Poll: Buying games for teenagers

[Lonan]

I'm sensing a major "didn't read all the options before voting" here. Are the top two the most popular? No. There just AT THE TOP you lazy bastards.

I firmly believe no one should be able to infringe upon over people on the basis of age. When I was 8, I did well enough at luge to be considered for the Olympic luge team, but I was too young, so even though I had the skills, the only way for me to be able to compete professionally in luge was to sit on my ass and get older. Then I went to a boarding school for my teen years and was unable to try again due to being absent from my beloved Calgary for 6 years of my life. I could have been with the luge team getting constantly better, throwing myself down an icy chute and being a happy man for my teen years, but that didn't materialise because I wasn't old enough. It's not "something you just have to deal with until you're older;" it's complete and utter bullshit.

I salute and thump my chest in respect towards you Great Sir. May you live forever.

 

[300lb. Samoan]

Also it's not the lying that's the problem it's giving mature content to people who shouldn't have it that's wrong, which I note is conspicuously non-existent in your list of voting options...

Good observation, my list isn't as complete as I had hoped... thanks for sharing although I quite naturally disagree with you for reasons already stated... btw as I've already said, no I would not buy alcohol or cigarettes for children as they are demonstrably addictive and damaging to personal health. There's no such proof of these accusations in relation to media of any sort.

 

[Hobonicus]

To everyone saying what he did was illegal, can anyone reference this law they're talking about? I know for sure that, at least in the US, ratings on games and movies are totally just suggestions, and it is not at all illegal to sell one to a minor. Sure the clerk may get in trouble with his manager or something, but it is not against the law. So it definitely isn't illegal to sell M games to minors, but are you saying it's illegal to buy them for minors? Or is it just that he lied? If there's some law I'm not aware of let me know.

Still not your place to make that decision. Kids ask for things they shouldn't have all the time - candy, to stay up late, M-rated games, whatever. It's not your place to decide that it's ok for a child that isn't your responsibility to have any of those things, it's that child's parent or guardian. Yes, the parents ultimately should be checking what the kids are doing, but that doesn't mean you should be making their job harder. The store clerk did the right thing by not selling directly to the children in the first place. You should've done the right thing and told them you couldn't help them out. Whether or not you actually did any harm isn't the point. Just because the game is awesome, which it is, that doesn't make what you did right.

I think you're misinterpreting his position. He did something nice for someone else. He didn't decide to suddenly play parent, he had no responsibility for the kids so he could act however he pleased (within reason of course). And Samoan decided to act by helping them. He probably didn't even think about the kids' parents, he was just helping out a stranger. And on the topic of parents, they only do so much for a child's upbringing. Kids are also heavily affected by everything around them, not just their mom and dad. Claiming that every moral decision should be absolutely made by the parent sounds like a naive preaching of shallow social conformity.

You can compare it to alcohol or cigarettes but realistically, that's a very different issue. If anything, the very real random act of kindness these kids experienced far outweighs the superficial morality at stake.

 

[300lb. Samoan]

I'm sensing a major "didn't read all the options before voting" here. Are the top two the most popular? No. There just AT THE TOP you lazy bastards.

LOL yea, that always happens. That's why I try to put the most basic answers first. I tried to go from borderline disinterest, to mild interest, enthusiastic interest, and finally radical outside-the-box answers, since people who are only vaguely interested in the poll will only read the top two lines.

 

[0bserv3]

if I knew the kids, even vaguely (like friend of a friend vaguely, I'd do it. but since you didn't know who they were, I'd have to say you probably shouldn't have done it. that said, its not like these kids are going to be homicidal maniacs just because they have red dead redemption.

 

[Dungus]

I don't think you did anything wrong, but perhaps that's just because where I live (Belgium) 14y old kids can buy any game they want. Sure it's M-rated, but there's not one store that really forbids you to buy it. Also I don't get why it should be illegal. I mean, all people my age watched the Power Rangers as kids (you know you did), and that was "violence" too. Kids shouldn't even watch the news then.

