[QUOTE="RahnAetas"] My kid sister was introduced to gaming at a really young age. At age 7, when she was barely able to reach over to the arcade machine controls, she was able to consistantly beat people in Soul Calibur 2 at the movie theater.
Oh noes, animated violence! PG-13 and my sister not only was witnessing it, but participating at it 6 years before she should be. That said, she's witnessed the M level stuff I'd say... oh geeze... what? Age 9-10? Limbs flying off, blood spraying everywhere. I think that was when she watched Kill Bill.
Children don't have such a loose grasp on reality. People don't give them enough credit. They can figure out what's real and what's not if it's reinforced.
Wemhim256
I'd have to agree, plus, if you give psychology tests, it can kind of show that they're not all idiots. For example, actors that are young have to go through it for certain parts, Jodie Foster in Taxi Driver played a hooker when she was 14(Played a 12 year old though) and passed the test, I play some really bad stuff when I was younger too, almost any friend I had played M games or watched R movies. They're not all as stupid as people make them sound, just annoying. And stupid in some ways, but not in the sense that they can't understand the concept of fiction.Unfortunatly not every child has a decent upbringing. If anything, sheilding them from stuff, making them judgemental, even hateful of things around them, (potentially vice versa) has a far greater chance of turning kids into maniacs.
Despite being exposed to all this 'inappropriate' media, having a good upbringing is far more powerful than what we see on the TV. My sister doesn't swear, throw temper tantrums, is quite good natured and pleasant to be around. Though I honestly worry about her due to how the next generation takes everything so lightly. Especially when it comes to responsiblity, drugs and sex.
But violence? No she's not going to start a school shooting. She's not going to join a gang and beat up people with baseball bats. She can play pokemon enjoy that, much as she enjoyed watching 300 (oh noes, another rated M movie)
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