I play Skyrim. It is rated M for mature. It is not a game for a 5-year-old child.
Read the labels, people.
The mother said the son had mastered the "dragon language" in the game and would only speak that. The dragon language is basically a set of kill commands - in the game they call them dragon shouts. The words allow the hero of the game to kill dragons and people with only the voice.
The kid also runs around swatting people with flyswatters or whatever he is using for a sword. She said when she took the game away once, the kid went outside and tried to call down the dragons from the sky.
Skyrim is an incredibly immersive game. I have logged over 1,000 hours playing it over the last five years or so. I have 80 hours on the new release that has updated graphics. I love the game and I enjoy it immensely.
However, no child should play this game. A 5-year-old should be playing LEGOLAND or something. Not Skyrim. It is rated M for a reason.
What is wrong with people? I swear, I think the Earth flew through an asteroid belt and it has infected the minds of half of the population of the world.
Stupidity is not good. Ignorance is not bliss. Stop drinking the tainted water, folks.
I sent a response to Dear Annie. This is what I wrote:
Dear Annie,
I read with horror the letter from the
mother who is letting a 5-year-old play The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. That game
is for mature audiences and no one under 13 should be playing it.
The dragon language the child is learning
are commands that harm or kill, not actual conversation. This game is quite
immersive and is full of killing with swords, magic, and words (the dragon
language). It is not a game for children.
I am not your average gamer. I am a
53-year-old wife and freelance writer. However, I have logged over 1,000 hours
on Skyrim over the last five years, and frankly consider it an addictive game.
I set an hour timer when I play because otherwise I lose track of time and am
there for five hours instead of one. Skyrim is a great game for adults who know
how to control their time and game-playing, but I would never let a child watch
me play it, let alone take over the controls and spew the guts of a bandit all
over the cave floor.
This is beyond imaginative play. The mother needs to take that game away from that child now and under no circumstances should she return it. If she wants to let him play video games, then she should find something more age-appropriate.
People have minds. I wish they would use them.
While I don't play interactive video games and didn't know this wasn't a game for kids, I was still horrified at the boy's behavior and how the game had affected him. I also wondered what the mother was thinking.
ReplyDeleteAs a primary school teacher I can tell you this type of thing happens a lot. We have more and more children who enroll in preschool who are behind in language skills because they don't talk to people, only video/computer games.
ReplyDeleteThis to me is so sad. What happen to kids using their imaginations to play games. The mother's behavior about her son knowing the dragon language. You would think her child had mastered French! I believe this is why a lot of children grow up into scary and sometimes harmful adults. Parents please bring back games like freeze tag, kick the bucket, red rover red rover or board games like Operation, Don't Break The Ice and Monoply ... At least till the proper age and maturity for the computer games.
ReplyDeleteGlad that you decided to do something, Anita. I have never played video games and certainly know that adults play and enjoy them as do children. But, the game playing should be monitored for content, appropriateness and length of time young children are playing. As for what's wrong with people these days, I find myself wondering about that as well. They simply do not think in most cases.
ReplyDelete