Parents are more afraid of their kids playing Grand Theft Auto than drinking beer or watching porn says an informal poll on video game parenting site.
The poll asked 1,600 parents what they'd be most concerned about their 17-year-old child doing at a sleepover. Grand Theft Auto (19%) was second to smoking marijuana (49%) and closer to watching pornography (16%) and drinking beer (14%).
"Although these findings seem surprising at first, they hint at fears parents have about video games," says Cheryl K. Olson, Sc.D., co-author of Grand Theft Childhood. "To some parents, video games are full of unknowable dangers ... Of course, parents don't want their children drinking alcohol, but that's a more familiar risk."
Grand Theft Auto in particular has been a target for concerned parents and politicians. A hidden sex game in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas kicked off the Hot Coffee scandal in 2005, which was followed by lawsuits, protests, lawmaking attempts and negative press. Three years later, Grand Theft Auto is still one of the best-selling games of all time, but this poll hints that parents remain wary.
Source: WhatTheyPlay.com







Reader Comments (71)
You parents make me laugh! Come on, bring us more comedy! You sure let your kids go out and party and disrespect teachers, but videos games are horrible! Keep on raising your brats in this little fantasy world that everything is a-okay! When will you turn off the CNN and MSNBC at the dinner table, turn off the video games and take your children outside? Most of you fail as parents. Blaming everything and scapegoating because you can't figure out your own issues and why your children are acting out.
oogiebob's a moron. Get your nose outta the textbook and go out in the real world for once. You see that kids who do play video games aren't anti-social. I'm a gamer but also, I have a social life. I also play the violin and piano as well. It's not the creator's promblem if the consumers aren't bright enough to know what's real and what's not. Oh wait, sometimes, they have warning that says . . . wait for it. FANTASY violence. FANTASY!!! Meaning "not real!" I also like the the fact you help kids, but call them "Fat" and "Soft". Way to build self-esteem! , oogiebob!
"Video games to not make kids to go out a commit cirmes. However, it's people like you that let kids believe that they can commit a crime and get away with it by putting the blame on a game. Some kid commits a crime, they say "oops, GTA made me do it" To me it's not about letting a kid commit a crime and blame it on the Tv, a game or anything else for that matter. IT is about a kid knowing right from wrong. It is wrong to watch or play games that involve beating women, dressing trashy,etc. My kids know that's not right so that's why we don't play the game. Unfortuanetly we did buy the game, I didn't know it contained the kind of trash it does or it wouldn't have been bought. IT's the point there are things kids should see and things they shouldn't.
People are not stupid. My kids have been taught the difference in right and wrong but letting them see things like what is shown on that game is stupid. I teach my kids about everything they need to know including not to play stupid games. Yes it is a game but I am not about to let my kids see that crap. It's like saying he carry your kid to the strip joint, it's okay as long as you explain things to them. Why people think they need video games like this is beyond me. Beating on a woman does not make the game any better. Neither does the other tacky things in this game. Do you really need to see a trashy dressed animated figure to enjoy a game? Are people really that sick now?
Okay, first off parents should stop buying this **** for their children and employees should be doing their jobs, such as checking ID for example? I don't know, seems like a good idea to me. Second, those old enough to play the game the creators assume that they know the difference from fantasy and reality, but the truth is ANYBODY can get "addicted" to such things, the human mind is fragile and to those of you that say "it's no different than any of the other garbage media." yes, it is because this game and others designed in such a fashion encourage players to partake in these acts much like within the interactive porn industry. The bottom line is, no matter who you are you have to monitior the use and/or play of these games carefully and keep mindful of your children if you're that damn worried.
Kids DO copy what they see. As a professional adult training instructor for a large corporation, I know that many of the desired skills I train are learned through the role-play process in which the learners participate in simulations to practice a newly learned skill. Numerous training programs involved computer-based training including role-play simulations that provide practice for real-life behavior. These violent video games are IN EFFECT providing actual ROLE-PLAY scenarios which deliver TRAINING and PRACTICE of NEGATIVE, ANTI-SOCIAL behaviors to the kids participating in the simulations. It's brain washing kids to be violent and anti-social. What are kids supposed to do with the training? Who debriefs them and counters the negative input with some clarity and social reality? Those games are simply destructive. These fat, soft kids need to get out and play and learn more coordination skills other than hand to eye. They do not need violence training for entertainment.
This goes to show that people are stupid. Try talking to you kids explain the difference between reality and fantasy. If your kids can’t understand that hitting someone over the head with a chair is likely to do major damage they probably should not be allowed out in public. Why are parents trying to blame all the problems with children on music, television, and or video games? If you feel that media is the problem stop purchasing tiltles for kids that designed for adults, they do have the rating printed on the cover.
And if you do by this crap for you kids, mother******* how about to tell your kids it ain't real and micking ANYTHING you see from TV and video games make you a retard?
Here is a radical idea. Try not buying this Crap, for your children!!
Come on people get a grip. Video games to not make kids to go out a commit cirmes. However, it's people like you that let kids believe that they can commit a crime and get away with it by putting the blame on a game. Some kid commits a crime, they say "oops, GTA made me do it" and today's society buys it and want's to sue the game companies for millions. Oh, and by the way, I doubt seriously if any young kid out there, still in school has the $60.00 to buy it themselves. So who's the one buying it for them? You don't want your child playing games, don't buy it for em. You people really want to get rid of something violent, how about putting a stop to airing the news at the dinner hour. That's the most violent show on TV. Outdoes any game I've ever played. Murder, ****, suicide, genocide, bombings, etc. Now that's something everyone should be able to enjoy at the table, right? Oh, I forgot...that's REAL life.