If we ban all violent, criminal or unethical influences for children, what the hell will they experience when they turn 18? These influences are part of creating your morals and overall personality. Everything is.

Anyways, buying these kids a game does not make you a bad person. Keep in mind that all around the world kids can buy these games without having to prove they're 18, hell, where I live I could pick up a pack of smoke and a six pack at 14 if I wanted to. Though that's something that people should be worried about.

 

[300lb. Samoan]

And on the topic of parents, they only do so much for a child's upbringing. Kids are also heavily affected by everything around them, not just their mom and dad.

Uh, dude, you're blowing it! That would make me MORE implicated, not less! But yea, I did try to emphasize to the kids that this was a random act of kindness, in the hope that they would pay it forward. If I'm lucky, one of them will do a load of laundry for mom tonight and my conscience will be cleared! AmIrite?!?

 

[Always_Remain]

I don't see anything wrong with it. The rating system is a bit asinine anyways. I mean I'm all for following laws as long as the laws make sense. The reason the kids had you buy it was probably because their parents are uptight anyways.

Like others have said it's not as bad as buying them booze or smokes.

 

[300lb. Samoan]

Anyways, buying these kids a game does not make you a bad person. Keep in mind that all around the world kids can buy these games without having to prove they're 18, hell, where I live I could pick up a pack of smoke and a six pack at 14 if I wanted to. Though that's something that people should be worried about.

Well, if I went by that logic I would be buying alcohol and smokes for teenagers and that's something I sure wouldn't be comfortable with. There are states where it is legal to marry at the age of 14, I'm not gonna pick up a middle-school girl and make her my wife just because it's legal somewhere. I still have to act with respect to local standards. Around here, the general attitude is "store policy says I can't knowingly distribute to minors. If an adult comes in to get the game, then we're in business."

 

[monkyvirus]

Also it's not the lying that's the problem it's giving mature content to people who shouldn't have it that's wrong, which I note is conspicuously non-existent in your list of voting options...

Good observation, my list isn't as complete as I had hoped... thanks for sharing although I quite naturally disagree with you for reasons already stated... btw as I've already said, no I would not buy alcohol or cigarettes for children as they are demonstrably addictive and damaging to personal health. There's no such proof of these accusations in relation to media of any sort.

Fair point, I guess I just feel there's some things kids shouldn't be exposed to. Not that I think video games encourage violence I just wouldn't want them to see overtly violent content. Is it different because it's a game or would you have bought them a violent film? would it matter if the film was animated or live-action?

 

[Rakun Man]

Legally, yes. That probably wasn't worth it.
However, as an underage minor, I understand the problem of trying to buy 18+ games. But, they should be bought with the consent of their legal guardians and you could suffer legal reprecussions.
I don't condemn for trying to help, but it probably wasn't worth it.

 

[300lb. Samoan]

Also it's not the lying that's the problem it's giving mature content to people who shouldn't have it that's wrong, which I note is conspicuously non-existent in your list of voting options...

Good observation, my list isn't as complete as I had hoped... thanks for sharing although I quite naturally disagree with you for reasons already stated... btw as I've already said, no I would not buy alcohol or cigarettes for children as they are demonstrably addictive and damaging to personal health. There's no such proof of these accusations in relation to media of any sort.

Fair point, I guess I just feel there's some things kids shouldn't be exposed to. Not that I think video games encourage violence I just wouldn't want them to see overtly violent content. Is it different because it's a game or would you have bought them a violent film? would it matter if the film was animated or live-action?

Well, like I told someone earlier, I wouldn't have bought Manhunt but I was fine buying RDR. Similarly, I would never buy Saw or Hostel for a teenager, but The Wild Bunch or Fistful of Dollars? Shit yea. I know quality and I wanted to share quality with these kids.

 

[joebag]

thats the spirit

 

[Normalgamer]

I'm nuetral towards it.

