Call of Duty, Grand Theft Auto: Would you let your 6 year old play?

matilda.cs

Apologies, I meant BO2 (got Ghosts on the brain as trying to work out the best price for the PS3 version with a minimal cost to upgrade to the PS4 on release date)
We only play the online version of the game which is less graphic.
Sometimes I feel that people wrap kids up a bit too much. Would you let your children watch the news? Because there are some things on there that are a lot worse than computer games!
Anyway, before I get onto the subject of sex education for 9 years old (and what a brilliant thing it is) I will say only this...
We all bring our children up differently. There are few hard and fast rules for doing it (feeding/watering/don't play with plastic bags/etc) what works for one, may not for another. I respect your decision to shelter your child from the inevitability of death, portrayed graphically through the medium of make believe media. That is your choice. If it works for you, then it the best approach for you.
I'll just use my rights as a parent to do what I believe is best.
If my children are emotionally defective teenagers as a result of CoD, then I will come back to this thread and admit my mistakes. (Unless my childre kill me in my sleep)

IronWolf

No

When I was 8-10 I was playing Mortal Kombat 1 and 2, which involving pummeling people to death and the finishing them off with horrific and torturous finishing moves.

When I was 12 I was playing Metal Gear Solid, which involved sneaking up behind guards and snapping their necks. I played Tenchu which involved sneaking around and slashing people with a samurai sword.

Then at 14 I was playing GTA3 and Vice City, picking up hookers and then battering them to death.

I turned out fine, I've never even raised a fist to anyone.

Flyonthewall

No

Somewhere in this thread Nintendo games were mentioned as a more child friendly option. I said before that's not always the case, but the other day I played Mad World. An 18 rated game. It's in black and white with the only colour being red for the blood.

It's done in a comicbook style and the blood is really unrealistic. However, it is way over the top in violence. Slamming people into spiked walls, pulling them off and repeating it another two or three times. Throwing into a massive fan. Then there's Stabbing sign posts through peoples chests, hacking them apart and all that is before you even do the finishing move - one final very violent attack. As rubbish as the effect looked there was a lot of blood everywhere.

There didn't feel any real reason for it. It is a game for survival but there doesn't feel any need to survive and I don't remember any reason why the guy you play wanted to fight. So in some respects I find that Nintendo Wii game worse than GTA or Mortal Kombat or COD. At least with them you feel you have a reason to be killing others.

Gordon_Hose

No

matilda.cs wrote: »

Apologies, I meant BO2 (got Ghosts on the brain as trying to work out the best price for the PS3 version with a minimal cost to upgrade to the PS4 on release date)
We only play the online version of the game which is less graphic.
Sometimes I feel that people wrap kids up a bit too much. Would you let your children watch the news? Because there are some things on there that are a lot worse than computer games!
Anyway, before I get onto the subject of sex education for 9 years old (and what a brilliant thing it is) I will say only this...
We all bring our children up differently. There are few hard and fast rules for doing it (feeding/watering/don't play with plastic bags/etc) what works for one, may not for another. I respect your decision to shelter your child from the inevitability of death, portrayed graphically through the medium of make believe media. That is your choice. If it works for you, then it the best approach for you.
I'll just use my rights as a parent to do what I believe is best.
If my children are emotionally defective teenagers as a result of CoD, then I will come back to this thread and admit my mistakes. (Unless my childre kill me in my sleep)

Sorry, but there is a reason these games are 18 rated. As a parent myself your posts disgust me in every conceivable way.

Gordon_Hose

No

IronWolf wrote: »

When I was 8-10 I was playing Mortal Kombat 1 and 2, which involving pummeling people to death and the finishing them off with horrific and torturous finishing moves.

When I was 12 I was playing Metal Gear Solid, which involved sneaking up behind guards and snapping their necks. I played Tenchu which involved sneaking around and slashing people with a samurai sword.

Then at 14 I was playing GTA3 and Vice City, picking up hookers and then battering them to death.

I turned out fine, I've never even raised a fist to anyone.

It's not the point being made though. Games don't turn kids into psychopathic killers.

Flyonthewall

No

matilda.cs wrote: »

We only play the online version of the game which is less graphic.

People still get shot and die because you killed them and it's still pretty graphic.

matilda.cs wrote: »

Sometimes I feel that people wrap kids up a bit too much. Would you let your children watch the news? Because there are some things on there that are a lot worse than computer games!

They're protecting them from adult themes which they can not fully understand or deal with. That's not wrapping them up too much, it's being a good parent. Now, for example, telling them they can't go down a slide on a park even when you're standing next to it just in case something happens - that would be wrapping them up too much.

