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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To refuse to buy DS age 12 Grand Theft Auto?

166 replies

mrsmootoo · 02/09/2017 14:50

DS, 12, has started asking for GTA because 'all his friends have it'. I have looked at various online discussion sites, some of which have parents who say it's not that bad; others feel the language and sex is OTT. I have discovered that DS does in fact have some '18' games and these do seem very violent, sadly, so maybe I'm being unreasonable about GTA. DS is at great pains to try and explain to me the difference between the 'story' game which you apparently have to download once you've bought the disc, and the 'playing online' version which he could do with his friends and supposedly doesn't have all the sex in it. Any thoughts welcome!

OP posts:

TooManyBigFatLies · 03/09/2017 14:19

LonelyRadiator. Great post - I agree!

We are big gamers in our house and we never had first person shooters until the DC we quite old (15/16?) and we never ever allowed GTA - there are zillions of great games out there where the content and the style of gameplay is more suitable for kids.

My DCs are in their 20's and they have no interest in GTA -

Foxtrot92 · 03/09/2017 14:29

GTA really isn't that bad, have any of the pearl clutchers actually even played it?
What real harm do you think it will do?

TooManyBigFatLies · 03/09/2017 14:37

Foxtrot92. Yes I have played it but not much as it's not my kind of game at all. I find it boring and simplistic. 🤷🏻‍♀️ I don't think it would have 'harmed' my DC but I still wouldnt have wanted them to play it when they were 12. There are much better games for 12 year olds to play.
BTW would you let a 12 year old watch porn or 18 movies or would you be clutching your pearls over that? Chances are a bit of porn wouldn't cause any harm either .

noblegiraffe · 03/09/2017 14:38

I have played it. I found it quite disturbing, tbh, even from the short time I spent on it.

As for what harm you think it will do - how bizarre on a website where a lot of parents do their damndest to get their kids into good schools away from 'unsavoury elements' to question why parents might not want their kids being entertained driving around a seedy underworld of torture, murder and crime. And bad language...

SisyphusDad · 03/09/2017 14:45

Another one who refuses to let mine buy GTA. Having done some research I feel that it's way the other side of a line of acceptability, particularly in its portrayal of women, and my DSs know this. I still get periodic pleas of 'but all my friends have got it' but I've made it clear that although my parenting may be on the lax side in general, this is a very hard rule and the answer is and will continue to be no.

StickThatInYourPipe · 03/09/2017 14:53

Another not suitable from me! I like GTA but all I really do is drive around and listen to the radio (I know I'm very sad) I also enjoy the racing missions. But I am not stupid and know that children will not be doing just that! Some of the strip club scenes are really really inappropriate for children!

Get him crash bandicoot!

TaliZorahVasNormandy · 03/09/2017 15:53

Tbh, GTAV was shit anyway, so he's not missing out on anything. GTA Vice City and San Andreas were the best ones.

BadLad · 04/09/2017 13:26

Fifth best-selling game in the UK two weeks ago, GTAV climbs one place to 4th last week.

www.chart-track.co.uk/index.jsp?c=p%2Fsoftware%2Fuk%2Farchive%2Findex_test.jsp&ct=110015&arch=t&lyr=2017&year=2017&week=35

Knottyash5 · 04/09/2017 13:44

YANBU, the ratings are there for a reason.

The one caveat I would make is that if you are unsure about a game or film, it is worth looking at the rating in other countries. If another country has classified something as say a 12 and we say 18, maybe it's worth looking into why they think it's ok and we don't. An example would be the German film Goodbye Lenin which has a 6 years old rating there, yet is rated a 15 here! Conversely, my husband bought a DVD of Macbeth recently, which is a 15 in the UK, but an 18 in Ireland. So it might be that our classification is maybe too prudish/strict in some cases. Definitely always worth looking at the rating in other countries - if they all say 18, it's probably not a good thing for 12 year olds to be exposed to.

But on the whole I think the ratings are sensible and it's a pity parents won't do a bit of parenting and say no to young kids who want to play or watch inappropriate material.

Ontheboardwalk · 04/09/2017 14:02

I think 12 is too young and he shouldn't be allowed to play it. Kids can focus too much on certain elements that they could find disturbing.

As a sensible adult I spent a full weekend playing GTA vice city back in the day. When I emerged, blinking at the sun on the Monday, I had a real urge (like in the game) to try car doors to see if they were open or not. It didn't make want to go out killing prostitutes but it was a bit alarming.

stickthat I want to play Crash now!

WhyIsThereHariboInMyWine · 04/09/2017 14:15

It's up to you really but having played the game myself I can tell you that he's not lying. The online mode is not the same as the story mode at all and really isn't particularly bad. I would probably not have an issue with a 12YO playing the online mode.

The real question would be then could you trust him not to play the story mode? I suspect he just wants to feel included so is being genuine when he says he only wants to play online however once he has the game he is going to be curious (who wouldn't?)

Ttbb · 04/09/2017 14:40

You would be better off teaching how to drive a real car. I never understood how parents could let children play this. It's downright negligence.

joannegrady90 · 04/09/2017 15:19

I had gta vice city at around age 12, but I have to say gta 5 is much more erm, advanced. In particular the drug use and torturing scenes plus lap dancing etc.

I'm an avid gamer but I wouldn't allow gta 5 at 12, first person shooters yeah I suppose.

Up to you though.

SpiderCid · 04/09/2017 15:49

I agree that 12 is too young to play GTA. But I thinking banning it out right is just stupid.
I feel people need to take the time to actually play the game before you pass judgment. Yes you can pick up prostitutes and kill them afterwards but this is not part of the main game. And after the initial "I cant believe I can do this..." I dont know anybody who's ever gone out their way to do that specific action in the game.

indulgentberries · 04/09/2017 15:52

YANBU! I've seen 9 year olds who have played it and then have nightmares about it. Ditto call of duty.

Mrsmomo · 04/09/2017 19:50

We have had this for three years now with my DS, now 13. We point blank refuse. He argues that all his friends play it (they don't) he plays other 18 games like COD and destiny but my hubby plays GTA and says no way, it's not just that it's very graphic but what makes him say no is the element of control the player has in manipulating the characters into engaging in such graphic acts. So it's a no from this camp, hold your ground OP and good luck.

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