To not allow GTA

[panicovernow]

My DS is 11, 12 in 3 months. He is most put out as neither my DH or I will allow him to have GTA for his Xbox. Many of his friends his age and younger have it and we're good friends with some of their parents who are similar to us in many ways but with this we differ. DS is a lovely sensible lad and I don't think it would change him in any way I just don't think it's appropriate. He however thinks we're being most unreasonable and he feels isolated from a group of friends who play it. I will add that we are not strict on everything being within age ratings (other games or films) but just check it out online first. So what I'm asking for is your opinions.
Thanks

Thank you for answering me, Jacques and aralwa.
Sorry I had to wander off.

Bottom line for me is that I have never 'got' gaming - even when I was a with it teenager rather than an old fogey
I suppose I am deeply uncomfortable about the possibilities in GTA; I don't particular like any first person shooter games including COD. And I am fully aware that my children play this and other games at friends' houses.
I just don't feel the need to somehow endorse them by buying them myself or allowing them to buy them from their pocket money.
#HarshMother

YABU, the content is not appropriate. Schools monitor and track children who admit to playing it.

Edit! Meant YANBU

I am not against gaming at all btw, I think GTA and many other games are incredibly designed with fantastic story lines, just not appropriate for young children.

I've played the entire game and I wouldn't allow my LO to play it until at least 16.

It's not so much the criminality aspect of the game that makes it inappropriate for young children it's more the general content. You can pick a prostitute up then take them to a car park, a lot of racist language is used, bag language, sexual content.

It's just not appropriate for a child.

You probably won't find an adult player of GTA who endorses giving GTA to young children. Gamers who defend GTA are usually pointing out factual errors about the game, defending its artistic merits, and/or disagreeing with moral arguments against it, often moral arguments from people claiming it's morally superior for adults not to play it.

You probably won't find an adult player of GTA who endorses giving GTA to young children. Gamers who defend GTA are usually pointing out factual errors about the game, defending its artistic merits, and/or disagreeing with moral arguments against it, often moral arguments from people claiming it's morally superior for adults not to play it

Yes this - great post.

For some reason, gaming seems to come in for a lot of condemnation as a hobby, more so than any other which is unfortunate.

As a game for adult gamers it's fantastic, just not for children.

Another factor of GTA people forget is whilst playing online, you are connected to a whole world of adults via headset thus allowing you to speak to and listen in on adult conversations.

I have quite often heard children get out of their depths with older gamers (think teenage lads) calling them names and get very upset when called back.

I also imagine children can get groomed online, it's just like any other internet chat room. It's often overlooked as an area that needs to be well controlled in terms of who your child is connected with and what private information they could be sharing etc.

I'm a gamer and play GTA occasionally. It's nothing like the way it's depicted in the media. I think people get worried about it because the violence is in a contemporary work setting (gangs, drugs, etc) but there are other much more violent games that don't attract the same condemnation.

I don't think it's suitable for the under 10s. I'm not sure about tweets and teens. I think the 18 rating is excessive though. Obviously depends on the child.

Just avoid making a holy war thing of it. You'd prefer no, fine. Don't say it's a bad game if you've not played it.

I had GTA when I was 13 and I haven't grown up to be a gun-toting axe murderer ;)

BUT I had GTA Vice City, back in 2002 on the ps2. The premise is the same and of course the graphics were considered superior back then but games these days are very realistic and it would probably have had more of an impact on me playing GTA V at 11. Having played GTA V (still haven't got round to finishing it, must do so soon) I'd say minimum age 16 (at a push 15)

I had GTA when I was 13 and I haven't grown up to be a gun-toting axe murderer ;)

BUT I had GTA Vice City, back in 2002 on the ps2. The premise is the same and of course the graphics were considered superior back then but games these days are very realistic and it would probably have had more of an impact on me playing GTA V at 11. Having played GTA V (still haven't got round to finishing it, must do so soon) I'd say minimum age 16 (at a push 15)

RhiWrites

I completely disagree, I think the 18 rating is deserved.

I agree I think the 18 rating is warranted.

A lot of the comments in this thread about the supposed content of this game are not though.