Grand Theft Auto for 12 year old?

[pharmachameleon]

My 12 year old DS is going on and on asking if he can have GTA. He says a lot of his friends have it. I've initially said no as I'm concerned about the violence, language and sexual content however he tells me this is only on 'story mode' and there's nothing bad on the online mode. I have no clue and I'm still instinctively wanting to refuse. Can anyone enlighten me? Thanks!

DH is a gamer and a secondary school teacher and says that our DSs will be permitted play it under 16 (or maybe 18) over his dead body.

I'm very pro gaming and my son is 13. I'm very lenient with what he plays and how much time he spends gaming. But, I have made it VERY clear that he will never be allowed to play GTA, even when he is an adult I have explained why it is a game I would strongly advise against him playing but of course that will be his choice. But I do hope he won't.....it's disgusting!

Really? Thanks for this. My DS keeps telling me there's nothing bad on the online mode and I'm being unreasonable refusing. Is this crap then?

No. Not in a million years.

Definitely not! Watch some videos online of people playing it and you'll see why

My stepson is 17 and he's never played it. It's not something that you want to expose your child to.

Thanks all. I completely get it's a really bad, violent game. However my DS keeps telling me it's only 'bad' in story mode and I'm trying to get to the bottom if this is correct or not. I can't seem to find the info online so thought I'd check here.

My 15 year old has tried the same line. Its a no from me.

I’m dead slack about video games and a gamer myself and wouldn’t let my kids play it until they were 16 or more.

Same

Hahaha he's yanking your chain, or he genuinely is naïve. I've no doubt it's true some of his mates are allowed to play it due to them having feckless parents who can't be arsed to step up and parent. But the game is an 18 for a reason and in all gaming modes there is sex and violence (it's kinda the point of the game!).

@pursudebyablackdog 😂 thanks-that's exactly the information I was looking for!

How does he know it's 'only bad in story mode'?

Even the makers of it said it's not for kids. Why you're wobbling is beyond me. It's a no and nothing other than the passage of time will change minds.

He's 12, it's a cert 18 and you need to ask?

This was what I was regularly asked about for children in the era of GTA3

They told their mothers that it was fine because they didn’t play the storyline main game but only free play driving around.

I would point out that free play was randomly stealing cars, driving around, running people over, shooting people and also picking up prostitutes then after the car bumped up and down killing the prostitutes for their money

Whereas in story mode the main character is making their way through a gang career, from gopher to gang boss. Prostitutes are to be protected and driven around (for example to a medical test)

At least story mode provides context

Just no.

@Lost123454 yes I'm trying to educate myself. Is that ok with you?

No definitely not

It’s a hard no from me. I’ve let my DS13 have several games that are over his age, but there is no way he is having GTA. To be fair, he knows it would be pointless even asking.

Online mode is fine.

You get to run a nightclub and hire DJs etc.

You can also turn off the fill option so he wouldn't be playing with random people. He could just be in a private game with his friends.

I think it's easy to wobble when lots of parents do allow their children to play these games, and many parents ignore the certification of apps/ games (or really don't understand the impact these games can have on developing minds).
A few years back Fortnite was all the rage at dc primary school (despite it being a 12). The Head sent out a very stern letter to parents / carers reminding them of their responsibility, and if he caught so much as a whiff of an underage child playing it, it would be logged as a safeguarding incident (no idea if he would have logged it, but it nipped playground discussion in the bud, and no more nagging from my dc to play it). Just to make it clear I'm not putting Fortnite in the same bracket of GTA, just highlighting parents allow kids to play games which aren't age appropriate.
Peer pressure is immense. And the constant badgering from dc to play these games is exhausting, so I expect OP wanted to know just how bad the game is, or is it just lots of pearl clutching! I think if you're not a gamer or into the gaming scene, it's good to ask and get the lowdown. Op can now have the confidence to say a firm 'No' and have the evidence to explain why. I suspect her son will continue to badger though!!

The last one was a great game. You do a variety of heist missions, etc. It's all a bit cartoony and OTT.

I really enjoyed it.

It's definitely adult content, but I don't think it's as bad as other posters are suggesting.

15+ would be my take.

I've completed the last two GTA games and no, I wouldn't let a 12 year old play them. I'm not as violently against them as some people (obviously, as I'm played them myself) but there is a reason they have an age rating.

I'd flex a bit, maybe if he was sensible at 16, but not at 12.

Have a look at this.

I mean the clue is in the name, it is a game based on committing crimes, bank robbery, drug dealing and killing people. It is an 18 for a reason.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Theft_Auto_Online#2022

Thanks @sashh. This is perfect. I had searched online-GTA story mode vs online and was a bit lost at the comparisons (lots of chat about servers that I really didn't understand). This reference gives me loads of info specifically about online so I'll use this when I discuss it with DS.