The October issue of Wired magazine had a letter to Mr. Know-it-all from a father wanting to know if he should let his 10 year old son dress for Halloween as the main sleazeball character in Grand Theft Auto IV. Mr. Know-it not so much thinks he may send mixed messages to the poor brain damaged kid if he disapproves of him dressing like his sleazy character but lets him play the game.Mixed messages? This guy isn’t sending mixed messages, he is shouting loud and clear that he can give a damn about the emotional well being of his kid. Scream all you want Grand Theft Auto fans, kids shouldn’t be playing it. Kids do not have the experience or resilience to be exposed to the unsavory themes of this distributing game.
Parents, it is ok to say NO! No matter how much they whine, complain, claim ALL their friends play it (maybe new friends are needed) you still can say NO! Parents have a responsibility to provide a wholesome as possible environment for children. Let college corrupt their behavior, that’s why you will be paying the big bucks. Parents, computers are not a substitute for oversight and common sense. Just because something is on the computer doesn’t mean it isn’t harmful. Would you take your 10 year old to an X rated movie? If so, commit yourself to the nearest institution before you screw up somebody else. If you wouldn’t take a child to a sleazy movie, why let them immerse themselves in a sleazy game hour after hour permeating their unformed personalities with grossly bad behavior. This isn’t Pacman or Tom & Jerry, this is thugs go wild.
Computer games have ratings, check out what your kid is spending so much time playing and make sure you aren’t abandoning your parental responsibilities.
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