Billy Commented in an Older Post: Even though they failed to use proper grammar the question was still very valid. I have been browsing this site for a few hours now and feel that GamerDad is very conservative. I believe that if you take Gamerdad’s opinion and knock 3 years off then it would be closer to my suggestion. Then again adding an age is not a good way. Children mature at very different rates. What may be suitable for one 10 year old might not be suitable for the another 13-14 year old, Depending on maturity level. It all comes down to the parent’s in my opinion it is there job, to sit down with the child and see if they approve or not. Sites like these give HUGE generalizations.

I’m posting this here because it’s a good point, not a good question, and I know others have made this point but it’s Sunday and I thought I’d use this one.

Anyway.

I generally assume every letter I get is a self-serving one from a kid.  I answer them like they’re from a parent.  Some are more obvious than others but here’s a little rule of thumb:

Kids care more than parents.  Just like few adults really care, or are actively against, lowering the drinking age from 21. Most 20 year olds will argue until their blue in the face – and they’ll probably do it while drunk – that the age should be lowered because they can join the army at 18, vote at 18, etc.,  It’s a good point, it’s just a point that’s hard to get behind when you’re over 21. Y’know, “Tough Crap Kid, Why Should We Make It Easier to Get Plastered?”

Games are not the same thing, but this should explain why few parents care about a 12-year old’s argument FOR playing Grand Theft Auto.  “You’ll get there kid. Just wait.”  And you teens may not agree with me, but I bet all this doesn’t mean much to you when you get older.  It just gets harder and harder to sympathize when you realize that the first 20 years of a person’s life amounts to roughly 1/4 of that life tops.

Then you have LAZY parents on one side who treat the ratings as gospel – and that’s fine, that’s why there are ratings and why they tend toward being conservative.

Then you have LAZY parents who never look at the rating and just don’t care – and that’s fine, the rating system is in no way binding by law.  It isn’t illegal to let your 5-year old play M-rated games.

Then you have NON-LAZY on both sides who are earnestly looking for info – to deny or allow their kids to play the game their kid desperately wants.

So what I do is generalize – yes – but that’s only because I’m not really on one side or the other of the equation. I’m on the NON-LAZY side, because that’s the only side that really needs me.  I know that makes me less helpful to one side or another, but it helps me hit that sweet third spot, which is the only one that needs help anyways.  The message board appended to these posts is for YOU, parents and kids, to disagree, agree, argue, etc., so any parent looking for more info than I provide – can find it.

So Billy here is 100% right, especially with his conclusion.  It’s up to the parents and I generalize and am conservative – to keep it that way.

PS: I post letters as is, grammar mistakes and all, not because I’m making fun of anyone, only because I’m lazy and not a copy-editor. It also helps, in small ways, to help readers identify the age/maturity of the questioner.

Tags: AskGamerDad