Parents fear GTA more than booze or porn

[TopSecret]

According to a survey, parents worry more about kids playing GTA than drinking alcohol or watching porn.

Full article here

[Jim]

Originally Posted by name='stuartpb'

According to a survey, parents worry more about kids playing GTA than drinking alcohol or watching porn.

Full article here

Whats wrong with watching porn? I picked up some great tips 'as a kid

[TopSecret]

Nowt wrong with a bit of the old skinflicks mate What I found weirdest from the survey was some parents worry more about playing a video game than their kids getting legless??? I thought that one would have came second in the results.

[Jim]

Originally Posted by name='stuartpb'

Nowt wrong with a bit of the old skinflicks mate What I found weirdest from the survey was some parents worry more about playing a video game than their kids getting legless??? I thought that one would have came second in the results.

Thing is (and I hope I read this correctly) a site dedicated to warning parents about certain game titles run the survey. Isn't that a bit like running a survey on OC3D and saying "70% of people would rather be overclocking than reading an Enid Blyton book"

Of course the result is going to be severely weighted towards parents being afraid of their kids playing GTA...because thats what the site they are bloody on is all about!

[TopSecret]

I checked the site out though mate, it isn't about knocking PC games. In fact it's quite reasonable. It does point out pros and cons of each game it lists, going into some detail too. Best bet, have a gander, see what you think? It looks like whoever is writing on the site has actually played the games, so I think it is a hell of alot better than some similar sites.

[Jim]

Originally Posted by name='stuartpb'

I checked the site out though mate, it isn't about knocking PC games. In fact it's quite reasonable. It does point out pros and cons of each game it lists, going into some detail too. Best bet, have a gander, see what you think?

But still if you run the same survey on a website with tips on how to encourage your teenager to drink in moderation, the results would obviously be skewed the other way?

Run the survey again, but this time on a website like the BBC, then I think we'll see a true representation of what the general public think.

[AydST]

If your kids are at home playing video games.....at least you know where they are!

[TopSecret]

I see your point but I still find it hard to believe that anyone would put gaming over alcohol as a worry on any site

[Hassan]

I seriously don't see what playing video games does to you.

It seems that these parents were such very good little angels when they were young.

[TopSecret]

You have to look at it from a parents perspective too. Video gaming was not as prevelant in my generation as it is today. So that means that some parents have never tried gaming. So all they have to judge their opinions on is the press, the child and observation. Now for observation, not every parent has the time to be standing over their child every time they play a game, as much as we would like to. The child, if they are normal teenagers, may no be inclined to discuss their gaming hobby with their parents. So that leaves the press, which as we all know, love to make gaming the scapegoat.

I am lucky because I am an oldskool gamer and I enjoy the hobby as much as my eldest daughter does, so I know what to avoid etc. Some parents don't have that luxury. I wouldn't let my daughter (she's 8) play any game which is rated over her age, but that's how I decided to bring her up, regardless of what I done when I was her age.