Grand Theft Auto for a 13 year old

[fruitstick]

Some perspective please.

ALL DS's friends apparently are playing Grand Theft Auto. I'm a fairly liberal parent - don't impose strict screen limits, he's allowed to watch 15 films, I'm not overly fussed about swearing etc. He's allowed Snapchat, Tiktok etc.

However I've always drawn the line at GTA mainly due to its depiction of women. The lap dancing, sex worker aspects that are programmed in.

DS says it's not a problem and no one does that - just drive about. DH thinks I'm overreacting but is backing me up. He says there's worse stuff out there on social media that I am exposing him too etc.

I don't know whether I'm just being stubborn for the sake of it.

If he wants to just drive around recklessly there are plenty of other suitable games. Burnout, for example.

It's 18 rated for a reason. Stick to your guns. If you're not comfortable then steer clear of it.

Of course he will probably still play at friends houses, but it's ok to have your own rules for your own house.

Yes he has Burnout and Wreckfest which I'm happy with.

My argument is that Rockstar spent thousands of hours and millions of pounds writing violence against women and objectification into the game. They could have just left it out! And therefore don't want to give them my money.

I am also fairly relaxed in general. My 15 year old knows that I will not allow GTA in the house at any age.

Like you, I'm pretty relaxed but GTA is definitely not suitable for a 13 year old.

My son had this game at 14, as did his friends. I think they all thought it was cool for a few months but soon got bored. He’s 18 now, still massively into gaming and never plays it.

The content in my opinion is one of the worst, it simply won't be coming into my home.

I have openly spoken to my son's and turned the question to them why do you think I should pay money to a company that glorified violence on women?

No answer has been proffered as of yet.

This is the hill I'm prepared to die on in our house. Nearly 14yo - all his friends have it (according to him!) but it's an absolute hard NO from me and won't be changing my mind.

Wasn't the sex worker stuff in it about 15 years ago? Surely there is a more up to date version now (which may or may not have that "feature") and they won't want to play the one from 2004 or whenever it was. It won't even be compatible with any modern consoles.

Nope.
My DSS had this when he was older and he wouldn't play it around his younger sisters because of its unpleasant content. He liked it as a game but thought it was pretty horrible.

If my 15 year old asked for GTA I wouldn't let him have it - misogynist shit that it is.

Him and his mates don't play it though - all obsessed with FIFA!

Unlike some WW2 'shoot em up' game like Call of Duty where the violence is set in a battlefield setting and almost cartoonish and not particularly gory GTA has definite harder edge where the violence is street based and much more brutal and random. The GTA world is a massive, gorgeously-realised playground that you can have fun exploring. However, you can run people over in your car, shoot random members of the public, hire prostitutes and beat them up if you fancy it, blow up a school bus, water-board, electrocute and yank the teeth out of a hostage, kick dogs to death, kidnap women and 'deliver' them to a cult, etc. It is not just very adult but some of the themes that Rockstar Games write into their products are dubious to say the least.

Yes - he has Battlefield which I'm happy for him to play.

Thank you everyone - it's good to know I'm not the only mother in the world denying their sons!

I say this as an adult female gamer who plays GTA - no I wouldn't allow a 13 year old to play it. Def keep your foot down on this one!