Just-released survey data from parenal advisory website What They Play maintains that parents worry more about their kids' exposure to video games than alcohol, violence and pornography.
From WTP's press release:
Nearly 3,000 respondents in two separate What They Play polls concluded that drinking beer and watching pornography were less objectionable activities for children than playing certain video games. Further, viewing violence was more acceptable than seeing content involving sex and sexuality within games.
WTP president John Davison commented:
These poll results demonstrate that parents are as apprehensive about their childrenââ,¬â,,¢s media diets as they are about traditional social issues such as alcohol, drugs, violence and sex. When it comes to video games, parents should know that What They Play is a resource that helps demystify one of the most popular ââ,¬â€œ and challenging ââ,¬â€œ forms of entertainment their kids are into.
Dr. Cherly Olson, co-author of Grand Theft Childhood, is also quoted in the press release:
Although these findings seem surprising at first, they hint at fears parents have about video games. To some parents, video games are full of unknowable dangers. While researching for Grand Theft Childhood, parents we spoke with in focus groups often bemoaned the fact that they didnââ,¬â,,¢t know how to use game controls - and felt unequipped to supervise or limit video game play. Of course, parents donââ,¬â,,¢t want their children drinking alcohol, but thatââ,¬â,,¢s a more familiar risk.
According to WTP's data, here's what parents found most offensive in video games:
a man and woman having sex (37%)
two men kissing (27%)
a graphically severed head (25%)
multiple use of the F-word (9%).
Parents apparently worry about what their kids are playing on sleepovers, too:
The second poll... queried parents on what theyââ,¬â,,¢d be most concerned about their 17-year-old child indulging in while at a sleepover. More than 1,600 respondents revealed theyââ,¬â,,¢re more apprehensive about their child smoking marijuana (49%) and playing the video game Grand Theft Auto (19%), than watching pornography (16%) and drinking beer (14%).
Geno sucks.
ok, cool.
two men kissing? huh
Quote from: reefer on August 11, 2008, 02:08:55 PM
two men kissing? huh
Don't you remember when christians freaked out that Bully had two men kissing? O_0
wth
So they're more worried about a virtual simulation of something instead of the actual thing?
lol white people
"johnny are you playing grand theft auto"
"no just jurkin' off"
"oh ok thumbup;"
Quote from: Space Left Intentionally Blank on August 11, 2008, 02:57:34 PM
wth
So they're more worried about a virtual simulation of something instead of the actual thing?
Yeah that's exactly it
It also shows (Although we've known this for years) That people freak out more about sex than people being decapitated and slaughtered.
Seriously wtf.
Society hasn't changed.
Yeah, society is stupid. So I'm gonna go live in the woods at some point in my life.