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

bigbaddoctor

No

As an older gamer with 3 sons all below 14, I would not and will not allow them to play GTAV
It is al game but totally inappropriate for kids of under 16, maybe 18
My sons friends all (apparently) play it or own it and he is desperate to play my copy! It would be poor parenting in my view as the content is adult and if anyone allows their kids to play then it is a sad reflection of their interest and ability as a parent
We all need a childhood and have time enough to be exposed to it as we get older
The pressure on the kids is driven by the media but that's how it is and parents can resist if they wish!
The challenges of parenting were never meant to be easy but step up and do it to the best of your ability

sabretoothtigger

No

Theres more harm done from letting a kid play with a toy pistol, of course they can then go on to play with a real pistol with the same attitude and end up dead or killing someone.
Silly but it happens pretty much every day in some countries.
The damage from a virtual game is far less then that simple example.

If a child cannot distinguish reality from a dream or story it is a serious problem but not a common one, even an adult with that problem should not play this or watch a horror movie or even a tom and jerry cartoon because they'd not understand consequences.

There are plenty other games besides 18 rated ones to give children so Im not arguing in favour but people are a bit OTT in what harm it'll do

Lip_Stick

hieveryone wrote: »

Absolutely not.

I work with children and see on a daily basis the harm and damage that these games do to little children's minds.

Fantasy and reality are concepts which become intertwined in a young child's mind, so the argument that 'as long as you tell them it isn't real' is absolutely ludicrous.

Seriously, you should come to my workplace for a day and see the effects these types of games are having on children. They are storing up serious anger and mental health issues for the future.

Shame on you if you would allow a 6 year old to play!!

I'm sorry but I think blaming x-rated games for kids having damaged minds is complete bull. No way would playing the odd game create a child full of anger and aggression that you picture. There has to be other factors involved.

RichardD1970

No

hieveryone wrote: »

Absolutely not.

I work with children and see on a daily basis the harm and damage that these games do to little children's minds.

Fantasy and reality are concepts which become intertwined in a young child's mind, so the argument that 'as long as you tell them it isn't real' is absolutely ludicrous.

Seriously, you should come to my workplace for a day and see the effects these types of games are having on children. They are storing up serious anger and mental health issues for the future.

Shame on you if you would allow a 6 year old to play!!

I don't think it is necessarily the type of game, but more likely the type of family that allows unlimited/unsupervised access to this type of game and allows the kids to do/watch what ever, whenever. I have relatives that work in primary school and the types of programs that some of the "more disadvantaged" kids watch, I would hesitate to let my teenage kids watch.

stupidlamb

No

No way would I dream of letting my 6yr old on GTA don't even think I need to explain why, its common sense

jaibaby

No

We are all gamers in this household and I regularly encourage gameplay. However, there is no way I would let my 12 year old daughter play GTA, let alone a 6 year old! Games have age restrictions for a reason and parents need to be more aware of the games they are allowing their kids to play on! I am annoyed at how many little kids (between 5 and 9 I'd guess) queuing with their mum at the shop to buy GTA.

There are plenty of other games out there - mine love playing on Minecraft - building, creating, they spend hours using their imagination!

Not getting some joy from a prostitute then beating her with a bat (as I like to do ).

foxymum1977_2

i have 7 year old and 12 year old boys and neither are allowed to play these games,although we are in the minority within our boys circle of friends which i find very sad,i'm almost treated as the strange one for not letting them play these games!!!

StrugglingYouth

Lip_Stick wrote: »

I'm sorry but I think blaming x-rated games for kids having damaged minds is complete bull. No way would playing the odd game create a child full of anger and aggression that you picture. There has to be other factors involved.

I wrote my dissertation on this topic. Its an ongoing debate. Read up on Anderson, Anderson & Deuser's work in 1996. They looked for a positive correlation between exposure to violence in video games and aggressive children. Nothing concrete from what I have read, although they did report heightened aggression shortly after playing

On the other hand see: Bowman & Rotter's (1983) research which suggests violence in video games can provide catharsis/stress relief.

