The ratings exist as a warning to parents to inform them about the material contained in the game. It's like the surgeon general's warning on cigarettes. It itself is not a law saying such and such can not play. Unless the law says, no parent can allow their kid to play an M rated game, they have every right to do so.
THE JACKEL
First of all, if you think you would be a terrible parent, why would you think any way you would be if you had kids could possibly be correct?On 2008-05-20 03:19, Ian-KunX wrote:
It's an academic discussion for me, since I, recognizing that I would make a terrible parent due to a lack of patience and a lack of giving a damn, have decided not to breed.
Things change when you have kids. That's all. People without kids cannot possibly know how they will react when they have them. Before I had kids I would have agreed with you about this issue. But when I see my son's face, I know I will never be a party to taking an ounce of the innocence out of his eyes.
Yeah, I was sheltered. And therefore I was totally unprepared for the world. I was also very mature for my age, which is why in my 20s, people assume I'm in my 40s (and the calling people kiddies- which I "constantly" did in one post- has less to do with age than mentality). I actually was mature enough to understand why my parents sheltered me, which didn't stop me from lying, skipping school, and sneaking around behind their backs. I understand that kids will do what they want- they'll sneak the games if they're determined enough to get them. People still buy illegal guns, right? People still do drugs. But the frequency would drop. It wouldn't be a green light to kids to do what they want, which is pretty much what they have now. At least when you're sneaking around you're absorbing somewhat what proper morals and lifestyles should be- even if it's "not this." One thing their constant supervision and hands on involvement in my life did for me was teach me to think for myself. I've never been drunk, I haven't even drank anything alcoholic since I was old enough to legally drink- I don't smoke, I've never done drugs... and this stuff was a serious fear for my parents, considering my dad's family is a bunch of addicts.
Do you think I would have been better prepared for life had GTA 4 been around back then? Do you feel that watching R movies at 10 helped prepare you for seeing someone die? Are all the alcoholics and drug addicts in the world people like me who were sheltered, or were they people whose parents didn't give a rats ass what they did, and just threw them out to fend for themselves?
My son knows there is bad in the world. He knows there is evil. But he also knows our home is a sanctuary from that, a place he's safe in. And we keep the outside world out. He'll go out into the world aware of what real life is, and prepared for it, but with a childhood foundation strong enough to handle anything that gets thrown at him.
The thing that is the saddest to me is that there isn't a test people have to take before they are allowed to have children.
Anyway, this topic is off track by now, considering it wasn't supposed to be debating the legalities of buying kids M games, so much as the practical reasons why they shouldn't be on them.
At least it didn't turn into a "kids suck, keep them off the internet" vs "Adults are too old for games" flame war like topics in this vein tend to.
amenOn 2008-05-21 02:00, Raine_Loire wrote:
First of all, if you think you would be a terrible parent, why would you think any way you would be if you had kids could possibly be correct?On 2008-05-20 03:19, Ian-KunX wrote:
It's an academic discussion for me, since I, recognizing that I would make a terrible parent due to a lack of patience and a lack of giving a damn, have decided not to breed.
Things change when you have kids. That's all. People without kids cannot possibly know how they will react when they have them. Before I had kids I would have agreed with you about this issue. But when I see my son's face, I know I will never be a party to taking an ounce of the innocence out of his eyes.
Yeah, I was sheltered. And therefore I was totally unprepared for the world. I was also very mature for my age, which is why in my 20s, people assume I'm in my 40s (and the calling people kiddies- which I "constantly" did in one post- has less to do with age than mentality). I actually was mature enough to understand why my parents sheltered me, which didn't stop me from lying, skipping school, and sneaking around behind their backs. I understand that kids will do what they want- they'll sneak the games if they're determined enough to get them. People still buy illegal guns, right? People still do drugs. But the frequency would drop. It wouldn't be a green light to kids to do what they want, which is pretty much what they have now. At least when you're sneaking around you're absorbing somewhat what proper morals and lifestyles should be- even if it's "not this." One thing their constant supervision and hands on involvement in my life did for me was teach me to think for myself. I've never been drunk, I haven't even drank anything alcoholic since I was old enough to legally drink- I don't smoke, I've never done drugs... and this stuff was a serious fear for my parents, considering my dad's family is a bunch of addicts.
Do you think I would have been better prepared for life had GTA 4 been around back then? Do you feel that watching R movies at 10 helped prepare you for seeing someone die? Are all the alcoholics and drug addicts in the world people like me who were sheltered, or were they people whose parents didn't give a rats ass what they did, and just threw them out to fend for themselves?
My son knows there is bad in the world. He knows there is evil. But he also knows our home is a sanctuary from that, a place he's safe in. And we keep the outside world out. He'll go out into the world aware of what real life is, and prepared for it, but with a childhood foundation strong enough to handle anything that gets thrown at him.
The thing that is the saddest to me is that there isn't a test people have to take before they are allowed to have children.
Anyway, this topic is off track by now, considering it wasn't supposed to be debating the legalities of buying kids M games, so much as the practical reasons why they shouldn't be on them.
At least it didn't turn into a "kids suck, keep them off the internet" vs "Adults are too old for games" flame war like topics in this vein tend to.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
Connect With Us