Second Life ?

jackieglasgow

Mishkanorman, I have a12year old and a 9 year old and they are obsessed by minecraft, its a game where they build and create their own world, and although not as pretty to look at as second life, they find it it fascinating. Its free, and it runs off java, so doesnt really use up Ny space on your hard drive. They can also be left unsupervised on it. Older DS also record videos of his game and posts them on youtube for other sad souls, and I am quite happy that he is safe doing so. Minecraft seems to be the in thing with their age groups.

Welshwoofs

pulliptears wrote: »

As OP has repeatedly stated she is sat next to him whilst he's playing the game so your scenario is highly unlikely.

Can his Mother sitting beside him prevent someone else's avatar wandering past her child's looking like this and saying to him "Hey cutie, wanna get sucked off?"

The answer is NO.

mishkanorman

Welshwoofs wrote: »

Can his Mother sitting beside him prevent someone else's avatar wandering past her child's looking like this and saying to him "Hey cutie, wanna get sucked off?"

The answer is NO.

thats a woman in bra and knickers, and ?

The chat function is off so the worst that would happen i smy child would snigger at seeing her pants !


Nice attempt at shock factor though

peachyprice

pulliptears wrote: »

The barrel is now being well and truly scraped I feel.

Not at all, I'm being realistic. I know I couldn't, indeed wouldn't, sit next to my child for an hour or two with absolutley no other distractions, in the same room yes, but sitting there watching every single move? It isn't realistic when you have other children to look after too. Or maybe it's a family pursuit and the other child will be signed up too?

Blue_Monkey

Mishka - I almost think your son's choice of game is irrelevant. You don't seem particularly concerned about the content (despite what people on here are saying) or the fact that he's playing that game, but it's more the obesession he has with playing it/talking about that's bothering you?

From some of the things you've said (such as your son being more interested in adult conversation, not many friends, taking things literally etc) I did wonder if he might be displaying some traits commonly found in those with aspergers or similar. In my view, it's the bigger picture that's the issue, not the fact that he plays a game called Second Life (whilst it sounds addictive etc I wonder if he would've got an obsession with any game) and talks about it all the time. I would imagine this is why the school have called too - a) they think it's inappropriate for him to be playing an 18 game, and b) perhaps they don't think he's as social competent as you do and see this obsession as a sign of something else.

Other posters on here saying that it's your job to guide your son to appropriate things are absolutely right. The content available to your son (due to whatever settings) may not be inappropriate but perhaps the overall obsession with that game is - and that's where IMO you need to focus your efforts and see if there's anything not so normal about his obsessions IYSWIM. For what it's worth, I do think you should be steering him away from that game by the sounds of it partly because it sounds quite scary and partly because it would be interesting to see if he gets an equal obsession with something else. Either way, you need to take control of this situation and getting defensive the status quo is just running around in circles!!!

gingin_2

jackieglasgow wrote: »

Older DS also record videos of his game and posts them on youtube for other sad souls, and I am quite happy that he is safe doing so.

I think I can almost guarantee that my two will have watched them!

esmerelda98

peachyprice wrote: »

Always, 100% of the time, guaranteed, no need for a pee, or to get something out of the oven, or to answer the phone? I doubt it.

Lets just consider the next few years. Will he only be in his parents care? Will other carers be as vigilant. I am a bit dismayed that the OP is not more proactive in helping him develop friendships, but I think he will probably eventually find friends. The OP will not be able to supervise him when he is over at a friend's house.

This poster has shocked me. From a fear of limiting her son (it's called parenting) and a fear of upsetting her son (a good parent cannot help but upset their child from time to time, by saying no or disciplining, for example), to a complete inability to take on board the many different reasons people have put forward for why this game is harmful. I don't think you can ever take advice on any issue.

I think this is a reminder that parents need to look a bit more closely at the parents of children their children are getting friendly with. Things may look all nice and shiny on the surface, but scratch the surface and it is scary what you can find.

Your son will not be 8 forever, his curiosity may be leading him in more sinister directions in a year or two from now.

RacyRed

mishkanorman wrote: »

So, where i need some advice. Do any of you have experience of Second Life ? Anything i should be concerned about ?

YES - many of us have said we have experience of Second Life

YES - there is a lot you should be concerned about

mishkanorman wrote:

thats a woman in bra and knickers, and ?

The chat function is off so the worst that would happen i smy child would snigger at seeing her pants !


Nice attempt at shock factor though

Your attitude here says it all.

You are totally ignoring the pitfalls of the game that experienced players are pointing out to you. If you don't want to listen to the advice others are offering you then your child faces the consequences of your arrogance.

lostinrates

pulliptears wrote: »

The barrel is now being well and truly scraped I feel.

I think its a little off that suggesting a realistic reason why a parent might not be looking at screen for the duration of a child's usuage is ''scraping a barrel'' while not also suggesting it is scraping the barrel to find reasons a child is being allowed to continue playine a game people who seem to know (I have no idea) have explained is addictive, has a history of not just sexually explicit content but also peadophilic connections, is being used against the law and is having such an impact on the child to have caused the headteacher to call home to raise the issue.

OP, I'm sure you are a loving concerned parent of a nice, intellignt and curious child. If his interest is such after a few hours over a month, how long do you think it will be before he wants to disover more of what this game (?) has to offer? It sounds as if while he is not experiencing anything now with time he may well, which might make any imposition of boundaries you have to make harder.

It might be prudent to take advice to stop before rather than after he/you have an experience you don't want him to have.

shellsuit

OP, if you are fine with sitting with him while he plays it, making his obsession grow, giving the school more cause for alarm, then keep on doing what you are doing.

If you don't want the game to reel him in, don't let him play it.

I have to ask though, didn't you check/google what the game was about, before you made an account and allowed your son to go on it?

I am shocked to the core of what that game can do to adults, so I certainly wouldn't allow an 8yo to play it, not when it's already a problem where he's only looking around the thing!