Responsible parenting?

[cianer]

Came across an interesting dichotomy the other day on XBox live. There was a young girl, I'd guess about ten years old, playing Halo. Conversation came around to what part of the world we were all in and she refused to say because she wasn't allowed by her parents.

When she said that I was impressed: parents who take enough of an interest in the online gaming scene to know the potential dangers out there are few and far between. Then it occurred to me that she was playing a game rated 15+ in Europe and M (i.e. 17+) in the US.

So.......why such a discrepancy between their knowledge of the potential pitfalls of the internet and their knowledge of ESRB guidelines? In your opinion are they responsible parents or irresponsible parents?

 

[DanOBrien]

Came across an interesting dichotomy the other day on XBox live. There was a young girl, I'd guess about ten years old, playing Halo. Conversation came around to what part of the world we were all in and she refused to say because she wasn't allowed by her parents.

When she said that I was impressed: parents who take enough of an interest in the online gaming scene to know the potential dangers out there are few and far between. Then it occurred to me that she was playing a game rated 15+ in Europe and M (i.e. 17+) in the US.

So.......why such a discrepancy between their knowledge of the potential pitfalls of the internet and their knowledge of ESRB guidelines? In your opinion are they responsible parents or irresponsible parents?

well theres two ways to look at it, they're responsible in telling her that shes not able to tell anyone where she's from however they're irresponsible letting their child play the game in the first place..

Personally i would say responsible because of the first point, its not THAT bad of a game..

 

[BlueMage]

Responsible enough. The key with the ratings, as best I can tell, is that they apply to unsupervised play.

Allow me to explain: I've played violent games all my life, even as a young'un. However, parents were on hand when I was young to remind me that it wasn't real, that such violence is not the right thing to do. As such, I was able to distinguish fantasy from reality and was able to play these *ahem* horrifically violent games without damaging my psyche any.

I would assume that if they're on board enough to warn her of the dangers of the net, they'd be savvy to other aspects of the tech as well, which includes the games.

I could also be completely wrong, the parents could be luddites who fear technology and the evil it brings, but can't distinguish between evils.

 

[PedroSteckecilo]

I think Halo is pretty harmless and undeserving of an M-Rating, it's Sci-fi violence and colored alien blood and if the parents are aware of the fact that the game contains no worse than what you might see in Star Wars then they are plenty responsible and may have *gasp* played the game themselves to at least understand what it contains. I'd be MORE worried about my kids being exposed to all the moronic asshats on Live than the game itself.

 

[Reaperman Wompa]

Parents opinion, they probably taught their child about seeing games early and developing into enjoying and understanding gaming as a passtime, something fictional and enjoyable, but told her about not telling older men on xbox live where she lived, which is a real danger, good parenting in my books, i mean Spy's don't exist but P's do ( i don't like the word,, redo with a p and a phile on the end). As long as they protected her from real violence who cares what she was playing.

 

[whiteshodan]

Halo really isn't that bad of a game. Although games like GTA are.

 

[Chiasm]

I just think it's great the parents got involved enough to make sure that their daughter has a few idea of internet safety in mind however, Also remember I am sure im not the only one who's parents when they were younger swore up and down of never letting you play game X so you go to friend Y who has game X and play it there. So really it may be the parents don't allow Halo either but the girl was just playing at friends?

 

[cianer]

Fair point about Halo possibly not deserving the M rating. There's a world of difference between a 10 year old playing that and playing Gears of War for example. According to the ESRB its rated M for "Blood and Gore, Mild Language, Violence", though as Pedro said its all coloured Alien blood so might as well be paint. Interestingly Gears is rated 18 in Europe while Halo is only 15 which makes more sense.


An amusing anecdote to this story: of the 8 people playing the social slayer game in question only one person went around teabagging people - the young girl. I guess the infamous XBox live moronic asshats have taught her at least one trick. =)

 

[shatnershaman]

I think Halo is pretty harmless and undeserving of an M-Rating, it's Sci-fi violence and colored alien blood and if the parents are aware of the fact that the game contains no worse than what you might see in Star Wars

Star Wars has swear words and naked Brutes? Stars Wars has Blood?

 

[cianer]

Stars Wars has Blood?

One bit of blood yes. When Obi-Wan slices off the whatsit's arm in the cantina bar. Christ I'm a nerd!

