Schools in the UK threaten to report parents that let their children play mature games

[davislane1]

Yes I agree that this is a bit drastic, but what it looks like a lot of you are over looking is that people are failing as parents. This issue goes way beyond what content they are exposed to, but I'm going to leave it at that.

When people fail as parents it is the job of the culture to remind them of their failings so others don't repeat them. It isn't the place of the govt to step in and assume the role of child rearing authority.

 

[stewi0001]

When people fail as parents it is the job of the culture to remind them of their failings so others don't repeat them. It isn't the place of the govt to step in and assume the role of child rearing authority.

It's one of the issues I see here in the US, is that people seem to more and more want to be mindless blobs and have the Govt do everything for them.

 

[davislane1]

It's one of the issues I see here in the US, is that people seem to more and more want to be mindless blobs and have the Govt do everything for them.

This is true. It is a consequence of the same mentality that has brought about this UK nonsense. It seems to be lost on nanny state supporters that removing the stigma of government dependence and protecting people from their own bad decisions removes the negative outcomes that motivate people to develop into competent adults and parents.

 

[Jam_Man]

Everyone saying its unreasonable I assume would let their kids watch 18 rated movies with sex and horror scenes right?

I mean blocking kids from watching porn is unacceptable, adults can do it so why not 6 year olds?

I personally let my son play CoD and Battlefield etc, but GTA V has adult material in it, its not reasonable for little kids to be playing it.

 

[davislane1]

Everyone saying its unreasonable I assume would let their kids watch 18 rated movies with sex and horror scenes right?

I mean blocking kids from watching porn is unacceptable, adults can do it so why not 6 year olds?

I personally let my son play CoD and Battlefield etc, but GTA V has adult material in it, its not reasonable for little kids to be playing it.

How you raise your kids is your business and no one else's. That's the point being made here by those who find the policy unreasonable.

It is also ironic you cite Call of Duty and Battlefield as games you allow your kid to play. According to the policy in question, you should be reported for neglect. Because content ratings.

 

[cliffordcooley]

The fact that adult material is so freely advertised is the biggest problem. The fact that we have adult material will keep the problem alive. But since adult material is so freely advertised, every kid knows about it's existence the day it is released. There is no wonder adults don't think anything of letting their kids have it. You can't expect a kid not to want it when we dangle it in front of them like candy.

Adult discretion is a lost art in modern day society. Yet everyone is appalled at topics such as this one. Everyone is pointing a finger at parenting, when it is society in general that is the fault. And then when a government or agency speaks up they become known as a nanny group. Everyone is so afraid of loosing their content, they won't even consider discretion as a fix. This very thread proves it.

 

[wiyosaya]

For anyone who has actually lived in the UK, attended school in recent years or worked in a school, the problem is obvious.
In October 2011 I did a week's worth of work experience in a primary school, I was assigned a year 5 class (9 and 10 year olds), and at the time they were all talking about how they were going to get SuM GuNz and BL45T a that Muv4***k3r. The problem is that the children don't actually realise the significance of their actions in a game, of killing, torturing etc like you do in a lot of games.
Obviously very few people know what it does feel like to do those things, but many of us do realise the significance of those actions.
I'm not going to say I'm exempt, I'm as guilty as any, I was born in '96, I watched my sister play GTA: Vice City, I even had to do some missions for her because I'm better and multi-tasking such as chasing missions, but it's not cool.

So you are saying that both you and your sister turned out to be gun-toting terrorists hell bent on making yourselves known to the world?

I think it is amazing how many people show up for an article like this who simply ignore the research out there. Seems like you, and I would be willing to bet your sister, too, turned out to be decent individuals despite the fact that you played violent video games. Research indicates that this is the norm, not the exception. No need for a country to implement Nanny Mode.

 

[wiyosaya]

It's one of the issues I see here in the US, is that people seem to more and more want to be mindless blobs and have the Govt do everything for them.

Actually, I cannot agree with this. Personally, I think "rules" like this are made by people who's opinion is that banning such things will eliminate the devil from daily life. As I see it, those who want to eliminate the devil are those who created the devil in the first place.

 

[wiyosaya]

Yes I agree that this is a bit drastic, but what it looks like a lot of you are over looking is that people are failing as parents. This issue goes way beyond what content they are exposed to, but I'm going to leave it at that.

Personally, given research in the subject, I think this is a straw-man argument.

To me, the real argument is whether or not exposing children to what society considers adult content (in video games) adversely affects their development to the point where children so exposed become misfits or worse. You may want to blame parents for exposing their children to adult content, but the research in the video game arena does not support the conclusion that it adversely affects children.