Grand Theft Auto IV (or GTA-4 for short) was released today, and critics are irate.
The Parents Television Council says, among other things, this:
“This brutally violent video game must be kept out of the hands of children, and we are calling on all major retailers to reconsider any decisions to sell this game..."
The Chicago Transit Authority has pulled ads for GTA-4 from it's buses in response to renewed criticism.
And apparently people are being stabbed or beaten up for a copy of the game.
Now, I have not played this particular game...yet. (I say yet because I feel I ought to understand the hooplah and the reason for criticism - so I will play a bit for research). I did, however, play an earlier version a couple of times a few years back and actually thought it to be entertaining. It's probably worth mentioning, though, that I was not your typical player - in that I didn't spend any time beating anyone up...just attempting to drive fast, outrun the cops, get the paint changed on my car to avoid the cops, and meet up with a helicopter (or something like - I can't really remember).
It would seem to me that the critics, mostly parents (of which I am - a parent, that is), are all arguing these games shouldn't end up in the hands of children. And I don't think anyone would argue they should. The critics, again mostly parents, are arguing...even if the kids aren't allowed to buy the game, kids will find a way to play it and therefor the game shouldn't be sold in stores (see hyperlink for Parents Television Council above).
Drugs. Lying. Cheating. Bullying. Alcohol. Cigarettes. Sex. Violent behavior. Disrespect.
I could go on, but I'll make my point now.
The things listed above are all things as parents we hope to teach our children about at the appropriate time. These are things, in the early years, we might shelter our children from...and in the later years, teach our children how to make educated decisions about.
With that said, it seems to me there are a lot of us parents that would rather spend our time pointing fingers. "My kid is overweight, it's the fast-food restaurant's fault." "My kid is violent, it's the TV's fault." "My kid has no social skills, it's the computer's fault."
If we don't want our children drinking alcohol, being disrepectful, or doing drugs...we know, as parents, it's up to us to teach them about these things. If we don't want our children watching R rated movies, then we know, as parents we need to restrict them from doing so. Does the occasional kid sneak into an occasional R-rated movie sometimes? Yes. Is it the end of the world? Probably not.
If we don't want our children playing Grand Theft Auto IV, then isn't it our responsibility to put restrictions in place? Will the occasional kid sneak in a game or two? Probably. Will it be the end of the world? Probably not.
Bottom line is, the responsibility for many of the things we, as parents, like to point fingers about...probably deserves to fall on our shoulders.
Thoughts?