Net Family News: Online-Safe Resources for Kids and Families

Dear Subscribers:

This is a continuation of our 11/30/01 piece "Gamers' advice for parents," with details on how the rules worked at Sean's house (when they were needed) and on why rules may be needed for computer and online games these days.

Sean, 19, on today's 'sophisticated' games

"Gaming is starting to really become most popular with older teens and young adults. So naturally, to keep their interest, [producers] make games that are more adult-themed. Games of the past would never have a curse word or a speck of blood in them, but today is a different story.

"Games today can have a lot of cursing in them and lots of violence. One series of games called 'Final Fantasy' was very tame with the words spoken by the characters, but when Final Fantasy VII came out for the PlayStation (and Final Fantasy X is coming this month), they changed that. Characters are [now using every profane word] besides the dreaded 'F word' [he told us, "I consider 'G-D' a more offensive word"].

"Games with blood in them have changed a lot too. Used to be, you hit some one and they would disappear in a puff of cloud, which would mean you had defeated the enemy. Today that has changed as well. In one game for the PC, PS2, and Dreamcast called 'Soldier of Fortune,' you could do horrible things to the enemies.... Take a shot gun and point it at their head and shoot, well, half their head is gone, or you could shoot them with a sub machine gun and their bodies would shake from the impact of the automatic weapon.... If you had explosives you could blow them up into 'gibs' ["what the gaming world calls chunks of flesh," he explained]. Of course this is the most violent game around and there are parental [controls] in the PC version of the game. The [Entertainment Software Rating Board] has a rating system in place,... used to suggest to parents what the game has in it, content-wise, and what target age the game is for."

Further recommendations to parents

"Personally, I think parents should have a impact on how much time the kids spends playing a game - a set number of hours a week or day, however they want to do it.

"Parents should also get involved with the kid when he plays a game - maybe play some two-player games or something. Parents should make sure that kids know that everything that happens in games is fantasy - plus, if you have a child with a violent history, I would be extra careful of what he plays, for it might ignite more violence in him. I do strongly advise parents to pay attention to the ratings and the reasons that game had received its rating (it will say so on the game box [usually the rating on the front and content descriptions on the back]). If there is something there that is objectionable, then say no. Be mindful of what they play and be involved with them, and make sure they don't become a drone in front of the TV every free hour they have.

"Video games are a digital drug. If your child already is an avid gamer that plays too much, it would be much harder to break him away.... Once an avid gamer, always an avid gamer.... One can still try to limit their game playing time, but it will be hard.... If the person has become anti-social or has bad grades as a result of the gaming, then something has to be done quickly, but if the person has steady grades and appears to be a sociable type, it still doesn't hurt to become active with the child and his gaming and to watch the gaming carefully."

His own experience

"My parents weren't mindful of my gaming until my grades dropped. They were very nervous and tried to keep my gaming down. My mother wouldn't let me play violent games and would try to keep me from playing too long - sometimes grounding was involved as well. When I got older and my grades were becoming steady, they didn't restrict me as much, and as soon as I hit 17 ... they let me make my own choices in gaming, but they would still be mindful. When I hit 18, they gave me independence about playing time and basically every aspect of gaming.... When everything became stable for me which gaming had made unstable, they became less and less nervous....

"Now, basically, they suggest that I shouldn't buy so many games (I have a limited budget). That's about all they say on the matter. My mother does like to watch me play certain games. And my father is now addicted to Luigi's Mansion on the Nintendo Gamecube."