Allowing 15yo to play GTA

[TwigTheWonderKid]

My nice, sensible 15 yo DS has asked permission to download Grand Theft Auto because it is one that many of his friends play together online ( he says because it's free). He knows my feelings about certain aspects of this game and says they will only do the racing bit, but is that even an option?

I wouldn't normally consider allowing it but I don't know if the benefits of connecting with his friends outweigh the negative aspects?

All Of Mumsnet will say no way but I’ve actually played it and it’s fine. The stuff posters say is on it, isn’t actually on it.

Interesting.
My view is no. It will never be played in my house, and my 15 yo knows that.

My best mate (we're very similar in our parenting approach) has left her 15 yo have for exactly that reason: he can chat with his mates in lockdown.

Yes I would let him, he's 15 not 9.

It’s fine. And I say that as a v anti gaming didn’t get a mobile phone til ds was 13 or consul til he was 14. But downstairs.

tbh it would depend on the individual child and you know your ds best. Is he 15 y10 or 15 yr11?

My ds also 15 plays it. It’s ok. It’s what they want to do. It’s not too bad

My 15 year old plays it.

I think that’s fine. My 14yo lays it and I’ve just turned down the violence setting.

My sons 13 it's a big no from me. Alot of his friends play it (some still 12) and told him how they go to strip clubs, sell drugs and do all sorts in it. Not my child. I do baby him alot though!

Well if he’s mature, then there’s no problem.

I know children aged 9 or 10 playing this game without it having a detrimental impact, no problem at all

Hell no. My money is not supporting the people who think this is an acceptable 'game' even if he only does the racing bit, by buying it you condone it. I'm afraid I judge rather harshly the parents who let their kids play this game. "Mum can I have this game? You can make your avatar fuck a prostitute then beat her but I promise I wont play that bit?"

Uh, no...

I would be okay with it and yes, he could just do the racing. Most of the violence is in the story really and things like the strip club are optional. However, it is your decision to make.

I was reading Stephen King from 8 and watching horror movies though, which many wouldn't like either. I have played GTA myself. I prefer Red Dead Redemption though. I wanted to play it myself to see how bad the violence was and spent most of my time clothes shopping and walking around exploring the area. My brother lets his children play but he has them in a private lobby and just takes them to the fairground and rides around in the cars.

A lot of his friends may well be playing it at 15, but he could also be saying that to get you to agree. If you want to know get him to show you his friends list and it will show which games they are playing at the time.

People do fucked up things in games that don’t even have violent aspects (sims for example, putting sim in a swimming pool taking the ladders out and letting it drown) but you don’t get people up in arms about them. I think most of the nonsense parroted about games comes from a place of ignorance but I studied the video game industry as a dissertation topic so have probably read research that the daily mail or Facebook mammies don’t post because it doesn’t fit the agenda

I know children aged 9 or 10 playing this game without it having a detrimental impact, no problem at all

That you know of, so far.

I think there's a wider conversation about male violence being condoned in society and video games are probably a symptom not a cause. DD is at school with some of these 9 and 10 yo boys who play these games. They swear and bully other children. I think it's all a correlation with lax parenting and an inability to say no rather than causation but who knows?

Imo, for the majority of people who play the game, they will learn what is acceptable and what isn’t acceptable from the game, and thus, will mature faster. However, I would understand why most parents wouldn’t be happy with this.

Yes it's fine.