Kids not being allowed to get popular violent games making them more violent?

[BlueOnBlue]

Hey, well I've done some thinking and have come to the conclusion that when parents say no to their child's request to get say, gears of war 2, on the basis that it will make them into a chainsaw wielding mass murderer. It could very well make the child even more aggressive both on an "ever-day bullying and making other peoples lives miserable" and on a "time bomb building up hate until it finally explodes in a violent school shooting" level.

The reason I believe this is because when the parent says no teens (me being one myself) tend to start seething. So for kids and teens that may already despise their parents, saying no to them may very well be the equivalent of adding a a some gasoline to the already burning flame. For kids who don't already have things like that it will probably cause them to start disliking their parents or being passive aggressive to them because they know that their parents have authority over them. So they will look for a different way to vent their frustration and anger, and most of them will find bullying other kids in their school to be the outlet of their anger.

I just wanted to say this because every day I see people where the bullying because of frustration with their parents is a problem. I see it every single day when I go to school. I made this thready because I actually find that a lot of parents don't realize this.

 

[thatstheguy]

Still, that's no excuse for you to get those games for your children. If your child doesn't like you, then so be it. It's not like you're supposed to friends with your child. If you want them to give you respect and discipline, go camping or do a family activity and start making basic rules to follow.

Also, welcome to the Escapist.

 

[Nalesnik]

No, there's no evidence that kids turn violent because they can't play violent games. Your almost as bad as those people that claim violent games= mass murderers without any proof.
And if you feel the need to bully others cause you can't play violent games, then your probably a natural douchebag.

 

[BlueOnBlue]

No, there's no evidence that kids turn violent because they can't play violent games. Your almost as bad as those people that claim violent games= mass murderers without any proof.
And if you feel the need to bully others cause you can't play violent games, then your probably a natural douchebag.

I see the proof of what I'm saying every day in my school.

 

[DeadlyYellow]

I'd rather have a disciplined kid than a spoiled fuckwit. These parents who cave to the child's every want tend to raise horrible children.

I see the proof of what I'm saying every day in my school.

You ever realize that they aren't able to play those games AT school? A game is only going to avert bullying when it is a direct distraction.

 

[skyfire_freckles]

Please. Teenagers have problems with their parents. That's the whole point of being a teenager.

 

[Nalesnik]

No, there's no evidence that kids turn violent because they can't play violent games. Your almost as bad as those people that claim violent games= mass murderers without any proof.
And if you feel the need to bully others cause you can't play violent games, then your probably a natural douchebag.

I see the proof of what I'm saying every day in my school.

That's called anecdotal evidence, which is not "real" evidence.

 

[Funkysandwich]

I'd rather have a disciplined kid than a spoiled fuckwit. These parents who cave to the child's every want tend to raise horrible children.

Caving in to your child's demands is a brilliant parenting technique, what are you talking about?

No, but seriously, parents occasionally have to do things that their children don't like. It's called the "because I said so" rule. It teaches you that in the real world, you can't always get everything you want.

 

[mrhappyface]

Actually this is how it works:
Boy: Mom, can I play God of War?
Mom: No.
Now, reword that.
Boy: Mom, can I play God of War? It's a poetic homage of excess to Greek Mythology, chronicling the epic of a desperate man's vendetta to avenge his family from the very evil that saved his life! The dichomotomy of a man's soul is revealed, and it shows how much a man would lose to rewrite his past!
Mom: Alright, it must be educational!

 

[Lullabye]

Actually this is how it works:
Boy: Mom, can I play God of War?
Mom: No.
Now, reword that.
Boy: Mom, can I play God of War? It's a poetic homage of excess to Greek Mythology, chronicling the epic of a desperate man's vendetta to avenge his family from the very evil that saved his life! The dichomotomy of a man's soul is revealed, and it shows how much a man would lose to rewrite his past!
Mom: Alright, it must be educational!

I did that. It got my mother as far as the store, then she looked at the rating and said "No".

OT:I get what the OP is saying, and in fact I actually became aggressive and confrontational after my parent consecutively dismissed helping me get a game I wanted. I don't mean buying it for me, I mean, we were at the Video rental store, I had the money all she had to do was be the face since I was 14 and not able to buy M rated games. Then after saying "No" because apparently it would make me violent or a douchebag, I became really pissed. Not because I couldn't play the game(I often got an older friend to buy them later or something to that effect) but because my parent (and many others) often fail to accurately explain to their kids why they feel they shouldn't play a certain game, and afterward discuss it.

I realize I may have unrealistic expectations of parents actually treating their kids like people, not pets(no offense to the many great parents I know reside here on the Escapist) But hell, even we near complete strangers on the internet are able to have a meaningful discussion about much more serious topics.

Though, some kids are just naturally angry, and like has been said; If you're taking your anger out on others not related to the incident, then you're probably a natural douchebag.

