Should kids be allowed to play violent video games?

[Andrew NDB]

Even ones with no blood or gore? Where should the line be drawn (or should it?), and why?

Also, Prince Harry thinks not.

[snake]

Depends on the kid

[IndigoErth]

Depends on the kid, the family, the supervision, which game it is...

An understanding of "age appropriate" used to be a thing and made this easier, what became of that.

[CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy]

Parents' choice. Government should stay the fvck out of it.

I'm the only one deciding whether or not my kid plays Grand Theft Auto 69: Now With More Dead Hookers.

[Cure]

Yes. It's how I was raised.

[Leo656]

My father got me into video games around age two. His whole life, he never once raised any concern about the content, or how I'd be "affected" by it. He thought games were great, he just didn't play them.

He also never cared if I'd come home late, or even stay overnight unexpectedly at a friend's house without calling. People flip out when I tell them that, like he was completely out of line. When I was older, he told me the reason he was so hands-off was because he knew me well enough to know he didn't have to worry about me. He never kept his guns locked up, for the same reason. Now, that might sound incredibly foolish and naive in most cases, but in my case, he was 100% right, I simply wasn't the type to get in trouble or be reckless, and it felt good to have that kind of trust.

This to me implies that the main factor is communication, understanding and trust between parent and child. Some kids are like I was, and you can show them pretty much anything and they'll be fine. Now, that's obviously not going to be the case for everyone. If your kid sets ants on fire with a magnifying glass, sets small fires around the house, stuff like that, they probably shouldn't be playing GTA, even if they beg.

In most cases, though, I think stuff like Call of Duty or whatever isn't gonna hurt most kids at all. They see worse at the movies. It's the parents' decision, and it's the parents' job to know their child well enough to make the best call. A lot of parents aren't involved enough with their kids to really know what level they're at, or what's appropriate for them, but they should be. If Little Timmy is an Honors student, does all his chores, and wants to unwind before bed with a little CoD, then I say go for it. The kid across the street swinging the cat around by its tail has way bigger problems than video games, and someone should say something.

I wish the poll had a "Yes, if the parents think it's appropriate for them" option. "Parental Supervision" isn't the same thing.

Originally Posted by IndigoErth

An understanding of "age appropriate" used to be a thing and made this easier, what became of that.

Some of us were just "born old" and acted like adults even when we were kids. That complicates things.

ProTip: Most adults highly resent being talked down to by a 6-year old. It never stopped me, but it's a thing I noticed early on.

[Ulisa]

Kind of mirroring the other responses, this really depends on so many factors. The maturity of the child, the type of content of the game, the type of violence that's being displayed...

Overall, hyper-realistic violence does more damage than fantasy violence but this is again dependent on the child's developmental level. A lot of people like to cite the "violent video games lead to violence" but there is no study that has verified that. They've found a co-relation between violent video games and violence but not causation. So, it could just as easily be people with more aggressive tendencies are drawn to violent games as it could be violent games create more violence.

It's really a case by case basis. I've known kids that were very young that could likely handle very mature game plots/imagery and I've known some adults that likely shouldn't be playing them...

[Shark_Blade]

Yes I played them no problem. Let them grow some balls early on if they want to. Freedom of choice.

[Candy Kappa]

depends on the kid mostly.

[Prowler]

Depends on the game, the kid and how old he is and how sensitive he is to depiction of violence in the media. I don't have kids but I don't think I'd let a 6 year old watch an R-rated movie.

My mother didn't allow me to watch R-rated movies when I was a little kid, but ofc I'd watch some violence, nudity and porn on tv when I was a kid. We had two tvs, so it's not like she always knew what I was watching on tv. Plus, we got internet at home when I was 9-10 years old still, so eventually I've discovered a lot more of that stuff as well Anyway, around 13-14 or so she didn't worry about that anymore.

Funny enough she bought my brother Mortal Kombat 3 for the SNES when he was 12-13 years old only. I don't think she knew exactly what type of violence the game had despite its name, though. Plus, she probably was initially more worried about the word "Kombat" being misspelt in English.

Originally Posted by Leo656

My father got me into video games around age two. His whole life, he never once raised any concern about the content, or how I'd be "affected" by it. He thought games were great, he just didn't play them.

He also never cared if I'd come home late, or even stay overnight unexpectedly at a friend's house without calling. People flip out when I tell them that, like he was completely out of line. When I was older, he told me the reason he was so hands-off was because he knew me well enough to know he didn't have to worry about me. He never kept his guns locked up, for the same reason. Now, that might sound incredibly foolish and naive in most cases, but in my case, he was 100% right, I simply wasn't the type to get in trouble or be reckless, and it felt good to have that kind of trust.

Both of you being guys also probably had something to do with it. Guys are less prone to worry about that stuff and talk about their fears and worries.

