Your parents view of games, and your view if you were a parent

[Officer Crayon]

There's no question that my mother hates video games. She thinks that they are stupid distractions from real-life things.
When i had to babysit my 2 younger nephews with her, they were fighting about something in cod(they are young, and no not what they play) and my mother flipped out about how video games were making them fight. Truth is, that if they were doing anything, they would be fighting over it. She is associating them arguing with their gaming.
The way that it seems to be, is that parents just don't have any knowledge or experience of what video games are, or how much joy they can bring.
My question: What are your parents view of video games? Are they young enough to have grown up playing them? Do They play them even though they never played them in they're younger years? What would be/is your view on gaming if you were a parent?
Of course only answer the ones that apply to you

 

[BloatedGuppy]

Everyone always thinks everyone else's hobby is a stupid waste of time. One's own hobbies are productive and recreational. Everyone else's are retarded, and possibly damaging. It's just good old fashioned confirmation bias. There's naught to be done about it. Just shrug and move on, and try to be more understanding when someone loves something you don't.

 

[imagremlin]

I am a parent, my kid is 9 and has been playing since he could hold a controller.

Honestly, games are:

1) A perfectly valid form of entertainment. Does your mum read books? Watches TV? Listens to music? Sees movies? You may point out there is no difference.

2) A virtual toy. From a kid's perspective a videogame is just a toy, which happens to live inside the TV screen. No different to his action figures. So yes, young boys like games where the characters fight. They also like soldier or war action figures. No kid is ever confused by this or thinks its reality (this is the most stupid thing I keep hearing from those that have no clue on how videogames work).

Having said that, I would not let my kid play or even see certaing games based on their content, not the fact that they're games. I would not let him see a movie with similar content either. This is the most scary things for uninformed parents, they can't make this decisions and are not willing or interested in learning how to do so.

Finally, games can be a family experience. Some games we play together (my wife is a gamer as well). We can share things like Zelda or Mario. We take turns, we all make suggestions. Its a bonding experience.

 

[Mallefunction]

My mother doesn't like them because she doesn't see the 'point' to them. As if you couldn't make the same argument for movies, books, etc. I tried to get her to play about 5 different games and she only ever liked Little Big Planet. Anything with a real story confused her because I don't think she views games as any sort of story-telling medium.

My dad likes to watch me play, but he has no interest in playing himself. He sees games as changeable movies and likes to watch me mess up. He also finds the little things in the game funny (like Ezio stumbling in AC2 after running into a person).

Both of them support my gaming though, giving me money to play and buy games as well as my systems. I would like to try with my mom at one point, maybe have her watch me play a more story based game and see if that helps.

If I was a parent, I would give my kids the same games I grew up with first and then build them up to the modern games. The reason I want to do this is because even though I trust my kids to be smart enough to tell the difference between real life and a game, I want to show them games that are less focused on 'headshots'. Someone else mentioned above that they would get their kids age appropriate games and that's pretty much how I would go about it as well. I will decide whether or not my child is mature enough to try their hands at a shooter or a war game and if that's age 9, so be it.

 

[Not-here-anymore]

My mother's utterly indifferent as long as it doesn't get in the way of my brother's school work, although she dislikes pretty much anything with visual violence (games, films, TV shows... anything)

My Dad'll play them, mostly as a way to spend time with me and my brother, partially because he has something of a competitive streak. Don't think he has any particularly strong opinions on the medium beyond that. Had a highly amusing conversation with his girlfriend's kids whilst playing CoD4 with them - they said I was too old for computer games. I responded by pointing out the 16+ label on the case, telling them both they were too young, and claiming victory by default.

My stepfather has an unconcealed disdain for them as a children's toy. Then again, he has that same attitude of derision for most of my hobbies that don't involve physical exercise or academia, it seems.