 

[mrhappyface]

Actually this is how it works:
Boy: Mom, can I play God of War?
Mom: No.
Now, reword that.
Boy: Mom, can I play God of War? It's a poetic homage of excess to Greek Mythology, chronicling the epic of a desperate man's vendetta to avenge his family from the very evil that saved his life! The dichomotomy of a man's soul is revealed, and it shows how much a man would lose to rewrite his past!
Mom: Alright, it must be educational!

I did that. It got my mother as far as the store, then she looked at the rating and said "No".

OT:I get what the OP is saying, and in fact I actually became aggressive and confrontational after my parent consecutively dismissed helping me get a game I wanted. I don't mean buying it for me, I mean, we were at the Video rental store, I had the money all she had to do was be the face since I was 14 and not able to buy M rated games. Then after saying "No" because apparently it would make me violent or a douchebag, I became really pissed. Not because I couldn't play the game(I often got an older friend to buy them later or something to that effect) but because my parent (and many others) often fail to accurately explain to their kids why they feel they shouldn't play a certain game, and afterward discuss it.

I realize I may have unrealistic expectations of parents actually treating their kids like people, not pets(no offense to the many great parents I know reside here on the Escapist) But hell, even we near complete strangers on the internet are able to have a meaningful discussion about much more serious topics.

Though, some kids are just naturally angry, and like has been said; If you're taking your anger out on others not related to the incident, then you're probably a natural douchebag.

Actually, I quit asking my Mom to buy me games and instead asked my Dad, who raised me on some of the goriest movies of all time. My Dad only hated one thing: Dead Cops and Dead U.S. soldiers. Besides that, he was pretty cool with everything.

 

[MissShortosity]

Hey, well I've done some thinking and have come to the conclusion that when parents say no to their child's request to get say, gears of war 2, on the basis that it will make them into a chainsaw wielding mass murderer. It could very well make the child even more aggressive both on an "ever-day bullying and making other peoples lives miserable" and on a "time bomb building up hate until it finally explodes in a violent school shooting" level.

Whilst I may not be a parent myself, I deal with children and teenagers on an almost daily basis as a swimming instructor. The "lets buy my kid what they want so they're happy and dont cry/complain/wail/hit/bite/scratch other kids is is THE worst form of parenting there is.

If a parent decides that gears of war 2 is too violent for their say, 13 year old son, then they are well within their grounds to restrict little Johnny's access to said game. That's what being a parent is about. We don't allow minors to drive cars, smoke, drink alcohol, have a job, have sex, get married or take out a loan until they reach a certain age in their life, because they are too young and inexperienced to make a well informed decision about things.

I see kids who swear and abuse their parents if they don't get what they want, or are forced to do something they don't want to do (in my instance, usually swim). It is this "Oh I must please my child and buy them this and allow them to do whatever they will, lest they cry or scream or heaven forbid, get angry at me!" attitude that has created some of the most selfish, bratty and downright unpleasant children I have ever met or had to teach.

Whilst it may suck that teenagers don't get what they want, it does happen and it's usually for a reason. Parents don't restrict their child's access to a game because they want to be vindictive or make their child suffer (unless of course said parent is a psychopath) but because they feel that such restriction is for the benefit or protection of their child.

I myself experienced such frustrations when I was younger. For my birthday many moons ago, I asked for DOA2 which had recently been released. However, my mother thought that such a game was too violent for me, and I instead received Supa-Bust-A-Move, an infuriatingly repetitive and boring puzzle game with annoying little characters, but you know what? I got over it. I didn't bully anyone, nor become overly aggressive, nor start wielding a gun around.

Sure being a teenager isn't a fun part of ones life, because you're no longer a child, not yet an adult but wanting to be treated like one. But one day you'll finish school and enter the big world and realise how easy you had it, and get over it.

Trust me.

 

[azncutthroat]

Not getting a game doesn't even come close as a significant cause for minors behaving violently. There are far more factors that generally cause violent/erratic behavior, such as domestic violence, child abuse, unstable economic/social conditions, drugs, hereditary traits/disorders, etc.

 

[Pimppeter2]

If your kid gets violently angry by not having access to a violent video game, there is no way the mind should think that the solution would be to buy them said game. I weep for humanity if that is indeed the case.

 

[e2density]

It's not like you're supposed to friends with your child

YES! The beatings shall continue!

 

[Flying-Emu]

Seriously, wait until you're seventeen. If you're old enough to claim being a teenager (I.E. 13), that's not too long to wait, and you need to be focusing on schooling and social development at this point.

I did, and I'm pretty happy with my situation and how things turned out.

 

[Captain23222]

this thread kind of reminds me when I was 11 and tried to come up with my own government, wrote it out and everything then put it up on the internet before finding out that I was essentially describing a dictatorship under myself and it wasn't actually that great of a government, oh well

but really I think I've come up with a job for myself when parenting, test the games prior to the kid. Some parents have to cook dinner or take the garbage out, I suppose this would just be the cross I will have to bare, so be it.