Teacher of British school warns parents for bad parenting (buying their kids GTAV)

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=767756

This is the right thing to do in my opinion (despite it being in Comic Sans). The teacher doesn't dismiss GTA, instead lets parents know that it is intended for mature audiences and that children as young as 6 are re-enacting parts of the game (take that loosely).

I work in retail in the United States. I don't know about you guys, but a vast majority of the parents out there are lazy, naive fucks. I have anecdotal evidence, so I'm an expert. There have been way too many instances in which I've had to tell a parent buying their 10 year old kid Grand Theft Auto V (or even IV or Gay Tony or whatever) that these games are intended for mature audiences only and that they contain swears, sexual themes, drug use, violence, etc.

The parents then give me blank stares and say "Really?" like they think video games are only for fucking children. Then they tell their kid "Sorry, you can't have that." And then the kids cry. Obviously.

But wait! There's more. There have been situations in which the parents gave me a "So what?" attitude after I told them about the adult themes and then they proceed to buy the game. Keep in mind that these are the types who keep spitting out deviants left and right. And will probably go home to drink their whiskey and smoke their crack. Or whatever.


So what are your thoughts on this? Was the teacher in the right? Wrong? Could the teacher's note have been executed better?

I think the letter could/should have been worded stronger. But the teacher did the right thing in pointing out the problem to parents.

Damn I wish I could just enjoy my adult entertainment without people telling me it's not for kids

Ive got bigger things to worry about than kids playing GTA thats my opinion.

These games are designed for kids. Just look at the latest Saints Row. It's all bright pastel colors and goofy, absurd over the top action, that's easy to play.

Most of the letter isn't bad, except for the part about simulated rape which is just untrue. But what would gall me if I were a parent is the last paragraph, which reads like a threat. It's one thing to warn parents about the game, but they are overstepping their bounds if they expect to enforce it. If some parents know about the content and are confident in their child's ability to distinguish reality from fantasy, that's their prerogative and it's none of the school's business as long as the child behaves.

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Originally Posted by Drexl

that's their prerogative and it's none of the school's business as long as the child behaves.

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Which apparently they weren't, hence the reason for the letter.

My first reaction: "OH MY GOOD THE HEADER IS IN COMIC SANS!"

That's just so many levels of wrong right there.
How are people supposed to take that mail seriously after seeing that?

there's nothing wrong with letting a kid play gta. unless you have a fucked up kid, which parents should obviously know. I played any violent game there was when young, carmageddon, mortal kombat and it hasn't affected me one bit. there's also not a shred of scientific evidence to support this either. it's just the newest form of media always getting the blame, before we had printing press, newspapers, radio, comics, tv, internet. blablabla

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Originally Posted by Ninsega

Which apparently they weren't, hence the reason for the letter.

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maybe the reason for that letter is that the teacher sucks at teaching and starts blaming something other than herself. I've bene a teacher for a few years and never encountered any problems. and I was teacher at lower(hate to say that but don't know how else) level highschools

It might be hard to evaluate if a kid is mentally unstable at a young age,
since just about all kids no matter the diagnose act the same at that age.

But yeah most of the kids actually performing these acts after playing games and/or watching movies and/or reading books, listening to music or whatever is either very VERY unstable, easily influenced or just looking for a stupid reason to their poor behaviour.

Leave you kid alone, don't spend any time with it! Pay more attention to your favorite football team than to how your kid spends your time. Let video games take over the biggest part of its education. Be a bad role model or worse, be no role model at all, so that your kid has to search for role models elsewhere. Like in the one media it spends most of its time with, unsupervised!

It is then, and only then, that kids might take games like GTA V as an example and aspire to emulate being a person like on of the three protagonists in real life!

Unfortunately, that happens far more often than I would like to see. So yeah, I think the teacher was absolutely in the right!

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Originally Posted by bultje112

maybe the reason for that letter is that the teacher sucks at teaching and starts blaming something other than herself. I've bene a teacher for a few years and never encountered any problems. and I was teacher at lower(hate to say that but don't know how else) level highschools

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Why don't you come to America and teach at some low SES schools before you start talking shit?

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Originally Posted by Cornelius Spunkwater

Why don't you come to America and teach at some low SES schools before you start talking shit?

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I'm sure I would do fine. kids are the same everywhere

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Originally Posted by bultje112

maybe the reason for that letter is that the teacher sucks at teaching and starts blaming something other than herself. I've bene a teacher for a few years and never encountered any problems. and I was teacher at lower(hate to say that but don't know how else) level highschools

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The teacher is a he. You'd think a supposed teacher would have reading comprehension skills 0_O

And let me ask the folks who find it okay to let children play GTA this question:

Would you let a child watch Dirty Harry?

what is dirty harry?

I was 10 and I already watched porn regularly. I didn't turn into some rapist or sexually frustrated maniac either.

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Originally Posted by bultje112

I'm sure I would do fine. kids are the same everywhere

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You would get eaten alive in Detroit schools, guy.

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Originally Posted by bultje112

what is dirty harry?

I was 10 and I already watched porn regularly. I didn't turn into some rapist or sexually frustrated maniac either.

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Dirty Harry isn't porn.

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Originally Posted by Ninsega

And let me ask the folks who find it okay to let children play GTA this question:

Would you let a child watch Dirty Harry?

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Nowadays? Probably. it's not like it is all that bad of a movie content wise these days.

You can see more graphic violence and bloodshed on the evening news than you would find in Dirty Harry.

Of course the underlying intent of your question is spot on. And I always wonder who these parents are that let these kids (and I'm not talking 14/15 year olds) play games like GTA.

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Originally Posted by bultje112

what is dirty harry?

I was 10 and I already watched porn regularly. I didn't turn into some rapist or sexually frustrated maniac either.

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...Dirty Harry would be Clint Eastwood's most popular/well-known role. You know, the one that spawned one of the most famous lines ever uttered in cinema:

"I know what you're thinking, punk. You're thinking 'did he fire six shots or only five?' Now to tell you the truth I forgot myself in all this excitement. But being this is a .44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world and will blow you head clean off, you've gotta ask yourself a question: 'Do I feel lucky?' Well, do ya, punk?"