There are incidents where games have become the scapegoat for crime by children. Devin Moore shot 3 policemen in the US and the GTA was linked. The Sandy Hook event is a more recent portrayal. Personally I believe that the need to be underlying issues for those involved. It will never be an exact science as everyone is different in so many ways.


For those who are interested more information can be found here:

Anderson, C. Anderson, K. Deuser, W. (1996). Examining an Affective Aggression Framework: Weapon and Temperature Effects on Aggressive Thoughts, Affect, and Attitudes. Society for Personality and Social Psychology. 22 (4), p366-376.

Bowman, R. Rotter, J. (1983). Computer Games. Friend or Foe?. Elementary School Guidance and Counselling. 18 (1), p25-34.

Sally22_2

No

I started playing GTA when the first one came out..I was around 10/11 I think. I played it with my older (by three years) sister and our parents never sat with us

Do I or have I ever had urges to go out steal cars, rob stores, kill people and everything else now at the age of 26? No!

At the age of six I was playing with barbie or playing outside etc! 6 is too young, as has been said, there is loads of other games they could be playing at 6!

I would say secondary school age is ok. I dont have kids yet but I do have a niece and nephew. I would let my child play a gta style game at 11/12 but then that wouldnt be their only source of fun/socializing.

I think maybe its worse these days as if your child is unaccompanied you dont know who they are talking to if they are playing online, or what they are saying or having said to them. I heard worse language in school than I did on any game but then I wasnt allowed to repeat that sort of stuff in front of my parents. So I would let them play at 12 (but not all day every day) and not let them play online.

PS Also edited to say, has everyone on this thread never watched a movie 'underage'? I was watching the Scream movies at 11, that has messed with my mind more than a game. To me stuff that happens in movies is more real than whats in a game. There is nothing to stop someone getting a scream mask and hiding in the toilet for someone *shiver* I watched loads of films underageas well, horrors, etc even jurassic park and terminator etc, so is that any better or worse?

arfpint

No

StrugglingYouth wrote: »

I wrote my dissertation on this topic. Its an ongoing debate. Read up on Anderson, Anderson & Deuser's work in 1996. They looked for a positive correlation between exposure to violence in video games and aggressive children. Nothing concrete from what I have read, although they did report heightened aggression shortly after playing

On the other hand see: Bowman & Rotter's (1983) research which suggests violence in video games can provide catharsis/stress relief.

There are incidents where games have become the scapegoat for crime by children. Devin Moore shot 3 policemen in the US and the GTA was linked. The Sandy Hook event is a more recent portrayal. Personally I believe that the need to be underlying issues for those involved. It will never be an exact science as everyone is different in so many ways.


For those who are interested more information can be found here:

Anderson, C. Anderson, K. Deuser, W. (1996). Examining an Affective Aggression Framework: Weapon and Temperature Effects on Aggressive Thoughts, Affect, and Attitudes. Society for Personality and Social Psychology. 22 (4), p366-376.

Bowman, R. Rotter, J. (1983). Computer Games. Friend or Foe?. Elementary School Guidance and Counselling. 18 (1), p25-34.

I wonder whether the aggression was caused by the content of the game or the playing of the game, I've been playing GTA V and can't get used to the controls, so I'm getting angry at not being able to play the game well enough, rather than becoming aggressive due to the content.

Interestingly, I watched a film called "End Of Watch" last night (about LA cops in a fictional drug bust plot). Great film, but I became really frustrated by my inability to do anything about what was happening on screen. A game however - if done right - can give you the option to make a difference to the story and really gives a sense of gratification.

In the same way that many things are age rated, so are games. It seems that because they're called "games" parents think it refers to something a child would play, which I personally feel is not only incorrect, but also dangerous, as some people will inevitably ignore the big '18' certificate on the box.

We seem to be softening our attitude towards sex, violence and swearing etc in entertainment, but we still need to realise that some things are simply not for kids. GTA V is a perfect example.