MP: Games are destroying childhood

CVG: Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith says 'no-one cares about age ratings'

[mrv321]

No one cares about age ratings IN ANY MEDIA.

[MK_Red]

What's the point in caring about ratings? I've been watching hard R rated movies before I was 6 and don't consider my childhood ruined by stuff like that or adult films or anything similair. It all comes down to parents and their understanding of their children.

[Sitdown]

about it..then my local theater would not be carding people or not allowing certain age groups into certain rated movies after a specific time.

[UltimateIdiot911]

It's not that they care, it's because they need to follow the law or otherwise get fined.

Don't confuse following the law with taking moral interest. I'm pretty sure many of us follow the law because we want to but because we have to.

[Trevorthenerd]

Been playing games like GTA or manhunt since I was 8 and it has not affected me one bit :)

[YoungKiller25]

why dont you talk about how more kids have Wii Fit and the positive side of the VG industry

[gaffyh]

I don't care about age ratings my self, I watched Evil Dead, Child's Play, Nightmare on Elm street etc. when I was 10 years old. It was the only time that those films are actually scary. Now they just make me laugh, especially Evil Dead, that film is hilarious.

But with games, you could only get stuff like Crash Bandicoot, not many mature games on PS1. Nowadays there are quite a lot.

[ThaOutKast]

Ratings in any form of media is ridiculous. What really ruins a childhood is not being exposed to art and having your selection of media be limited. I am only 14 and I play GTA and Mass Effect, my parents have no problem with that. I have seen and understood Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill and things of the sort. I believe because of those things I have been exposed to have made me smarter in many different senses and have made me far more mature than most my age.

EDIT: However I do believe that not every child NEEDS to be exposed to it but if a child is raised correctly then they should be mature enough to enjoy the things I listed before they are 17.

[I_AM_ CANADIAN_1989]

so no one cares about the ratings wow you think this is new i remember when i could go into a& b sound or cd plus and buy wutang clan cd's and i was like 10 lol parental advisory sticker right there. no parent in site lol. ohhhhh swear words and violence. last time i checked drugs and cigerettes, and domestic violence and nasty divorces ruin childrens child hoods. dont blame the parents blame the game developers for making the game lol what a wonderful world we live in dont this a$$ f*cks get tired of wasting there breath last time i checked porn industry is still standing more and more gore in the movies these days. cable tv has just as much nudity in the day time. give it rest get off your high horses and step into reality . prohibition doesnt work and it never will so just deal with it and fix what you can and if that dont work accept that no one gives a sh*t including parents. kids that are shielded from violence and swearing usually end up getting eatin alive in the real world......if parents cant control or parent there kid whether violent vidio games exist or not those kids still dont stand a chance there always other alternatives lol. u take away something then something else comes aalong and replaces it if ur heasd wasnt so far up ur a$$ ud know that.

AS THE BRITS WOULD SAY THAT GUY IN THE PIC ABOVE IS A BLOODY F*CKING WANKER!!!!!

[menoyou]

Parental apathy, broken homes, and the devaluing of family and marriage are destroying childhoods. Media ratings are just a side effect. Wish more of these retarded liberals wold live in reality where a family unit sustains the growth of a child and not sitting them in front of the TV or game console.

[SaiyanFury]

@Menoyou above

Amen, to everything you said above. Enjoy the bubble. :)

[PoSTedUP]

some people should not be allowed to reproduce.

[rambi80]

Exactly. Morality is subjective. If you want your child to have a specific set of morals then that takes time and effort on your part.

But most people just like to complain and blame others for their failures.

[Ghostsmoker]

as higher the rating is as more directly it convinces young people to buy it. A game can't be bada$$ enough ...
It's exactly the same with movies.

And most of the parents don't even give a f@ck about the games their children playing.

[PoSTedUP]

the higher the rating the less young people can buy it because they check ID for mature games.

most parents need to be more responsable. my parents let me get away with murder as a child, that didn't help me at all... only did damage.

