By Kei Beneza (Dividelife), Onrpg writer
Parents nowadays (*shrugs)… I won’t deny the fact that most of todays parents blame MMOs (or even games in general) for their child’s rotten school performance, addiction and delinquency. Now this is understandable since some educational establishments are already supporting their claims.
This is quite demoralizing and would probably make parents join in on the fun, especially since some of the cases are quite true. Other than suicide reports and the other downsides of gaming, these people may actually have enough things to back them up on their righteous crusade.
It’s quite obvious this majority makes things quite evident. The fact that local papers keep saying things like “Avid WoW player commits suicide.” or “Boy who kills parents likes MMOs” would alert any parent and would drive them to take action without further notice. We can’t really blame them cause they ARE doing this for our well-being; being completely stereotypical about it however, makes it all just another useless struggle due to misunderstandings.
Well, I know that some of our MMOs have a parental monitor system that lets parents control their children’s’ game time. Yes it is quite effective, but also know that most of today’s parents don’t even know about about these things and would normally just be passive about it. It’s the parent’s job to mold their children into good professionals, so be a good parent and start beating up your kids if you don’t have access to MMO parental time controls (LOL). Although their fighting for a greater cause, blaming games for their child’s rotten behavior is also rather harsh on our part.
REGULAR CAUSES: Good Lord the answer is right in front of you!
We are currently living on the age of MMO gaming, and it’s really hard to force children or even an individual game for that matter to stop playing just cause it’s affecting the majority of people wordwide. Though we all know that there are tons of gaming varieties that causes children to slack off, it would seem that MMOs require more time and devotion compared to its virtual kin. A scheduled guild raid can be reason enough for kids to skip school or play ‘hookie’, thus supporting their claims yet again. I’ve always been an MMO addict, and I myself have felt these kinds of addiction. One moment I was studying for a test and the next thing I know was we were already raiding Naxxramas (WoW)
Parents must know how to monitor their children in order to stop these things from happening. You must also know that it’s your card that pays for the games they play, so it should be easy to limit their game time with that point in mind. See what Dr Phil has to say!
Worried Parents: My Kid A Criminal?
Okay, it would seem that most parents have a rather short perception regarding game violence. PVP would probably be one thing that makes them think that you’re on your way to becoming an official murderer. Skill names such as STEAL, STAB & ENSLAVE DEMON (lol) may not appeal to them as much as it would to a regular MMO gamer. I won’t deny the fact that games are no longer as conservative as they were back then powerpills and eating ghosts were fun. It would almost seem like saving the princess isn’t enough anymore (and yes, its not).
Ratings: Ever Used?
Yes parents, these things exist to help you choose the games that you’re going to let your kids play. I’m sure it wouldn’t hurt to look at one letter right? What’s the use of crying and not knowing what to do if you yourselves don’t know what you’re giving your kids? Ratings are there for a reason, and you yourselves should be responsible enough to monitor your children’s wellbeing.
There are so many games out there that are suitable for your kids, so get out of that chair and start reading. It’s a parent’s job to ensure his child’s well being, so here’s a guide on what you should be aware of.
The link above will give you a brief overview of what MMO games you can let your children play and the ones you should keep them away from. It’s quite obvious that the gaming companies wont care about your child’s wellbeing, especially since it’s your job to do that in the first place. Its just business, and like adult videos your kids can gain access to some of them. Monitoring this, in my opinion is much easier than knowing whether your kids are smoking or drinking.
MMOs make nasty vices; but then again, it’s all a matter of perception. What we have here is merely a new trend in gaming; and like sports, your kids (let’s say the ones who are suitable to play) are merely competing with other players by beating their characters in combat. It doesn’t promote violence, and you cant always blame the first thing that pops right in front of your eyes. I know that studies prove that most kids who venture into delinquency are gamers. But those things only prove that they play games. It doesn’t really prove that the games are the ones responsible for your child’s ill behavior.
Scary facts: Oh snap!
The study of criminals being linked to video games are greatly emphasized by global facts. I recall hearing about a kid in China who killed his fellow player for stealing his character’s sword. Know that the kid who was playing was the one with the problem and could’ve easily done the same thing for other reasons (it was just a game! Surely other things would have triggered the same effect).
Games can serve as a form of relaxation, giving players something to enjoy rather than something to be mad about. Any of your kids’ personal issues are completely out of the game’s boundaries, so it would be wise to talk to them and see what’s wrong. They wont always come to bearing details so as parents, your QUEST would be to understand them more. These games are addictive and NO they DO NOT have addiction labels just like a pack of cigarettes, so always make sure that they play with moderation. Fixing things is definitely better than pointing fingers because that’s just immature. Do well and you’ll probably level-up yourselves.
“I only got my kid that game because I thought it’d make him happy.”
– parent
