games are reflecting that demographic.
Are video games desensitizing children to violence? Has anyone been listening to the news lately? News reports themselves contain more violence than many horror books or games! Is the news media responsible for violence escalating?
Can you prepare a child for this world without them having to come to grips with violence. I've a friend whose children are scarred by racisist threats & violence in their grade school! Their mother was VERY protective about their exposure to violent entertainment. It didn't protect them from or prepare them for reality.
With freedom of choice comes responsibility; period!
Supply and DEMAMD
by michaelmaley - 12/6/06 6:01 AM In reply to: Keeping violent video games away from children by Marc Bennett
Parents are responsible for raising thier children. Monitoring and regulating what they do for entertainment and education is part of raising children. If parents themselves were responsible and didn't want children playing / watching violence, they would prevent it. If there was no demand for violent video games the "vendors/retailers, game developers" would invest their time in something else and there wouldn't be a need for "Goverment" regulation. If there was no demand there would be no supply.
Nice theory, but ...
by photobuff55 - 12/6/06 7:16 AM In reply to: Supply and DEMAMD by michaelmaleyIf it were that simple, we wouldn't need laws regulating cigarettes or seat belt use. The laws become parenting tools, no more, no less
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