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Original poster

To not let almost 12 year old play GTA?

26 replies

TheFuzzyStar · 12/02/2020 18:18

My son is 12 next month. He’s been pulling his face because everyone he plays on the Xbox with has GTA and he goes in a party with them then can’t play along with them as he hasn’t got it.

I vaguely remember people playing it when I was younger. I can’t remember much about it but have heard there are rape scenes?! And as it is an 18 it must be inappropriate?

He thinks I’m really mean and says he feels like I don’t trust him? I’ve said it’s not that at all I just don’t want him playing games that are unsuitable for kids!

OP posts:
GoldLeafTree · 12/02/2020 18:20

It's mainly stealing cars, beating people up, doing bank heists, killing people and escaping the police. There are strip clubs in the game you can go to and there are prostitutes too.

INeedToGetHealthy · 12/02/2020 18:21

My 15 year old DS does not have the game to play because of the age rating

AppleKatie · 12/02/2020 18:23

I absolutely would not buy this. It’s grim and everything you read about it is dire.

And almost 12? Not even close to an ok age imo.

Beamur · 12/02/2020 18:24

It's not suitable for his age.
If you want to get a flavour of the content have a look on YouTube. My DD a couple of years ago wanted to play the Minecraft version. Even that was really not ok!

Clymene · 12/02/2020 18:25

It's not something I would want any of my kids playing. It encourages really shitty attitudes towards women at a time when brains are at their most plastic. In a world where a 14 year old being gang raped is popular content on PornHub, I don't want to add to that normalisation.

Original poster
TheFuzzyStar · 12/02/2020 18:26

Thank you, I am friends with the mum of one of his friends who went from always saying absolutely not to letting her son get it because it was ok with the sound turned off?! She really was trying to convince me it was fine but now I realise it must be to ease her own conscience!

OP posts:
Newmetoday · 12/02/2020 18:29

There’s no violence against women in the story.

CodenameVillanelle · 12/02/2020 18:31

No way! I don't mind being flexible with age ratings but I wouldn't allow this game until at least 16

belay · 12/02/2020 18:43

Don't allow the game . It is age rated for a reason. I am appalled how permissive some parents are about gaming

EstebanTheMagnificent · 12/02/2020 18:46

Please do yourself a favour and familiarise yourself now with the parental controls on his console and your WiFi router. You can set an age limit for the games which he can play. I have lost count of the number of parents who do not do this and then wonder why their child’s gaming is out of control by year 10.

There are walkthroughs of gameplay on YouTube if you want to see any content for yourself and PEGI, who do the age ratings, also provide parental guidance.

TheBluestEye · 12/02/2020 18:50

Absolutely not. 12 is way too young.

I’ve got a 15 yr old and I’m still not happy about GTA. He has d it a few times at friends’ houses but I won’t buy it for him and we’ve talked about it and he knows why I’m not keen.

It’s not ‘banned’, I just don’t want him uncritically playing this shit and lapping up it’s grim messages about life!

Porcupineinwaiting · 12/02/2020 18:51

Mine are 12 and 14 and its banned here, as is COD. If that makes me mean, I dont give a monkey's. I have sat them both down and explained why I feel the way I do and they do get it. There school is very down on underage game playing which also helps.

firstimemamma · 12/02/2020 18:54

Yanbu. If I ruled the world no-one would be playing that bloody game!

Clymene · 12/02/2020 18:57

@Newmetoday

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/grand-theft-auto-v-and-the-culture-of-violence-against-womenbb_6288528

From the article: "In GTA V, a gamer can purchase a woman (or is she a girl?) to perform a menu of different sexual acts that he experiences in first person. After purchasing the woman/girl, the gamer can choose to kill her — and actually is incentivized to kill her to get his money back."

Nope, not a game I want my children to have.

SheChoseDown · 12/02/2020 19:00

Absolutely not. I'm fine with my 10 yr old playing games of a high age rating, for example call of duty, but not gta. I'm a gamer, I made a judgement call from my own experience and based on my child.
Some games get high ratings because of language, blood, sexual nature etc. YouTube is a good place to find out suitability. People will review games from a parental perspective

MissRainbowBrite · 12/02/2020 19:00

That game is never coming into our house despite how many times DS asks. He's almost 15 and it's the one game we have stood firm on not allowing because of the attitudes around women it portrays. We have explained our reasoning and he's not that bothered about it now. We've recently let him have COD.

GrowingUpIsATrap · 12/02/2020 19:02

There's absolutely no way I would let my children on it (my eldest is in year 7 and turned 12 in November)
Its completely inappropriate for their age.
If you relent on this, you will have to relent on other age restricted games.
If your child doesn't like your rules, they can have a break from the computer and go play something else.

cologne4711 · 12/02/2020 19:02

It has an 18 rating for a reason.

Tell him no, and that "all" his friends are not playing it, because most of them have mean parents like me.

To be honest I wouldn't have it in the house. My ds is 17 and he's not having it while he's under my roof. To be fair he's never asked and plays sports games mainly.

Christmaspug · 12/02/2020 19:04

My 20 year old son has it ,it’s sick ,and I seriously wonder at the people who made it ,and play it .son including

Oxfordnono12 · 12/02/2020 19:05

Let him think you are really mean. I believe it promotes violence and bad behaviour.

My 11 year old wants it and I refuse to let him get it. I also refuse to let him watch it on YouTube. I remember my brothers playing it and I hated it. I swore I wouldn't have it in the house.

He only got a play station at Christmas because I dont like them (but I had to step aside as it wasn't fair on him) But he was the last in the class to get one as they've had them from p.2.
GTA is not coming through my door weather he is 11 or 20..

3luckystars · 12/02/2020 19:08

This game doesn't sound suitable for any age. I can't think of anything good coming out of playing this garbage.

Aquamarine1029 · 12/02/2020 19:11

I have always been a fairly liberal parent in terms of appreciating artistic license, to a certain limit of course, but NO WAY would I have let them have GTA, and I have played it so I know what it's all about. My children are adults now, but there is no way on earth I would allow a 12 year old to play that game.

MinisterforCheekyFuckery · 12/02/2020 19:12

It has an 18 rating for a reason.

This.

It always amazes me how many Parents I work with allow their 11/12 year olds to play 18 rated games but when I ask "are they also allowed to watch 18 rated movies?" they respond with "no, of course not". For some reason, people don't seem to treat age ratings on games as seriously, which makes no sense because if anything surely the experience is more immersive. When you're playing a game you're supposed to feel like you're participating in what's going on (which in 18 rated games is likely to be a high level of violence) as opposed to passively watching it on screen.

Don't back down OP.

RoLaren · 12/02/2020 19:24

I'm sure I remember reading it can be flagged as a safeguarding issue if the school finds out very underage children are playing it.

CuteOrangeElephant · 12/02/2020 19:27

I'm a gamer and I would not let my hypothetical teenager play GTA.

I would let them play Skyrim though despite that being 15+.

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