How do parents really feel about online video games?

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  Posted by Mon Jun 9, 2008 2:04pm PDT

  Surveys like this are, tbh, a total waste of time. They do not let anyone who has had children, and who`s children have now left home, to communicate their way of dealing with things.

  I am a 50 year old parent, and my children were brought up just as PC`s were becoming household items. Thye had an Amiga 500 and various consols available to them, but had to earn their time on the computers by doing household chores and Homework. This was not a light undertaking, and we maintained records of what they had earned and spent.

  All games were played by myself first, to ensure that they were suitable for children of their age (really, I just wanted an excuse to play myself tbh :) )

  Children are influenced by what they see around them, and, if computer games/console games contain violence of a graphic nature, then children do tend to immitate it. The same, however, can also be said for good behaviour in games too. I would, personally, like to see more games with some moral behind them, rather than senseless violence. Helping children to learn social skills and values by use of computer games and console games, would be something that the industry could well do with looking at, instead of being totally motivated by profit, they should be more motivated by responsible behaviour and the ethics of teaching.

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  Posted by First Mon Jun 9, 2008 2:25pm PDT

  The other parents of young children make me laugh most of the time. Lighten up!! My son turned 3 years old at the end of April this year. Two of his favourite things are playing "fishie game" (Feeding Frenzy from Popcap Games) on the PC and his Leapster TV.

  Now, who will be the first one to reprimand me for turning him into a violent gunner who will slaughter dozens of other kids when he goes to school?

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  Posted by Jody Mon Jun 9, 2008 8:10pm PDT

  I have 2 children, one who sinmce the age of 2 has played games of some sort on the computer, figuring out himself through observation even how to access websites.

  Video games are allowed in our household, however without moderation it can become addictive. too many parents use video games to pacify thier kids, then blame it when something goes wrong. I completely support children playing video games, it helps with eye and hand coordination and also in cases when you are playing with other people also can help social skills on some level. However moderation is always key, it should not by any means replace a good hour or 2 at the park :)

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  Posted by Ishmarie Mon Jun 9, 2008 8:53pm PDT

  I know this was supposed to be for parents, but I couldn't really help reading.

  I myself am a High School Student taking all AP Classes and I've been playing online video games since I was nine years old. I don't see a problem with them. In fact, I think a big part of my maturity was communicating with more mature people. I learned to act like some of the people that I looked up to.

  In these games, there are guilds that are a lot like family. Sometimes you will come across one that's full of some of the worst people you will ever find. But there are also the ones that you look at like a big family...or sometimes a small family.

  I just think that as long as you set limitations and the like to letting your kid(s) play an online game, they'll be just fine.

  Take me for an example. I've been getting straight A's and occasional B's for who knows how long. Plus I will be in a Varsity group next year. And in case anyone did not know, AP classes are insanely difficult to pass, let alone get incredible grades in. I've always been under the general rules of "No gaming until you're completely done with homework." and "No gaming after 10 o'clock." And if I ever disobeyed, they would cut off my access to the internet. (Not just video games but the entire world wide web.)

  And I'll have you know, I only got in trouble once. ;)

  This is just a thought.

  I'm sure most people wouldn't want to hear a reply to a post like this out of a teenager, but I just thought it would be good to hear a little bit out of a good student's perspective.

  And besides, in most online games, there's been Ignore Lists to put an endless amount of people on "ignore" if they were causing problems.

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  Posted by Paul W Tue Jun 10, 2008 12:11am PDT

  Video game are a good thing. They're good for hand - eye cordination and they stimulate the mind. It can be educational or for just pure fun. Yes there are alot of games out there that aren't for kids. Thats where you the parent comes in. There are ratings on all video games, so you know what you are buying. As for online game, yes they can be dangerous. If a kid gives out their information, but again the parent should be involed. You should check out what you kid is playing, before they start playing it. Also heres an idea maybe play your kid's favorite games with them. Games of course that you as the parent have approved. You'll be the coolest parent in the world to you kids. Nothing cooler than a parent who takes an interest in things their kids like.

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  Posted by AnjaG Tue Jun 10, 2008 5:39am PDT

  Hi :)

  I myself am not a parent but I play SoE's EverQuest2 and well we do alot of things together.

  I turned 15 acouple days ago and well I guess I can be deemed and 'gamer'. My parents are loose with rules but I've never done anything bad before. I get to play games as long as I have good grades.

  I love both of my parents to death (Unheard of in a teen, eh? :P)and I probably wouldnt be into game without them.

  The point is as long as you monitor them and let your kids explore the shallow water? (They will find out evantually... Why not let them do it with your supervision instead of them sneaking to a friends' house and playing it there)

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  Posted by Delusions Tue Jun 10, 2008 11:18am PDT

  As a parent, I monitor her video game playing pretty extensively. Since I play SOE's EQ2, my daughter also enjoys it. I am very strict about what she is allowed to do and SOE's features allow me to make sure that she doesn't group or send tells. The language filter is always turned on and she isn't allowed to interact with people that I am not familiar with or haven't introduced her to. EQ2 does have violence of course, but thankfully she understands that it is just a video game. Not once has she ever made a comment or acted out any of the things that happen in game.

  My daughter also has a PSP, Wii and PS2. Loves to go to webkinz website. Now Webkinz is something i would recommend to most kids because they have a ton of limitations on how you can interact with other people in the community by only being able to use phrases that are available, you can't just type whatever you want. The games are actually a lot of fun to, not just for kids but even I have enjoyed playing some of them.

  As with anything, monitoring and moderation and making sure that they understand that video games are not reality, is key. Video games aren't the culprits or social degradation or acts of violence amongst our kids, its poor parenting. Being active in all your childs interest goes along way to show them just how much you care about them.

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  Posted by weston G Tue Jun 10, 2008 7:50pm PDT

  My mom plays with me

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  Posted by Gothica Wed Jun 11, 2008 6:49am PDT

  I'm a parent, and I'm a gamer. I've been the one that introduced gaming consoles to this family, having had one on a consistent basis since I was 11. (I'm 36 now.) I pay for my kids' MMO subscriptions, but they're smart enough to know the rules without me having to explain them. I honestly see no problem with it. To be honest, when they're playing something like EverQuest or Dark Age of Camelot, at least I know where they are, and what they're doing (to a point, I don't care to know what they do with their characters, unless they ask me a specific question). We've done the "family raid" in games, then gone out to a movie or dinner or something else. (And before anyone asks, my kids are 13 and 11.) I play EQ2 myself, sometimes for hours on end, yet I never once neglect my kids when it comes to needing my time. I won't stop anytime soon, and I don't expect them to either.

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  Posted by Brakepiston Wed Jun 11, 2008 6:46pm PDT

  My daughter is 7 and a straight A's student. She will play Webkins and visit the game sites during the weekday evenings after doing her homework. She seems to be able to play for an hour and then gets bored and goes and reads or does something else. So long as her grades stay up, she is allowed to play games as much as she likes. On the flip side, my 13 year old son is an addict. His grades went downhill every term until we banned him from playing at all during the week. Thankfully he has turned things around at school, but he is still more or less restricted to playing weekends. Unlike his sister, he seems to get extremely submersed in the games and gets very moody and almost starts to cry if he starts losing versus other people. At the first sign of this happening, we pull the plug and make him go and do something else. Video games seem to affect people in different ways. Parents should observe their kids and act on what they see. Overall, I think some video games are very good for kids. The ones that demand problem solving to progress seem to be the best.

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