[snaz27]

if a game or movie gets an 18 certificate, it no doubt makes it more appealing to young kids. i dont know any kids, while i was a lad or now that couldnt get or play those games. Yes in part the parents should monitor and understand what they are buying! but what if the kid goes to a friends house? you cant be everywhere.. and anyway i dont think playing those games nor watching 18 movies, has a bad effect on children. its not like they will turn a kid evil... bad parenting with no discipline does that. at the end of the day violent crime and such began long before movies and video games.

[PoSTedUP]

It's not the rating that makes it more apealing, games with higher ratings tend to be more violent and more popular. not all mature movies that are 18+ are awesome or will appeal to kids, a lot are boring and unpopular though.

if a kid goes to a friends house, then the responsability is on the parent of the friend.

violence has been around for ever but it hasen't been the same motive as in the past with children. sure you have the rape, stealing beause your're poor and all the other sadistic s*** that will never go away. but explaining why it is "cool" to shoot guns, be a gangster, sell drugs (espically when you don't have to and grew up wealthy) etc. has a lot to do with movies/games and irresponsable parents, not only monitoring the games and movies they watch and play but seeing who their children are associating with.

it helps to not be exposed to all the stuff at a young age while the brain is still developing.

"the higher the rating the less young people can buy it because they check ID for mature games."

^this is true, but that means an adult is purchasing the game for them (is what i meant. there is no doubt that these games are some of the better ones that kids love)

[snaz27]

and if you find they play violent games or watch violent movies, stop them being friends? i think you may come unstuck there. your kids will either have no friends or will rebel and do everything in secret. i know lots of 18 yr old who arent as responsible as my 4 yr old lol.. everything is relative. i wouldnt let her see manhunt (she would hide anyway lol) but she loves tom and jerry! is that ok? lol.. you have to be confident you taught your kids right from wrong. And that superseeds anything they see on tv. Just out of interest do you have kids? Genuinely interested.

[Ghostsmoker]

WOW the game got an mature rating ... BLOOD and GORE confirmed!!
Let's buy it right now!

[snaz27]

you say your parents let you get away with murder, do you mean play/watch violent/offensive material, or do you mean they were soft regarding everything? ie not telling you off and punishing you when you did wrong.. because i will refer to what i said ealier about discipline! its much more important than what they watch or play on tv. when i say punishment and discipline i mean in a non violent way. if my kid missbehaves i use the naughty step or i take away a toy she likes.. it works wonders. and she wont mess with me lol, my mrs on the other hand well...

[snaz27]

i know what posted up is saying but, the age rating is like a quick quite as to good (bloody gorey) games, and boring non violent games. in a kids head that is.. i remember when i was young id scan the vhs boxes just at the rating, then when i found and 18 look at what it was! lol. ahhh robocop! bingo! lol

[Ghostsmoker]

yep, me too. So sick but true ... Violence and Sex rules the media.

[Sitdown]

"and if you find they play violent games or watch violent movies, stop them being friends? i think you may come unstuck there. your kids will either have no friends or will rebel and do everything in secret."

No, its called increased supervision. Your kids can still have those friends, but you limit their interaction and ability to be negatively influenced. Besides, I think the world is big enough where they could potentially have friends that are not engulfed in the things you listed above....and as far as rebel....isn't that where your parenting and discipline come in?

[snaz27]

even before potentially, they will wanna sleep over at friends houses, so non violent game playing john, your kid can go to, but horrible gta playing steven they are not unless you go too? lol.. do u think kids are stupid? and mate the discipline has to be done early, i wouldnt punish my kid for hittin a video game character, or for watching tom hit jerry! but if she hit for real then yes! so shed have no reason to rebel. dont you see the difference?

