14 yo DS wants to play Grand Theft Auto- I've said no

[MrsJThornton]

He tells me all of his mates have it (I know a lot of them do so it's not a fib) I said I wasn't keen but I'd have a read up about it. Common Sense Media rates it as an 18+ and this seems justified based on the content it states it has. Just wondering if I'm in the minority saying no? He has instagram but it's linked to my account and uses Snapchat/TikTok etc. so I'm probably being hypocritical as I know he has access to more grown up stuff on those apps anyway, but he's very open about talking to me about anything he's seen which he thinks is inappropriate or doesn't understand.

My da was playing it at 14.

He got a job in software development at 17!

He loves computers and is great in them and can manage them for gaming and being sensible.

And in this day and age refusing a game that's reasonable for a teen is the same as refusing them to hang out at the park - it's socially excluding.

OP I've played the recent gta games (4 & 5) since I was that age and the only part I'd be concerned about is the sexual content. But that in itself isnt that bad, nowhere near as explicit as porn or even a TV show like Game of Thrones. I also didn't turn out to be a hooligan. :D

I never understand on these threads why some people are seemingly so invested in kids being allowed to play this game and it being totally fine.

If you are not comfortable with it and/or don't think your kid could handle it then go with your instincts and stick with no. That is the decision I have personally made, based on my own moral code and my knowledge of my child.

For me, yes I know he will be/prob already has been exposed to stuff I don't agree with because we live in a world where the online sphere is impossible to control and other kids show people stuff, but I don't want my children to see me accepting things that I find morally repugnant. For me, that is part of teaching them and arming them with another viewpoint so that whenever they inevitably do run up against such stuff they have that viewpoint in their awareness.

I've explained to my ds why I disagree with some of the content of the game, and why I will not have it played in my house even when he is 18. He may not agree but at least he understands that this content is not just 'ok'.

I know somebody who refuses to let their kids play GTA in part because of the violence but happily buys them the God of War games because they're more 'educational'

We all played it when it first came out. My brothers have grown up fine as have I. Think we was probably younger when it came out. Not saying it's right but it's never made us want to run over sex workers or shoot random drug dealers. It's just a game for the most.

‘I don't get the argument "they will see worse in the real world". I can happily say that I have gone 45 years without seeing any gratuitous violence, murdering of prostitutes or gun warfare. These are not things that you routinely see.’

this.
it’s not a game for children. It’s violent, misogynistic and everything people
say it is.

I absolutely love the game.

It's not for children. 14 is definitely too young.

Yes I'm sure that's exactly what 14 year old boys look for in computer games 🙄

I'd let him.

It's a great game.

If you don't like it, explain why.
I explained to my sons why it was troubling for me as a woman, and that was the end of them asking.
They may have played it at a friend's house, but the important thing to me is that they know why I. Same with porn, they know exactly what my views are.
Mine have had mini-lectures on the objectification of women in media from a young age though! 😆

I said no to GTA at 14, but by 16 I relented.

I didn't say anything remotely close to that so I'm not sure why that was your response

So my DS plays this in online mode with his freinds. My DP assures me in online mode there is no swearing no prostitution and no violence it's just taking cars and driving them round. If I find out this isnt true he is 11 I will kill him

"For balance"...so you didn't mean they could do those things instead of driving cars around scoring drugs or raping and killing prostitutes? 🤔

If that's not what you meant then I don't see the point of your post

Thanks that's exactly what I have done and as I said, he understands completely so it's all sorted

My son pestered for ages for it. I finally gave in, and he doesn’t actually play it very often. He’s 14. I think when it’s forbidden they want to do it all the more!

It was in response to the poster that listed all the violent things in the game and to the other poster who called it grim and sounds like everyone who plays it is "fucked in the head". If you struggle to follow conversations you can feel free not to comment on them.

According to igmb

https://www.igdb.com/games/grand-theft-auto-v-premium-edition/age_rating

Use of Drugs and Alcohol
Strong Sexual Content
Strong Language
Nudity
Mature Humor
Intense Violence
Blood and Gore

It's 18 rated for multiple reasons.

You can kill npcs, run people over, shoot them. When you take a car you’re hijacking it - you violently pull the driver out of the car at gunpoint, probably punch them in the head, get in the car and drive off. You can run them over too if you like.

You can set up private servers with your friends where you can just do your own thing but if you play in the open servers you can talk to other players, play shootout mini games, capture the flag etc. you can’t control what might be said to your DS by other players and what he might overhear.

your 11 year old is definitely too young for it.

This is what my son has said too (he's played it at sleepovers in this mode) and genuinely didn't know about the other side to it.

I only googled it as I'm a bit clueless about these sorts of games. I think it's like most of parenting, I never know if I'm being too relaxed or too strict & tend to say yes to most things (like TikTok which I'm sure was a mistake!) but we all just muddle through don't we!

Good point and if that's what your going in to do then fair play. If it's the others then I still think it's a messed up thing to enjoy playing at.

I am going to watch next time he is on and will decide from that. My partner is adamant in online mode it's no different to Fortnite and the other games he plays. Tick Tock we have said no too so far but it is hard if other parents in the class who you like and respect are letting their children.

Yes he's played it at a sleepover (only a couple of weeks ago, not as far back as year 6 thankfully) but said it was just racing cars which I've no reason not to believe, he was surprised by what I told him I'd read online and is pretty open about telling me anything he finds weird online. He understood my reasons for saying no so it's all good.

That's what I was trying to explain to a poster who questioned why I wrote what I did.

It's a MASSIVE game. Yes, it's violent (especially the storyline mode but the online mode as well) but the game is what the player makes it to be. It's perfectly believable that scores of children are only playing the car/racing element of it.

I do find it weird how people always get up in arms about violence and the impression it will have on their children's brains but are quite happy buying them driving games where you drive at ridiculous speeds of over 100mph. As the majority of humans drive and the majority of humans do not murder prostitutes I am surprised at the hypocrisy, when driving games don't get the same level of accusations levelled at them. I thought they would be far more damaging as the majority of children playing them will drive.

*Will drive or will learn to drive.