If I were a parent? Sure, video games are fine, as long as it doesn't get in the way of work/at least a pretence at being sociable. But I am going to be that annoying parent who actually thinks about whether or not a game (or film, or book, or whatever) is appropriate for my hypothetical future kids before letting them play it. No GTA 9 for them! Also, I'd want at least a few things that could be played as a family/group

 

[JemothSkarii]

My parents has always seen them as a waste of time, and something that will 'surely ruin my life'. They've always been over-protective of me; They wouldn't even let me watch a movie until I was 13 if it had a gun in it. This started when I was like...7 or something and they got sick of me playing Rainbow 6, thinking that it would warp me into a mindless killer. Thanks to that, I never got to watch Beast Wars, The Matrix etc.

So yes, Parents think it's a big no-no.

 

[iLazy]

My mom is indifferent about them. If I ask her really nicely, she gets them for me on the release date while I'm at school She's great. Her only opinion on them is that I don't confuse fiction with reality or get lost in the realm on fiction.

My dad thinks they're a waste of time, but he doesn't really care if I do play'em. He has commented that they are very nice to look at.

As for me, I'd be okay with my kids gaming and I'd probably play with them too but I'd be like my mom. I'd make sure that it stayed a hobby and didn't interfere with their life. I wouldn't let them play M-rated games until I'm sure they could handle it.

 

[Berenzen]

My parents don't play video games, but put them on the same level as television and books. And just like other forms of entertainment, they see them as non-constructive towards work, not that it's a bad thing, sometimes it's just nice to relax. While they don't purchase me games, I purchase them myself. They don't chastise me for playing them, as long as I make sure that my grades don't suffer because of it.

As a parent, I probably would share the same views as my parents, although I would probably play alongside my child, it allows for monitoring how much they play and gives them an example of someone they know and trust playing video games, then putting it down in order to do some work.

 

[Dagda Mor]

I have a lot of flaws,but if there's one thing I can say,it's that I'm open-minded.I doubt that I'd worry about my hypothetical child playing games,even if I didn't grow up with them. though I would probably joke about his choices if I don't like them.That's not to say I'd be disappointed if he didn't think video games were an art form,but I'd tease him about it. And my parents are completely fine with games.

 

[Dr.A]

Well, my dad's techy. He's the one who taught me how to use a computer before I was in the first grade, and would sit me up on his lap and help him play Warcraft. So, he kind of turned me on to games in the first place. He doesn't really play games himself now, but he's always up for a good discussion on a new game, especially anything with an interesting mechanic, or even a good story.

My mooother on the other hand is....well a nurse, so she doesn't really computer very much. Nor does she play games. When we were younger she'd play N64 with us sometimes but that was the extent of it. If she has any views on "gaming culture" or just games in general she doesn't really talk about it, probably because it's not important to her. So, she could care less. Though I know she wishes I'd get outside and talk to people more.

And I'd just like to add a note that, even though she's not a parent, my older sister is kind of against games...she's like the black sheep of the family though (and I say that affectionately). She's a vegan and likes to do vegan-y things. And she saw me playing Minecraft once and harked on me about the game's "point" since my structures and adventures in the game really meant nothing because they were all fake. :'[

AS a parent, I think I'd....still be playing games, so I'd introduce them to my children. If they took to playing them, yay. If not, oh well.

This is a freaking long post I'm sorry.

 

[MaxwellEdison]

A) Something akin to a board game for my mom, and some mystery device to my dad.
B) A story telling medium, hopefully with some outstanding masterpieces some day. To my children, they'll probably be like a cooler TV show.

 

[Blow_Pop]

my parents believe still that girls don't play video games and are just fine with my little brother playing games. My mom and dad play casual games like Bejeweled...in fact that's ALL they play. If I had kids(and god help us all if I produce offspring)as long as it didnae interfere with their school work, they kept their grades up, and spent time outside away from games(at least an hour a day), I would have no problems with them playing games. Tis the rules I have always kept for myself and since I havenae been doing my hour outside lately I've been not playing games. Keeps me motivated enough to start going outside and get off my laptop.

 

[krazykidd]

My mom was a firm believer than gaming was a waste of time and turned children into mindless zombies. MY DAD howerver was awsome and was into gaming when it started getting popular (-ish)on consoles ( with the NES ) and would buy games and let me play them as much as i want ( even games like mortal kombat and stuff that was supposedly too violent for children ). After explaining to me it was just a game and that real life is different, and never should i attempt anything i ever say in a game ( did this once in my life, because i was a stupid 10 years old, started with me seeing mario fly in Mario 64 and ended with me and a broken leg ). He also thought ( and i fully agree ) that video games help people ( especially children ) think logically, and also teaches patience ( remember NES days = nintendo hard ), and helps with reflexes .

