Back in September when I went to pick up my copy of Destiny, I was treated with a sight that is more or less commonplace these days. An angry mother complaining about a violent game and demanding her money back. Not only that but she brought her son with her, who looked no older than 7-8 years old. I had a decent amount of time to survey the situation as a rather large line was built up for the other cashier. The cashier and the participants of the line looked very uncomfortable and irritated, and I know why.
There were two key points that I grabbed from the heated exchange. The first point is that she wanted a full refund for a used game. Clearly this woman didn’t know anything about the used game policy. The game is bought at a cheaper price with the cost of that copy being brand new. She went into hysterics about how she wants $60 and of course, the cashier wouldn’t comply, and for good reasons.
The second point is that the game she purchased for her son was Grand Theft Auto 5. I did not stutter. Here is where her argument begins to crumble. Grand Theft Auto is a notoriously controversial game franchise that has been targeted by politicians, radical feminists and parents since the early 2000’s. It is also one of the most critically acclaimed and financially successful gaming franchises of all time. Surely this woman must have had some sort of prior knowledge of the series before, right? Obviously not, which leads to the meat and potatoes of this article.
I’ve wanted to discuss this topic for a long time, but I have never been able to find a platform to share it with. I am greatly humbled to share my views on parenting with my readers today. Parenting is a tricky subject as I have no experience in the field. Nor should I, as I am in high school still and getting into college/university is the main priority of my life. However, I can discuss my Mom’s impact on my way of thinking and will talk about her influence in buying games.
Before I turned 17, my Mom often monitored what games she would allow me to buy. To help her out, I detailed the ESRB rating system (I live in Canada) in order to educate her on what each rating means and the content that influences such a rating. She quickly caught on and things started rolling. Basically, if a game was deemed inappropriate, she wouldn’t let me buy it. Plain and simple.
Unlike some parents who simply pander to their kids and buy the game without any information about the game, my Mom wanted answers. I often had to detail the contents of the game to her. Sometimes I sugarcoated the details but other than that, I was mostly honest. That is how parenting is done. Talking to your kids rather than blindly playing yes-man.
It is unfortunate that nowadays, parents are simply letting society raise their kids rather than doing the job themselves. That’s what you signed up for. So in all honesty, I’m not surprised that this woman was upset. But in reality, she shouldn’t be. At the end of the day, she bought the game for her kid. She ignored the rating system and all of the objectionable content that goes with that rating.
I’m not here to mock or ridicule parents all across the world. I’m here to enlighten. Parents can avoid situations like this if they develop guidelines for their kids. It’s not much to ask for a simple set of rules that their children must comply to before buying a game. I will be going by what my mother taught me and my own intuition.
Firstly, don’t automatically say yes to your kids if they want to buy a game. Use discretion when making the decision. Talk to your kids about the game and go over the game’s content. If you are dealing with a younger kid, chances are, they are going to leave out any violent or graphic content out of the description, so do a bit of research. Look up the game’s themes, characters and content. If it looks inappropriate for your child, tell them they can’t play it. If they throw a massive temper tantrum afterwards, ignore them.
Secondly, become educated on the ratings system. Each region has a different one so be sure to know which one applies for your country. It is crucial that parents use this to deem judgement on a game. For example, if your child is below 17 in North America, he/she is not allowed to purchase a mature rated game. I am appalled that parents ignore a rating that is slapped on the case of every game and then complain over it’s “horrifying” content.
Lastly, talk to your kids. If you have purchased a mature rated game for your kid and have done sufficient research on the game’s content in advance, sit with your kids while there playing and discuss some of the more risque themes that a the game depicts. If there is violence, talk to your kids about how violence is bad. If there is tons of profanity, talk to your kids about the meaning of the words and their status as “swear words.” If you aren’t giving guidance to your children, you need to start. Themes like gang violence and strip clubs aren’t things that most 7-10 year old kids will understand, so it is important to go through those themes with your child.
If I could talk to that mother who I saw at EB Games, I would tell her what I told you today. Parents need to realize that blaming the game itself is not an excuse for your poor parenting. I find it deplorable that parents are trying to ruin and destroy my hobby, due to the fact that they didn’t do their job properly. Remember, you bought that copy of Grand Theft Auto 5 for your son.
Besides, calling games evil is so 1992.