How becoming a parent makes you more in favour of censorship

A reader muses over the fact that while he used to hate the concept of censorship becoming a parent has made him think again.

[mixelon]

This piece could really have done with some examples? What are they thinking could be changed?

I’m a parent and I’ve never thought gaming needs more censorship, just better education regarding the various ratings/certifications.

[Cobra951]

Same here. I'm a parent. I'm a gamer. I never liked censorship, in anything. Finding age-appropriate content for my children was my job, not anyone else's. They're grown now, so I don't even have to do that anymore.

[rainslacker]

Or parents just not letting their kids play them. I know that a parent cant control everything their kid can see, but they can at least help control what kind of content they feel appropriate, while not infringing on other people who may not feel the same way.

Having a child doesn't make someone the arbiter about what is appropriate for other to view. It takes no special skills to have a kid. The skill comes from being an actual parent, and it's not other peoples jobs to give up what they like to help you

[mixelon]

That was all stuff that I agree with, and implied by the education about ratings* comment, and any reasonable parent would agree with.

*A lot of parents really don’t understand what games contain, which is frustrating and often down to wilful ignorance, but sometimes it’s an honest misjudgement based on outdated info and assumptions. If I try to explain some modern games to some of my older friends and relatives they have real trouble grokking what I’m talking about.

I’d have loved to know what they thought should/could be curtailed though, more out of curiosity than anything. People have really different tastes and hang ups. I just wonder what part of games’ act they want cleaned up.

[rainslacker]

I generally take issue with anyone who says that others have to censor their work to help them keep up with stuff. If one can spend time complaining that there's too much violent or sexual media, or be upset that it exists and their children may see it, they can go online and look up if a game is appropriate. it doesn't take long, and ESRB ratings have everything there at their website. I know they can use the web, since that's where they're saying others need to do the work for them, so bad assumption isn't an excuse, it's just lazy.

Either way, I still stand by the idea that just because one is a parent, doesn't mean they have special rights to say what other's may be allowed to consume. If that was the case, then most of the popular shows on TV wouldn't even exist, as who's to decide how much is too much? Everyone feels they are right if it comes to asking for others to do things like censor or not even bother putting certain types of content in games, and most of them are just wrong on principal.

[Ogygian]

In other words, the author is too lazy to properly parent their children, so wants the state to do it for them.

[lellkay]

It doesn't.

[CrimsonWing69]

Or y’know, just be a parent and either communicate to your child about content or just not expose them to it.

[CorndogBurglar]

I'm a parent of a 9 year old daughter and I've never thought censorship was needed.

Pay attention to what your kid plays and watches. You know, be a parent? That's all it takes. Not censoring things.

[Zeref]

I mean they could always just put these options under settings, like it is in a lot of games.

[AK91]

What?