 

[DizzleMcSizzle]

id say its quite responsible, its not a particularly violent game is it. its only halo not GTA or Manhunt. The fact her parents have taken an interest and told her and shes even sensible enough to follow those guidelines shows great responsibility i think.

 

[brabz]

I think the parents are being responsible and using their own judgment for what games they feel are appropriate. Ultimately, the ESRB is something for parents to keep in mind, not the be all and end all of gaming.

Growing up, I was allowed to have "controversial" games like Mortal Kombat and Resident Evil 2. My parents never had to have a conversation with me to separate fiction from reality, and I never tried to rip the heart out of someone in the street or decide that running around shooting people was a good idea.

They did make sure I wasn't playing any of these titles without having completed house and school-work first though, and I had drilled into my head from an early age that reading outside of school and for pleasure was extremely important. It's all context and parental involvement. People who rush to say games are dumbing down youth and the cause of violent crimes generally aren't too involved in their own child's development.

These parents decided they don't mind the content of an "M" rated game, but made sure to make their child aware of the dangers of playing online. I think they did a great job ensuring personal safety and enjoyment.

 

[PhoenixFlame]

It's responsible enough. The fact that some awareness was had and taught to the girl to ensure she knew what to do and what not to do is a huge step in the right direction. It also hopefully shows that the "TV babysitting" isn't in effect, that these parents actually are aware of the fact that their daughter plays games.

I wish more parents were like this.

 

[Hawgh]

My guess is that they are responsible enough, granted, there are a lot of unknown details here(family functionality, the girl's general behaviour, general interaction between her and her parents)
but I assume that the fact that they've taken the time to lay down some sort of rules for her gaming shows that they show some interest and support in her hobby, in that way, she always have a lifeline out of whatever psychologically challenging situations she'll wound up in.

 

[Ionait]

poof

 

[BlueMage]

Stars Wars has Blood?

One bit of blood yes. When Obi-Wan slices off the whatsit's arm in the cantina bar. Christ I'm a nerd!

That was Ponda Baba, assistant/partner to Dr Evazan, aka Dr Death, an illegally-operating surgeon with a tendancy towards bizarre experiments.

Christ, I'm a bigger nerd than you

 

[rossatdi]

I'm semi-glad that I know that whatever game my kids pick up (in that FAR distant future) will have me watching them play anyway!

The asshats on Xbox Live are far more damaging to a child that shooting things with a controller. The sheer bile and racism always impresses me, in the same genocide impresses me. Its certainly not a good thing, its merely impressive how much of a collective dickhole people can be to other people for no good reason.

 

[DizzleMcSizzle]

I'm semi-glad that I know that whatever game my kids pick up (in that FAR distant future) will have me watching them play anyway!

The asshats on Xbox Live are far more damaging to a child that shooting things with a controller. The sheer bile and racism always impresses me, in the same genocide impresses me. Its certainly not a good thing, its merely impressive how much of a collective dickhole people can be to other people for no good reason.

so true.
im kinda the same. i imagine ill be watching my kids play videos games purely because ill stil be a gamer in the future, i have younger relatives whos mums and dads watch them play purely for the enjoyment of watching them play. there has been a few times when my mum has walked through the room when im playing and gone "oooh doesnt that look real" and sat and observed me for a while. i think its good parents take an interest.

 

[Mr Bojinkles]

Are any of you that have posted parents yet? I am. I was raised on NES Mario and Donkey Kong, but I'm not old enough to remember the Atari days... Anyway, I let my 9 year old play GTA IV and he sat right beside me as I finished the last few levels of Gears of War, exploding locust heads and all. I'm not worried, and you can flame me if you feel so compelled, despite knowing it will not affect how I raise my children. But I tell him time and again that it is just a game, and that is why we laugh when he plows through groups of pedestrians on Saints Row. But what makes me worry about him and his fragile little mind even less is yes, it is fun and funny to run people over and shoot at cops, but when it comes right down to him making the choice, he'd rather play Lego SW, Viva Pinata, or forge on Halo 3. I plan on keeping up with video games as he and I get older, I don't want to be like my parents where EVERYTHING is Nintendo. And I'll make sure that he only plays as a hobby and not an obsession, and I won't worry about it anymore. As for this girl, i praise her parents for making sure she is that smart. But if they did teach her to teabag they should be drug out into the street and shot.