Friday, May 7, 2010

“Parents need to monitor their kids’ video games” plus 3 more

“Parents need to monitor their kids’ video games” plus 3 more

Parents need to monitor their kids’ video games

Posted: 06 May 2010 07:33 PM PDT

By The Oakland Press

The issue of under-aged youngsters playing mature-rated video games is not new, but it recently surfaced in Rochester Hills.

The discussion was heated at times, but overall relatively brief.

City officials reportedly wanted to tighten some rules and regulations for businesses with the more questionable rated video games to ensure that young kids would not have access to or play them. It is an admirable goal but one that officials learned would be difficult, if not impossible, to accomplish.

Council directed its concerns toward one business, the Game Over Lounge. However, the city attorney indicated council would not be able to impose any further legal restrictions on the business.

In this case, it appears the business owner's own rules were fairly stringent. Constantin Carestea says he requires signed permission slips from parents listing which games their minor children can play. He said he strictly enforces their requests by programming the station the child uses. He also provides live video feeds so the parents can monitor their children at his place of business from their computers at home or at the office.

Ironically, Carestea probably monitors the young people in his business more closely than some parents do.

Parents should be concerned about the "teen," "mature" or higher rated video games. They usually contain some degree of violence and strong, if not overt, sexual content.

 The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) ratings, according to its website, "are designed to provide concise and impartial information about the content in computer and video games so consumers, especially parents, can make an informed purchase decision."

The higher-level ratings should open the eyes of all parents.

For example, the "teen" rated or "T" videos have content that supposedly is suitable for ages 13 and older. However, videos in this category may contain violence, suggestive themes, crude humor, minimal blood, simulated gambling, and/or infrequent use of strong language.

Then there's the "mature" or "M" rating, which means the videos have content suitable for persons ages 17 and older. But the games could contain intense violence, blood and gore, sexual content and/or strong language.

The "adults only" or "AO" games are recommended for persons 18 years and older. They may include prolonged scenes of intense violence and/or graphic sexual content and nudity.

However, the rating service can't guarantee that these games will stay out of the hands of young children. At best, all it can do is legally bind publishers of games to disclose all pertinent content, in both written and audio-visual form.

In the final analysis, it's up to the parents to monitor what their children play. We've said that over and over again in many different areas, whether it's young people going on the Internet or simply going to an R-rated movie.

Admittedly, it's a tough decision, particularly for parents who want to be their children's friend and thus are willing to abdicate their parental responsibilities.

But parents who successfully rear their children do so by instilling moral values and ethics in them. This becomes difficult, if not impossible, when the parents try to be friends.

It's been said a million times but we're going to say it again: successful parents know that it's better for their children if they are parents first and friends last.  

Good Morning

May is finally here. You can put in those tomato plants.

 

Five Filters featured article: The Art of Looking Prime Ministerial - The 2010 UK General Election. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Christina Beam: Video games bond parents with kids

Posted: 06 May 2010 07:28 AM PDT

Moms of Hikers Held in Iran: 'Stop Playing Games With Our Kids'

Posted: 06 May 2010 08:01 AM PDT

The mothers of the three American hikers who have been held in Iran since July today made a public plea to Iranian officials to set politics aside and release their children.

"The two countries are at odds with each other and we don't want this mixed in with that," Cindy Hickey, mother of Shane Bauer, said on "Good Morning America."

The three Americans, Bauer, 27; Sarah Shourd, 31; and Josh Fattal, 27; were detained by Iranian officials July 31, 2009. They were reportedly hiking on a trail that winds along the unmarked Iran-Iraq border.

They have not yet been charged with a crime and have not been allowed to seek legal representation.

In an interview Tuesday with ABC News' George Stephanopoulos the Iranian President said it was up to a judge to decide whether the hikers' claim that they simply got lost was the truth as they would have to plead their case to him.

"They have to provide proof and evidence to the judge in Iran that shows that they lost their way or made a mistake," Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said. "When the time comes, they will have a lawyer."

Click here to read a full transcript of George Stephanopoulos' interview with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Ahmadinejad said he would make a recommendation to the judge to "render maximum cooperation" in regards to the case, but said he had no influence over the judge. The mothers disagreed.

"Stop playing games with our kids….it just needs to end," Nora Shourd said.

"This stuff about 'it is in the hands of the judiciary' is just ridiculous. After nine months the kids haven't been interrogated, there is no reason for it to be delayed any longer," Hickey said on "GMA."

The three mothers were in New York in hopes of meeting with Ahmadinejad when he came to the U.S. this week to speak to the U.N. at the conference on nuclear non-proliferation.

They never heard back about their request, but if the women had a chance to speak to the Iranian president they would have told him that their children are merely innocent hikers.

Five Filters featured article: The Art of Looking Prime Ministerial - The 2010 UK General Election. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

The Game - The Games Kids Unaware Of Dads Fame

Posted: 06 May 2010 06:50 PM PDT

THE GAME's two young sons have no idea their father is a famous hip-hop star and are convinced the rapper's moniker derives from his impressive video game skills.

The Dreams hitmaker, real name Jayceon Taylor, admits his kids are mostly unaware of their dad's music career - and he'd prefer to keep it that way.

He tells BallerStatus.net, "I don't think they have an idea. They (are) seven and almost three, they don't have any idea, man. I don't think they really get it yet.

"I keep my kids as far away from my rap career as possible. Harlem, he's the oldest, seven, and he still doesn't even know. I asked him just two days ago: 'Do you know daddy's name?' He's like, 'Jayceon'. I'm like, 'No, my other name.' He's like, 'Game.' I'm like, 'Why you think they call me Game?' He's like, 'Cause you play video games?' I started busting out laughing and he's like, 'What?' I'm like, 'I rap.' He's like, 'Aww... whatever.'"

Five Filters featured article: The Art of Looking Prime Ministerial - The 2010 UK General Election. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.
Posted by at

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)