Sure it's just a game and voilent games and so on don't harm teenagers that bad but on the other hand it's against the law to do it and it should be up to the parents to decide what games their children play, after all if they asked you then obviously their parents would not buy it for them because sometimes, games do give people ideas.....

A kid once asked me to do thise but I ran off with his money. his friends almost got me but I had $40 in the end.

OP you now know what to do next time.

Stealing is against the law for a reason.
What if someone robbed $40 off you?

So is buying a game underage.

I prevented one crime with my own He should know better than to give money to strangers.

You could have just said "no", instead you had to be a douche and steal 40$, you do realise that is a ton of money for an under 16 year old right? What you did was rob the kid of however many hours he worked to get it, your nothing but a thief, and you can't justify your crime.

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

If they can't convince their parents that they're mature enough to play a mature-rated game then they probably aren't.

have you SEEN some of the parents out there?

full right wing republicans that hate video games with a passion (i know a few friends with parents like these...they absolutely despise and have even thrown out 2 consoles out the window and broken them)

OT:

thats not a bad thing at all, its better they are getting games then stupid ass drugs or something, so good for you, giving them the "good" stuff underage ;]

its all a part of growing up, if you dont experience it earlier on i swear sometimes its just not the same..

 

[monkyvirus]

Also it's not the lying that's the problem it's giving mature content to people who shouldn't have it that's wrong, which I note is conspicuously non-existent in your list of voting options...

Good observation, my list isn't as complete as I had hoped... thanks for sharing although I quite naturally disagree with you for reasons already stated... btw as I've already said, no I would not buy alcohol or cigarettes for children as they are demonstrably addictive and damaging to personal health. There's no such proof of these accusations in relation to media of any sort.

Fair point, I guess I just feel there's some things kids shouldn't be exposed to. Not that I think video games encourage violence I just wouldn't want them to see overtly violent content. Is it different because it's a game or would you have bought them a violent film? would it matter if the film was animated or live-action?

Well, like I told someone earlier, I wouldn't have bought Manhunt but I was fine buying RDR. Similarly, I would never buy Saw or Hostel for a teenager, but The Wild Bunch or Fistful of Dollars? Shit yea. I know quality and I wanted to share quality with these kids.

Hmmm, now I think I have been converted to your way of thinking. I can see you're point about quality. Still I wouldn't dream of doing it but I am less incensed that someone else did it at any rate. I guess the real issue is we can leave it to individual digression but people would always disagree over exactly what was appropriate. Maybe someone out there really does think Manhunt is ok for kids how could you argue against those people if they thought it was quality?

 

[Lamppenkeyboard]

I am immediately biased since I am 16 yet, but I have been getting M games without my parents knowing since I was like 12. So They probably would have just gotten hold of a copy of it sooner or later.

 

[Outright Villainy]

From a legal perspective, what you did was wrong, but from a moral perspective, it was not.

I believe that in most cases, once people hit about 12-13, they stop being impressionable when it comes to violence. They have enough common sense to realise that what they're killing doesn't exist, and that there's a tangible difference between real world and virtual reality. So while current videogame rating systems are probably the best we have, they'll never be perfect because all people are different in how they take in information.

I do it all the time, in fact. I'm under 18, so legally, I can't buy 18's games, which probably comprise about half my gaming library.

Doesn't really matter though. I look over 18, so they never ask for ID.

I would argue the opposite. I don't think an ERSB rating has any legal holding, it's more a guideline for retailers or parents. Most shops follow it pretty strictly, to avoid hassle, but a shop can't legally get in any trouble for selling an over 18's game, much like a movie or album.
Morally however, it's up to the parents, and you shouldn't make that decision for them.

I wouldn't have said this 4 years ago, but my argument is still valid!

 

[Nova5]

(snip) that's as bad as buying them tobacco.

As someone who had a pack-a-day habit from age 15 on: No. No it's not, and I consider your opinion misinformed.