[browsing]

Parents are literally, creating "monsters"

And, I'm not talking about the "little monsters" as we sometimes jokingly refer to them. I'm talking about real monsters.

We're making Home-made Predators by the thousands and don't even realize it.

In recent years, the proliferation of video games and life-like animations within those games has welded the minds of our children to these devices. Worse, they're imprinting their psyche with messages that are twisted. Sadly, many parents don't know what's happening. Indeed, many of them willingly purchase these games without checking them out first. The games often glorify gratitous violence and teach philosophies that are contrary to what most good parents would teach their kids.

Just recently, a group of third graders were discovered with weapons they'd brought to school in order to kill their teacher. Everyone was in shock. But, if these kids have been programed such that killing is a way to eliminate "problems" in one's life, well, they were doing what they've become trained to do.

We'd better wake up.

Or, one day, we won't....

Just an older parent's opinion.

[mcmama]

Thanks for introducing this topic. I was about to post it myself. Sheesh, we think our kids are trouble and then you read about this!!!

It wasn't clear that they intended to kill the teacher, or understood those consequences. And the teacher is not a newbie. The level of planning with this absolutely amazes me. Like a commando mission.

You have to wonder about the level of leadership these kids are capable of, and how it is gone wrong. Third graders don't make this stuff up in their heads, they get it from TV and movies.

[mrmnmom82]

And yet video games cannot be held responsible for someone elses actions under the law. They are free to continue to produce this violent garbage, and for some reason parents continue to purchase it?

[mcmama]

When I taught preschool, I encountered children who were exposed to material that was not age appropriate because they had older brothers and sisters. With a five year age difference between my boys, I always had some rules in place. Yes, you can watch this movie - JUST NOT NOW. Yes you can play this game - WHERE I CAN SEE YOU - and if I felt the game was too violent, we did not play it.

My kids as teens later told me they thought I had over done it a bit. But they both turned out ok, so I don't think so.

There's plenty of time to catch up with violent media later. They don't need it this young.

[pattiewrites]

I absolutely agree, but I don't blame the game industry. As long as there is a market, they will make it. Also, many of these games are made for adults. I am amazed at the number of adults hooked on these games! I guess I look at this as I do all media and entertainment, it is MY job to monitor and not purchase/ let them watch violent content. There is no reason for a third grade child to have these games. Their parents need their heads examined! There are ratings on movies, music and video games for a reason. I don't understand how parents can possibly say they didn't know. Read the box, spend some time playing the games or watching the movies before allowing the children to do so. It is a matter of responsible parenting.

[Alejandros Mommy]

IKWYM Pattie. I overheard at my sons school the other day a mom negotiating with her 8 year old about playing Halo3....I have that game....I would never allow me 8year old to play it! I just don't understand people.

[IamWHO]

I work on the computer and there is this great feature. If you make a mistake you can just undo it (Control +z) and it's as if it never happened. When I spend long hours on the computer and use "undo" a lot, then when I go to the rest of my life I find myself making careless mistakes because I'm thinking in my mind that I can hit "undo." I think, "OK. No problem. Just 'undo.'" Then I realize I can't and I feel like such a doofus.

It's the same way with video games. When you kill enough and shoot things enough, it becomes second nature and can be done without a second thought, before your conscious mind has an opportunity to rationalize against it. It becomes a trigger response: happens before you think. We should not allow killing to be a mundane thing that is taken for granted at an early age by our children. Television will make killing an every day idea to a kid as well; and life becomes thought of as trivial to one who is seeing death every day.

I totally agree that many parents are ignorantly creating monsters...and it's terrifying.

[hennypenny]

Our daughter isn't allowed to play violent games.

[Blessed0608]

I can agree that video games are becoming ridiculous in the amount of violence they have in them and how real it looks. I just don't know if I agree that violent video games are what ultimately makes kids turn violent. I know its just a few people out of many, but my fiance and his group of friends (4 total) played whatever game they wanted as soon as they could figure out the buttons to press, many of which were just as violent as the ones out today. They are all in their 20's now and none of them are fascinated with violence, guns, or anything in the least. I think it has a lot to do with the parents that are raising these children. If you allow your children to play these games and do not talk about the fact that this is a game not reality, then maybe the child will grow up thinking that's how life works. At the same time, where were the parent's whose children had easy access to the gun and furthermore how did these same parents not know that the kids had it with them when they went to school?? I think its a combination of the violence kids are exposed to AND how involved the parents are in the kid's lives.

[Samual]

You cannot blame a game, that person choses to be violent in the end, but that of course would require someone to take responsibility for their own actions, which no longer happens, something is now blamed for masses of irresponsible immature people. Here in the UK there are plans to pass actual legal age limits to games, similar to those on films, as at the moment there are only guidelines. But if a parent is going to buy the game instead, there is nothing you can do about it.
I myself have no problem with violent games unless a very young child was playing it, such as someone said on here I believe and 8 year old playing Halo is a bit young, I play alot myself and I have done for a long time, I havn't turned into a crazed murder.