I'll give you an example , playing Mario 3 at three years old, i had to lean , how to not fall in holes, how to time jumps , how to avoid obstacles , all this is logical thinking , and also teaches you that every action has a reaction ( remember i'm 3 ) and every action has a consequence and cause and effect ( again i was three , and i didn't know this stuff at the time , but it helped my logical thinking , this stuff i realized much later on ) .

After playing games for years, i could easily solve problems that most kids couldn't solve , because they haven't fully learned how to think outside the box, and gaming really does help this, espcially when you are a kid .

Anyways all this wall of text to say , that my mom thought it was stupid and my dad thought it helps people ( and children) to think , experiment and learn.

Edit: Forgot the second part of the question.

When i become a parent , i will play vidoe games with my children , and i will let them play all kind of games , use video games as a fun learning tool , and i don't mean like those bullshit educational games, i mean real games, that have you solve problems , where you can die, and lose health ( hope regen health fades out of existance by then ). Games that require thinking, reflexes, speed, dexterity ,everything because it really does help you in real life ( to think rationally that is ) .

Oh and quick PS : Final fantasy encouraged me to learn how to read, i was my dad play FF1 , and i wanted to play , but i couldn't read. I asked my dad to read it to me , he said no , if i wanted to play it , i had to learn how to read . Trust me , I learned to read as fast as humanly possible just to play Final fantasy , of course my dad would explain me certain words, since the orginal FF was in like medievil badly translated english , but i did manage to eventually beat the game , and i am a FF fan ever since.

 

[Speakercone]

I'm in my mid 20s, my parents know that I derive a great deal of happiness from gaming and they're happy that I have something like that in my life.

Growing up, gaming was what my parents used to shut me up for awhile on car trips. I'm not bitter about it, it's just a thing.

I've thought a bit about how gaming might fit with an eventual family life. Games have taught me a great deal, including that most challenges can be overcome with effort, time, and perseverence. Good stuff to teach kids. I'd want my kids to game as much as they like as long as they do other stuff too and do well at school. If they're happy, I'm happy. Also, I have a strong feeling that our "family games night" will be routinely awesome.

Lastly, all minor family disputes are to be resolved by a Quake3 deathmatch.

 

[basm321]

My dad respects games and understands that, just like movies or books, they can be simply something fun and stupid or serious and thought provoking, or anywhere in between. He just wont play any, or give them a try, watched some red dead because he loves the old clint westerns but I can't get him to touch the controller. As for my mom, well I never got a chance to talk with her about many things.

 

[mitchell271]

If someone says that games are a waste of time, I could say the same about stamp collecting. What benefit do stamps give you?

Gloating rights? I can get the same thing from beating Mass Effect on Insanity and getting 100% achievements.

Accomplishment? I can get the same from playing through Fallout.

Games can enhance your life and won't take over them. They are a hobby and they should not control of lives. The problem though is that because it is a relatively new medium, people are scared of it. If someone dies from dehydration/starvation while playing games, gaming gets the finger from the media. If someone dies for the same reasons while stamp collecting, people get a bit of a laugh and move on. Mainstream media sucks.

OT: My mom and stepdad enjoy them but think they're all I care about, which could not be farther from the truth. My dad doesn't hate them but he views them as something that perpetuates a hedonistic lifestyle. *sigh*

 

[Rabid Chipmunk]

Neither of my parents really care. My mom doesn't see how videogames can be an art form, but then again she was raised on Ms. Pac Man, so she lacks perspective somewhat. And to her credit, whenever I mention the merits of videogames as an art, she's very accepting of my point of view.

My dad doesn't care either. He'd like to see me go outside more, but what parent doesn't want their kids to go outside?

As for me, well I'm hoping to never have kids, but since we all make mistakes, I'll probably be more positive about gaming as a whole.