my 10 yr old son...11 in may...has been playing on his friend's (aged 7!)Grand Theft Auto game on psp and keeps asking me to buy it for him.Would you?

[cutekids]

it's got an 18 on the cover but I do know that he's played other 15 games etc.His Dad doesn't seem to have a problem with him playing on them....Am I being over-protective?I don't generally shelter my kids from anything on tv etc.I think it's just because the name of it is such a bad one lol!

[Uriel]

Absolutely not.

[ginnny]

NO NO NO!
Don't let him play it. Its violent and nasty.
I found out ds1 had been playing it at his dads and I hit the roof.
It says 18 on the box for a reason IMO

[Rhian82]

It's an 18. If he was older, maybe, if it was a 15, maybe. But I wouldn't let someone that young play an 18 game.

[LadyOfTheFlowers]

BIL allows his son (6) to play GTA on xbox etc, guns and mowing people down aside, the language is horrific - don't know if that's the case with PSP version.

On one of them - there are about 4 so not sure which one - nephew thinks picking hookers up is hilarious as the car starts to rock .

I wouldn't want mine to play it at 11, 15 maybe.

[Washersaurus]

Would you let him watch an 18 cert movie on his own? No, thought not...well there is your answer!

Like someone else says, they rate them for a good reason.

[MissAnneElk]

No I wouldn't. I don't always stick rigidly to ratings - I prefer to use my discretion, but I wouldn't allow a 10 year old to watch an 18 certificate film or play an 18 certificate game.

[serenity]

No. I know that DS1 and 2 have played it at a friend's house (they are so crap at keeping secrets!) but they're well aware that I'm not going to either buy it or let them play it at home. I don't like GTA (I don't really like 'real life' violent games)

[ginnny]

LOTF - it is GTA where they pick up hookers. That is one of the reasons I went ballistic, even though ex assured me that ds1 never saw that side of it. I hate the thought of him being exposed to stuff like that, especially with his dad's consent.

[cutekids]

take it that's a no then lol!!!

[PixieOnaChristmasTree]

Definitely no.

It might not disturb him but it does give out a particularly negative message - a 10 year old may not be able to seperate the fiction of the game with the reality of life.

[controlfuckingfreaky]

i hope you are posting this as a wind up.... if not you are MAD to even begin to think this is ok. he's 10 ffs. why wouldn't you shelter him from age inappropriate things on tv? have you no boundaries? [anger]

[controlfuckingfreaky]

oops. that was a

[Ineedsomesleep]

Definitely a no from me too. Its fine though if that's what you want him to aspire too.

[LadyOfTheFlowers]

Deffo GTA, yes, though can't remember which one. You can't do it in all of them.

[RubberDuck]

I'm relaxed on ratings on films, but rigid on game ratings (partly because I'm a gamer). You can always pre-vet a film, but a good game is 40 so hours worth of play time, there's no WAY you can properly pre-vet the content before your kid plays.

[WilfSell]

Jesus, no.

[thisisyesterday]

no, i absolutely wouldn't

i have posted about this on here before. i wouldn't let him play it at anyone elses house either.

iu've played the last few and they are incredibly violent, sexual and graphic

[thisisyesterday]

ginnny yes, in some of them you had to pick up hookers and then kill them to steal your money back.

the the last but one version you had to dress up in a gimp costume and beat someone with a giant dildo!

[SantaIsMyLoveSlave]

No, I wouldn't.

[SantasBigboots]

No. No, no, no.

[ginnny]

Thisisyesterday!!!
That's even worse.
I'm even more annoyed at ex now for even thinking a 9 year old could play that
[abgry]

[ginnny]

so angry I can't type!!!

[cutekids]

wow!!!didn't know how provocative a thread this was gonna be! No,it wasn't a wind-up.I know alot of parents who let their kids have games which are rated for much older than they are.However,I know that GTA has a reputation for all sorts of weird things.It was only that my son told me that his 7 yr old mate had it that made me think I was over-reacting a bit.Obviously I wasn't!!!!Maybe the parents of his friend don't realize what sort of content is in the game.Or,maybe,they know that a seven yr old probably doesn't really understand as much as a 10 year old does-if that makes any sense?Anyway,thanks everyone for your input and No...I am not Mad.Just wanted some advice from my fellow Mumsnetters----if that's still allowed without getting slagged off lol!!!!!