Featured Image Credit: Alamy
Topics: GTA, Gaming, Call of Duty
Rhiannon Ingle
Parental discipline has always been a topic of great debate, as has children's outrage at their parent's chosen punishments.
However, one particular child has taken a punishment-triggered tantrum to the next level.
A mum recently took to Twitter to get some much-needed advice from other parents surrounding her decision to ban her son from playing video games.
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Worried that her decision to ban any 18+ video games – including the likes of Grand Theft Auto and Call of Duty – from her 12-year-old son was 'too strict', the mum called on fellow parents to see how they have handled similar situations.
The mum began her call for help, tweeting: "My son is refusing to speak to me for the rest of the year as I won't let him play adult console games...
“He's 12 and he wants to play GTA and Call of Duty because all his friends are doing it.
“Am I being too strict here?"
In less than a day, the tweet had caused a storm on the social media platform.
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Amassing a whole array of varied responses, advice and judgement, it's clear that there is not one singular and unified opinion on the matter of gaming among parents today.
For the most part, parents did agree that video games with an age restriction of 18+ should not be in the hands of children who may be susceptible to violent imagery and strong language, which is part and parcel of video games like GTA and CoD.
Even though the World Health Organization (WHO) has made 'gaming disorder' a recognised illness due to the addictive qualities that it can trigger, including impaired time prioritisation and physical social isolation, many disagreed with the mum's punitive measures.
Following the viral tweet, one Twitter user responded: "Parenting is tough! My son is also 12. He knows what’s ok language but listens to a lot worse online as we all do, yet it’s relevant or it’s amusing, or it’s ‘in context’.
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“If he’s a good kid he’ll know the difference and you won’t have a problem. Trust your parenting!"
Others took a more nuanced approach to their response, understanding the issues with underage children playing games aimed at adults as well as the social implications a gaming ban could trigger.
One parents wrote: "Been through this already and very hard to stop them doing what their friends are all doing and talking about every day.
"They can become ostracised."
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Likewise, another looked into the gaming issue further, stressing the importance of moderation more so than the games themselves.
They wrote: "My two are both in their mid 20’s now and on balance it was right to let them use the games, the bigger issue is time allocation!"
Regardless of opinion, it is clear that this mum's punishment predicament has split public opinion right down the middle.
While some are calling her decision 'too strict', it seems that her son's retaliation is not actually that uncommon.