I wouldn't let them watch the news, or certainly not the more graphic storylines. I prefer not to watch the news myself as it's too depressing nevermind letting kids watch it. Just to add, as a kid I never even cared to watch Newsround which is news aimed at kids. I don't think many kids care a lot about the news.

Obviously the news is worse than some games. You see some horrible stuff on the news and there's plenty of happy childrens games. However, it's in no way worse than games like GTA and COD.

matilda.cs wrote: »

Anyway, before I get onto the subject of sex education for 9 years old (and what a brilliant thing it is) I will say only this...

9 is not the same as 6 which was the original age mentioned. I learnt the basics of that at school when I was about 10. I would not have wanted to know about it any younger nor do I think most 6 year olds would really understand it (or should have to understand it). Even at 10 most kids are disgusted by the thought and don't really wish for the details. I think even at that age they should only be told the basics, they don't to know more.

They certainly shouldn't be learning anything about it through playing 18 games at a young age.

The_One_Who

Flyonthewall wrote: »

Obviously the news is worse than some games. You see some horrible stuff on the news and there's plenty of happy childrens games. However, it's in no way worse than games like GTA and COD.

Is it simply that you are the person controlling the character who carries out the acts that make it worse than the news? Because watch the news and you'll see real people shooting real guns at other real people, and the outcome of that. You'll see dead bodies after an explosion, and you'll see high-impact crashes. All very real, and knowing that these happening to real people.

Flyonthewall

No

The_One_Who wrote: »

Is it simply that you are the person controlling the character who carries out the acts that make it worse than the news? Because watch the news and you'll see real people shooting real guns at other real people, and the outcome of that. You'll see dead bodies after an explosion, and you'll see high-impact crashes. All very real, and knowing that these happening to real people.

Controlling them does make it worse than just watching something, yes. Especially with games that have a proper storyline where you feel for the character and basically live through them.

I've never seen anyone be shot on the news and it show the body. You see shooting, you see dead bodies but you never see the full event of one guy shooting and another dying in front of him. You do on games.

Like I said though, I wouldn't let a kid watch the news anyhow. I think most of what is on the news is unsuitable for children. Regardless of whether some games are worse or even if you say they're equal (control vs. real) neither are good.

Chickabiddybex

No

matilda.cs wrote: »

Apologies, I meant BO2 (got Ghosts on the brain as trying to work out the best price for the PS3 version with a minimal cost to upgrade to the PS4 on release date)
We only play the online version of the game which is less graphic.
Sometimes I feel that people wrap kids up a bit too much. Would you let your children watch the news? Because there are some things on there that are a lot worse than computer games!
Anyway, before I get onto the subject of sex education for 9 years old (and what a brilliant thing it is) I will say only this...
We all bring our children up differently. There are few hard and fast rules for doing it (feeding/watering/don't play with plastic bags/etc) what works for one, may not for another. I respect your decision to shelter your child from the inevitability of death, portrayed graphically through the medium of make believe media. That is your choice. If it works for you, then it the best approach for you.
I'll just use my rights as a parent to do what I believe is best.
If my children are emotionally defective teenagers as a result of CoD, then I will come back to this thread and admit my mistakes. (Unless my childre kill me in my sleep)

I don't think your child is going to grow up to be a killer I just think some things are scary for children. It won't hurt them but I would prefer not to scare my kids (if I had them!) as when I played that part of the game I felt sick to my stomach.

I agree with you that online play is way less scary and with adult supervision would maaaaybe be suitable. (for the 9yr old perhaps, but it would depend on the individual child as everyone matures at a different age)
However you weren't very specific before and didn't mention they would be supervised and also didn't mention they would be only playing a certain part of the game.
We are on the internet with very limited information about you. You have to be clear or we will get the wrong idea!

As for the news no I would not let my kids watch the news (again, hypothetical kids!) because you see things such as children dying from being gassed in Syria. This is very scary! At the age of 9 I would not want a child to see this. I would tell them about it and explain if they wanted to know. But I would not let them see it first hand, I don't want my hypothetical kids to get nightmares.

As for sex ed I don't know why it's relevant here but yes I agree that it's a positive thing.

Lip_Stick

Gordon_Hose wrote: »

Sorry, but there is a reason these games are 18 rated. As a parent myself your posts disgust me in every conceivable way.

The COD multiplyer I've played in the past does not show anything graphic, except for the blood around the edges of the screen showing you've been hit. As I said before, if the games were rated on multiplayer the rating would be quite low.

If a child isn't being exposed to gore, swearing, sexual themes and less blood then when they cut a knee, what harm will it do? It's like cowboys and indians for their generation. Boys are fascinated with zombies and gory things. Their own imaginations run riot. They talk and act out a lot worse than what's on multiplayer CoD.