[PoSTedUP]

i was never allowed to sleep over friends houses really (very rarely). i had plenty of friends. and generally keeping your son or daughter away from friends with bad parents is the safer way to go untill they get to a certain age where your good parenting pays off.

get away with murder where there was no disipline, cursing really young, getting in trouble in school because of it. now of only i wasent allowed to play GTA when i was 10, or hang out with that bad kid on the corner house... you see where i am going with this?

its like good son bad son with me and my cousin- his family was really strict with everything, hes a really good kid wit good direction/going to college good grades etc. me on the other hand growing up in a dysfunctional family where there was no disipline, i took the other path, the oppisite path; i was exposed to everything at a young age.

and no i don't have kids but i think i would know how to raise them if i had any.

and your daughter you said? if she was playing GTA over a friends house (the bad kid) and came home curseing and starting to get into trouble with this friend, would you allow her to still hang out with them? : /

some people have different methods: hitting, groundation, soap in the mouth etc. to each there own, just trying to make my words more clear here.

[snaz27]

you said you wasnt allowed to friends houses ( the thing you said would stop bad behaviour), but then you said that you had no rules or discipline?... anyway you have to look at this in another way... my daughter watches tom and jerry, she sees tom hit jerry and visa versa, yet she knows it is wrong to hit people... and if she did hit someone (not in self defence) then i would tell her off and explain that hitting is wrong! and that tom and jerry is just a cartoon and not real... you will be suprised at how much they understand even at 4... I must admit i have sworn in the past, and she never copied untill the other day, i told her it was wrong to say that and a naughty word, shes not said it since, and i have stopped swearing too (parenting is a learning curve for you too) by the time she is 10 she will definately know the difference between playing a game and real life trust me! she does now! so i know if she played a game with swearing or heard it she would know its wrong! more down below, didn't hit reply

[tdrules]

bawww im Ian Duncan Smith and I was the most uninteresting party leader of all time.
he thinks he's important ^^

[MK_Red]

I was less than 8 games when like original Mortal Kombat and Splatterhouse were out. I played and enjoyed them to death back then and till now I still haven't turned into a mass murdering psychopath or outcastish type that these anti-gamers suggest (Not to mention the healthy diet of 18+ movies and other stuff).

[Immortal321]

if they want an athlete they would not buy them a game

if they want a worker they will not buy them a game

if they want thinkers? well they will buy them a book and art supplies then later in life buy them a game

[ChickeyCantor]

Its true, i kill people too.
Damn you tetris >=(!!!!

[Akagi]

Yep, yep, games ARE worse than domestic abuse, alcohol, smoking drugs, yup.

[Dead_Cell]

And if kids weren't sat around playing these damn games they could be endulging in more rewarding passtimes.

Like cleaning his moat.

[MeatAbstract]

This is in the UK. Apprently all we do in the UK is play the Wii anyway...

Besides, if you're going to blame games for loss of childhood, how about the simply astounding idea of teaching kids as young as 5 sex education? Yeah, thats a cherished childhood moment, isn't it?

Pick up a newspaper in this country and you see kids as young as 10 being arrested for killing someone, torture, violence just a constannt stream of youth violence and we're always trying to find someone to blame.

So who is blame? Parents? Teachers? Friends? Media? I think its just a collaberation of so many things this generation. Sex is presented to children at an early age now, teenage pregnancy is on the rise. The media shows you dazzling images of how you should look, how to be sexy, how to attract the opposite sex. The media is also telling these kids to be someone, but without hard work. They are shown TV shows like X Factor and Britains got talent where people are handed fame without the hard work.

But really, it falls into the parents, doesn't it? And we have this whole culture here where parents only see their kids as constant income from the government. Theres a family in the UK with 14 kids. Yes, 14! They bring in an income of £4,000 a month from benefits. And she won't stop.

So yeah, don't point the finger at one thing and ignore the rest. Our country has been in a moral decline for years and this is the best you can come up with? Kids ignore the age restrictions on games? So what, they probably do it on films. Half of them are probably into drugs anyway with kid because they've been having unprotected sex from the age of 13.

