This is an interesting point. I am a 40 yr old parent, pro-gaming, play games myself, and I have 2 kids aged 11 and 13. I had an intellivision, and a commodore64 as a kid, and spent a lot of time on them. My parents never understood the video game thing, being born in 1922 and 1930 (so how could they?), but they didnt argue it either much...just went with the flow and wrote it off as "kids these days..." LOL.
My son spends a lot of time playing video games -- and like most kids today, plays console games (we have a PS3 now and we've had a Wii and WiiU) as well as a 3DS and sometimes mobile apps on an ipod touch or android tablet. I can see how as a parent I am allowing it, and encouraging, because I play games with him too sometimes (or we'll sit and watch each other sometimes if it's a campaign mode game we both enjoyed) -- it is bonding as some of you have said. He has seen me sit for a few hrs at a time playing myself. However, it IS also a social thing because sometimes he has friends over, or goes to their house and plays. Not ONLINE... that's not 'social' at all. But since he doesnt have an abundance of friends yet (he is a bit immature for his age of 11 and has a learning disability), I sometimes worry that he may not have enough alternative social activity too. Games definitely arent the only possible detraction, but probably the most detracting, and really most all consumer electronics pose a problem for true social interaction. That, IMO, is another primary reason why parents like the OP's can get that instinctive response. It's just that some of us are much worse than others because of a lack of experience with games.
Regardless, even assuming you have set appropriate and fair limits for your kids video game usage, parents always have to be aware of the content of the games. Parents are much more aware now that that this is no longer the age of Donkey Kong and PacMan, and that the "rating" on a game is important if they do no know a game. We're much more liberal these days with what we allow our kids to see and listen to, because of what's already out there on regular primetime TV, PG and PG-13 movies, let alone youtube content or the internet in general, but giving your 10 yr old GTA5 is the equivalent of putting a porno in front of your him/her and encouraging them to watch it.
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