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A Parent's Concern!!

Should I be concerned that my 8 year old is playing War games and Violent games on FREE apps on his new android 'tablet'!!!???

 I say YES.

I remember as a kid my mother censoring everything we looked at and played. I remember not being able to watch scary movies till I was a teenager. I remember not having such EASY exposure to shows and games that filled the eyes and mind with violence such as .... chopping Vampires and killing Zombies!!! A fall person jumping off the top of a tall building and spilling blood every time he hits something on the way down!!! A tip of a shooting riffle aiming at a zebra as you try to kill it with one SHOT!!!

I knew when getting this 'tablet' that I had to monitor the apps he downloads, but when you really check to see how much violent apps there are out there you understand why so many teenagers and younger kids are susceptible to violent and inconsiderate acts.

It saddened my heart when I heard of the little innocent kids who were gunned down in the US by a teenager, and you wonder if these games had some influence in his unbalanced mind?? It bothers me that although I am explaining to my son my discomfort in him playing violent games, he tries to defend it. This is simply shows how innocent he really is to what he is seeing and it shows how important it is for me to protect that innocence.

In the end my final responses were, "Dylan you are 8 years old and you do not need that kind of violent exposure right now."

"I do not need these games to influence you thoughts and your actions when you are angry, or sad, or feeling misunderstood."

"I want you to make the right decisions and that includes picking the right games to play."

But it does bother me how easily he had access to the apps... and while I plan on taking an active role in monitoring what my son plays... I hope other parents are just as concerned and make the effort to check what their kids are playing.

In the end it is their innocent minds that we are helping form. Even in this changing world it is important to teach the values you want them to practice throughout their lives. And since everything they are exposed to play a vital role in this development... then the games they play do matter.


Comments

  1. You are very spot on! You are not the only mother who is very IRKED at how easy it is to access violent games, movies, etc. Boys have a tendency to be attracted to that stuff more than girls and when it is so darn easy for them to get; it causes problems. I can always tell when my kids have watched something with a little violence on TV; because they then try to act it out! Not OK!

    Sure they are just "playing" but when they are feeling angry, sad, or misunderstood; it's those same actions that come out and it is no longer play! It is real and it can hurt people.

    I do my best to limit their exposure; but it is getting really hard as it is coming out in movies, tv shows and games all geared to their age! they don't understand why I don't let them play the Zombie killing games; cause all their friends are playing it. Even on some of the boxes these games say it is for their age. I'm just not ok with it. I'm the "mean" mom. But I don't' care. I am a mom who cares and doesn't want my kids growing up with violent tendencies.

    Ok...rant over. but I am right with you on this one.

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  2. While I do not approve of my children watching or playing violent games/movies/tv, etc. I think parental involvement is a big component too. I do not believe that watching/playing violent whatever is solely to blame for the violence in our young people, but whether or not the parent spends times, talk to, etc. with their children. So far, mine are too young yet, but I can only imagine the day they want to watch or play something violent. Oye!

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  3. You have a right to be concerned...they make too many video games that are so appleaing to all kids and they dont want to do anything else but that.

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  4. I think that at 8, I would not want my child having access to that. As teenagers, I feel they have more decision making capabilities and more understanding about what is and is not real. It's important either way to monitor what our kids do.

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  5. It's a worry, thankfully my youngest two boys (9 and 6) are too in love with Sonic the Hedgehog and Mario, but my eldest is mad about the Call of Duty series - he's nearly 18 so it's hard to say anything. I find everything far too easily accessible now, as you said, easy exposure. We would have to wait to see a film on Video and not get it past the parents if it wasn't suitable, now they can look up anything on Youtube. Every song my daughter listens to seems to be full of profanities, and the places where you'd expect them to be screened - such as our TV provider's on demand service - they aren't! We Mums need eyes in the back of our heads nowadays!

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  6. So, true! My parents were very protective of my violent entertainment exposure. I want my children to be able to be kids. My 5-year old still believes in Santa and hasn't watched an action movie, etc. There is plenty of time for all that later. And even though mine are not at that age yet, it seems like it will come so soon.

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  7. Spot on!! Totally agree with you!

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  8. I'm kind of on the fence about this issue. I see both sides to this issue and luckily I am not a mother yet so I don't have to immediately decide. I know there isn't much out there, but try to find games that don't involve fighting or shooting. Maybe a farming game?

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  9. Great post. I think that sometimes as parents we don't realize how much we expose our own kids to violence and stuff like that. We limit things out kids watch on TV and listen to as far as music. They don't play video games really. Except for the wii fit plus.

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  10. Well said. Couldn't have said it better. Dylan is much too young to have access to those kinds of games. The fact that he is defending them just shows that he is not capable of making those decisions...you must do what is right for him and what you've said here is spot on.

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  11. It's terrible that these sort of things are being marketed to children!!! I'm not a fan of these kinds of products at any age!

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  12. Maybe they should start rating apps like they do videogames. Its hard to tell what they're about or how violent they are from the name/description.

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