[snaz27]

yes people have different opinions on hitting as discipline, my thoughts are that its wrong! how can you hit a kid then if the kid hits say its wrong and hit them? lol, just like me swearing i had to stop it too cos ive told her its wrong... I am a pretty strict parent, but im strict with the right things, it seems your parents were not... when i was young i had some quite nasty friends, they would just throw eggs at people in the street, sometimes stones or bricks at passing cars! id always be the one telling them not too, cos i knew it was wrong! and i naturally went away from them eventually. that is what you hope you children will do when they are older, because of how you bought them up as kids... when you have kids im sure you will be a good parent, just because you will be conscious and try, but even parents are not perfect... you have to give your kids some rope to make some mistakes themselves, and guide them when they make those mistakes.

[PoSTedUP]

no i said i wasen't allowed to sleep over friends houses, even if they were good frinends. idk thats the way it was when i was younger.

most children hit one another at some point. The best thing to do is to disapline them. "yet she knows it is wrong to hit people... and if she did hit someone (not in self defence) then i would tell her off and explain that hitting is wrong!" yeah i agree, that is good dicipline, but:

"and your daughter you said? if she was playing GTA over a friends house (the bad kid) and came home curseing and starting to get into trouble with this friend, would you allow her to still hang out with them?" this is what i was asking spicifically. this is what we are really talking about (i think) (if im still on track here...)

you knew what your friends did was wrong but not everyone would, it's called peer pressure and most kids fall victime to it. your very lucky to have thought rationally at a young age. not everyone is like this, i believe the other kid that was following the other kid throwing the rocks at the cars parents should have kept him away from that kid IF they knew about him/what he was doing because kids do tend to do thinkgs even when they know it is bad. how you were taught and how you were raised reflects on you as you get older. i don't know how you raise your kids (not my business) im just saying in general, the parents help develope the child.

"you have to give your kids some rope to make some mistakes themselves, and guide them when they make those mistakes."

yes this is true imo. i still don't believe to let your kid play violent video games with sex, drug abuse etc. at a young age because even if they know it's wrong they are still just kids stuck in la la land.

[snaz27]

and i know that if my daughter went somewhere and she heard swearing she would not copy it now cos she knows it is wrong... but if she did no i would not stop her going there, i would ask her where she heard this and what happened, i would tell her again that its wrong, and rude etc (by this point shed be older anyway... what would make me stop kath going to a friends house is if i found out the childs parents did drugs or were violent etc, i wouldnt stop her because of what films they watched or games they played, i would have taught her whats right and wrong anyway. the school she goes couldnt praise her enough, saying they wish all the kids were like her lol, shes very helpful at home, takes her own plate out, even cleaning off any excess and she puts the plate in the sink, she does most things herself, dressing, brushing teeth, cleaning her room etc... these are things that teach her to be responsible, i would have faith in her that put in a similar situation as me she would do the right thing, as i did.

[PoSTedUP]

im really happy for you that you have such a good daughter, yo prob love her to death. i guess it depends on the child and the parent. i want some kids when i get older (im 20yrsold) but i still want to wait a little while. and i havent had a good convo/debate like this in a while on n4g, it was good talking with you bro. hit me up on PSN is you want PNS= StreetVeteran (that name just stuck, and i am a good kid now! hehe) stay strong bro and i wish you and your family the best of luck.

[ksquared]

No, lazy parents are ruining childhoods.

[Unicron]

Even as a child, I appreciated media that didn't pander to me. When say, Gargoyles, dealt with issues of betrayal, life and death... it was something that stuck with me.

Programs for kids don't have to be made for idiots.

[TheBand1t]

Mario made me a turtle stomper.

[MegadethAndy]

I think over rated games like halo and mw2 are doing more damage to kids. Just read one of the truths or bungies posts.

[djfullshred]

I think it is too bad that parents are not more on the ball these days. Young children really don't have the ability to rationalize like adults, and their context of reality can be corrupted by being constantly exposed to adult media.

MA games have a place in the world of entertainment, but even though I love video games I find it disturbing when I see parents let little ones play those games or watch R rated movies.

[A LIVING LEGEND]

As I have said before, when you hit rock bottom continue to dig.
Fear destroys responsibility.Responsibilty gives way to fear.