Anyway, first time my brother went out at night to go have fun with his friends was when he was 17 years old. Our mum gave him a curfew ofc, but he got home a couple of hours later than the time he was asked to be home by... but our mother didn't scold him. She figured he just lost track of time while being with his friends. She knew he's not the type to get wasted or do drugs, so she didn't worry much.

[Wildcat]

I played MK and watched R rated movies growing up (well as my friends). Like 8 and up. My parents knew I could separate them from real life.

The whole violent games = violence argument never made sense because movies display realistic live action violence. The 8-16-32 bit consoles of that era made them more like interactive cartoons.

Even now it’s not an issue. You know the difference.

[Prowler]

Originally Posted by Wildcat

I played MK and watched R rated movies growing up (well as my friends). Like 8 and up. My parents knew I could separate them from real life.

The whole violent games = violence argument never made sense because movies display realistic live action violence. The 8-16-32 bit consoles of that era made them more like interactive cartoons.

Even now it’s not an issue. You know the difference.

That wasn't my mom's fear. She was afraid I'd have nightmares or felt sick or something if I watched a very violent movie when I was 8 years old.

[Wildcat]

Originally Posted by Prowler

That wasn't my mom's fear. She was afraid I'd have nightmares or felt sick or something if I watched a very violent movie when I was 8 years old.

Oh. Only movie that ever really gave me nightmares was Child’s Play/Chucky but not to the point of being a problem. I wanted to keep watching and it’s my favorite series now.

Nothing made feel sick though. Gore has never really grossed me out because I know it’s fake but I do not really care for super gore either. I’m sure in real life it would bother me.

[MsMarvelDuckie]

Interesting discussion. I fell a lot on the same end of the spectrum Leo did, being a very mature child growing up. Mostly hung around adults- no kids my age or even close in my family or their circle of friends- so books and tv became a major source of both entertainment and "education" in far more than tbe usual sense. We had games from an early age, too, and my parents never really worried about whether something like Double Dragon (or MK later) were too violent. They were just GAMES. Then again, they knew I could handle adult or mature content, since I started reading adult novels by fourth grade. Stuff like Stephen King, VC Andrews, etc were already familiar to me. Same with R rated movies.

On movies, I watched plenty of violent or gory ones growing up. Nightmare on Elm Street, Chucky, and the like neber bothered me. Pihrana did, but more for the realism (using the term loosely here) of the concept. We had pihrana scares even in our local lakes- nevermind those were actually pacu- so I was more afraid it could really happen if someone dumped some in the lake. But aside from a few nightmares about swimming and being eaten, I was never bothered much by horror films.

[Leo656]

Originally Posted by MsMarvelDuckie

I started reading adult novels by fourth grade. Stuff like Stephen King, VC Andrews, etc were already familiar to me.

If I'd been able to ask VC Andrews two questions, it would have been which family member touched her, and why she liked it so much she had to write 87 books about it.

[joefsas]

Never did me any harm. Depends on the kid I guess

[Prowler]

Originally Posted by Wildcat

Oh. Only movie that ever really gave me nightmares was Child’s Play/Chucky but not to the point of being a problem. I wanted to keep watching and it’s my favorite series now.

Nothing made feel sick though. Gore has never really grossed me out because I know it’s fake but I do not really care for super gore either. I’m sure in real life it would bother me.

Tbh the first few times I watched porn or violence on tv when I was a kid didn't scar me either.

[Leo656]

The very first time I saw porn, it actually disgusted me and I had to stop watching.

I got over that in about an hour, thank goodness. But the first impressions definitely weren't great.

[Prowler]

Originally Posted by Leo656

The very first time I saw porn, it actually disgusted me and I had to stop watching.

I got over that in about an hour, thank goodness. But the first impressions definitely weren't great.

I wasn't really disgusted, but just really surprised and a bit shocked. I was like "oh, so that's what's sex like".

Hentai creeped me out more.

[IndigoErth]

Originally Posted by Leo656

Some of us were just "born old" and acted like adults even when we were kids. That complicates things.

I probably largely fit that myself in terms of being trustworthy and not one to ever go getting into or making trouble either. Unfortunately, I also ended up with parents who apparently never fully recognized or acknowledged that how they should have and insisted on being controlling as if it weren't the case.

Rules were rules. No PG13 for me until I was actually 13, etc. (Though I didn't mind too much really, it was instead more like a small right of passage for turning that coveted age of 13.) Prob a combo of mom being a bit controlling as stated and my dad having been Air Force.

Had some of these games that exist now been around back in those days, there is no way in hell I'd have been allowed to play them as a minor. Though knowing they were for older people I wouldn't I fought them over it anyhow.


edit: The only thing they oddly enough felt I should be able to do early (to a point) and start learning was driving... I was 14 when I was allowed to get behind the wheel of my grandfather's old pickup in the hilly field behind their house, while dad tried to teach me how to drive a stick shift.

Originally Posted by Leo656

ProTip: Most adults highly resent being talked down to by a 6-year old. It never stopped me, but it's a thing I noticed early on.

Yeah... that would never turn out well for me.