So as a warning, this latest blog post will be a bit of a rant on my part. It has to do with one of my main pet-peeves...keep in mind, I have many. This one in particular deals with parents.
There was a time back when I worked at the local GameStop, about 5 or so years back. When I took the job I was taught all about game ratings and how they were similar to that of the rating system used for movies. "E" meaning "Everyone", just like "G" in the movie ratings, "T" for "Teen", similar to that of "PG-13" in the movies, and finally "M", meaning "Mature", for no one under the age of 18, same as "R" in the movies. As a GameStop employee, it was my job to keep kids from buying games that were rated outside of their age group. Say a 12 year old wants an M-rated video game, such Grand Theft Auto, I cannot legally sell it to him without a parent or guardian okaying me to sell it to their child. While working there at GameStop, I came across a multitude of people. Most of them children. Some of them had parents who had no idea about the rating system, and thanked me for informing them on it, while others cussed me out for making their child come get them out of their comfy cars just to okay that I sell them a game, regardless of the game's rating. You better believe that for every child that came up wanting a mature rated game, I busted out our nifty little rating paper, showing the different ratings and why they are rated the way they are. It astounded me how many mothers came in and still allowed their child a game, even after I pointed out that the game contained violence, blood, sex, drugs and whatever else that game may have contained. And people wonder what is wrong with today's youth... tsk, tsk, tsk...
The reason I bring all of this up today is what I witnessed at another GameStop in my town. While standing in line to buy some games, there was a woman in front of us with a young boy who looked to be about 11 if he was lucky. The little boy was talking about the new Call of Duty game to come out this year, Call of Duty: Ghosts, and the employee waiting on them asked if they'd like to reserve it. **Okay, quick break right here: Being that he was a GameStop employee just as I was those years back, he should know about the rating system and KNOW that the new Call of Duty is a MATURE RATED GAME! He should not have even offered it as a reserve to the child, but then again, people nowadays have no moral value whatsoever -_-** The little boy full of excitement exclaimed "Yes!" The mother then okayed it. As I stood there listening and expressing my feelings to my husband about little kids playing those types of games, my husband pointed at the counter where the lady was paying and said, "Well look, she's buying him Grand Theft Auto right now!" I almost lost it. Why would any parent allow their kids to play these games?! I have nothing against these games, just the fact that they ARE NOT FOR CHILDREN. Plain and simple. Back when I worked at GameStop, I wasn't yet a parent as I am now, and even then had strong feelings against children playing M-rated games...Imagine how I am now that I have two kids of my own! Mama-bear instincts assemble!
But in all seriousness, I grow tired of today's media and news blaming video games for violence. Perhaps if parents ACTUALLY parented and didn't allow their children to play games they shouldn't, perhaps our children wouldn't be as messed up as they are nowadays. It all boils down to parents giving their kids anything and everything they want to keep them outta the parents' hair, regardless of what these things may be. Children are impressionable, playing games with a M-rating is NOT okay, people! They are rated for a reason... I can guarantee you, you will never see either one of my girls playing GTA or COD until they are the right age to play such games. That's me being a parent, and doing whatever I can do possible to protect my children. I suggest other parents do the same.
Rant End...Now I feel a bit better getting that off of my chest. It just irks me how some people can be so careless when it comes to their kids. Well, that's the world nowadays, folks. It can be a sad, sad thing at times.
