Study: Kids Can't Get Enough of M-rated Games

Study: Kids Can't Get Enough of M-rated Games

July 7, 2007
Forbidden fruit.

It's almost common sense: if you can't have it, you suddenly want it.

So it should be no surprise that a recent survey in the July issue of the Journal of Adolescent Health found that many boys and girls aged 12-14 played games rated M, intended for those 17 & older.

The always controversial Grand Theft Auto series made it into the top three games for both boys and girls, with Halo being popular only with boys. The survey didn't address how the kids got hold of M-rated games in the first place.

Ars Technica looks at the survey, which examined over 1,200 students in Pennsylvania and South Carolina in 2004. Data was collected by the Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital and Michigan State University, and looked into the spread of violent video games among America's youth.

As well as mature-themed games, the survey also asked whether kids liked games "with guns and weapons," (a resounding "yes" for boys), and whether they played electronic games because there was "nothing else to do," ("yes" for 60% of both boys and girls).

CM: The resounding "because I'm bored" answer to "why" should be an indicator to parents worried about their kids whom they think game too much (hint: give them another activity).

-Reporting from Canada where he remembers being forbidden from playing Star Wars: Dark Forces, GP Correspondent Colin "Jabrwock" McInnes
Posted in

Comments

Submitted by Jabrwock - July 9, 2007 at 9:35 am -0500
@Super Doode

"This is precisely the danger of copying a copy of an article (and blogging in particular). This Colin “Jabrwock” McInnes gets credit for an article he didn’t write, based on an article the ’source’ didn’t credit, and barely gives accurate reporting on."

I'd like to think Ars Technica is a reputable source. And they did in fact credit the source (the journal link). If you'd like to verify the contents of the original study, Ars linked directly to it (but you'll need to fork over $30 to read it yourself, it *is* a journal publication after all). An unfortunate reality when dealing with studies.

Another Ars article dealt with that aspect specifically. Namely that if you aren't careful, you fall for stats that appear significant, when their sample base is very small.
Submitted by Thefremen - July 8, 2007 at 10:17 pm -0500
I was hanging out with my 10 yr old cousin today, and he knew he wasn't allowed to play games like God of War...He did enjoy the bodily damage in Tony Hawk a bit too much though...
Submitted by Rooster - July 8, 2007 at 11:36 am -0500
GU Comics kinda addressed this, I guess. Well, in the writeup for the comic at least.

http://www.gucomics.com/comic/?cdate=20070706

Roo S. Ter
Submitted by ZippyDSMlee - July 8, 2007 at 10:12 am -0500
Super Doode
so?
its still reasonable thought/question/article,they could do better to link sources a bit better tho.
Submitted by Super Doode - July 8, 2007 at 8:02 am -0500
This is precisely the danger of copying a copy of an article (and blogging in particular). This Colin “Jabrwock” McInnes gets credit for an article he didn't write, based on an article the 'source' didn't credit, and barely gives accurate reporting on.

Are we so inclined to accept such third-hand information, ready to pass on as a true story? Why didn't Games Politics research and report on the actual source material...? Hmm...
Submitted by janarius - July 8, 2007 at 7:18 am -0500
I don't remember how I got that journal article, but I got it. There are few things missing from the Ars Technica article that should be brought to attention.

Kids (18.2% of participants) who play in their own room are more than twice likely play for longer hours and M-rated games.
5% always play with parents, it doesn't ask whether the parents don't want to or anything of that type.
31.8%, who play M-rated games, always or often play with friends vs. 16%, who never play M-rated games.
Boys are more likely to always/often play alone (62.8%) or play with friends (33.4%) than girls (45.6%) and (12.5%) respectively.

It's more like sharing the forbidden fruit, when you have it, you share it.
Submitted by Clyde Wyman - July 8, 2007 at 3:37 am -0500
Thanks Pyrrhus! Now I am eager to buy those Kubrick figures as an addition to my GTA collection!
Submitted by Black Manta - July 8, 2007 at 12:35 am -0500
You know, it's funny. As kids we're not permitted to see/play/use/do/listen to certain things. When we asked why, the response usually was, "That's for grownups. You can do it when you're older though." So it held out promise for us because we knew that when we were finally grown up, we could do those things. "Grownups get to do all the fun, cool stuff." we think.

Once we become adults, we find the government and/or certain zealous individuals want to keep us from doing all those fun things ironically enough to "protect the children." Yet as kids we waited to do all this stuff. This was supposed to be our reward! It seems just when we want to do all the cool stuff, someone wants to take it away - whether it be violent video games...or movies, or sex, or porn, or fireworks (I'm into those as well) or whatever. It's like we can't win and it feels as if we're on the wrong end of the argument.

Grownups when we're kids or the government/bad lawyers as adults. They never let us have any fun! :p
Submitted by Cheryl K. Olson - July 7, 2007 at 10:18 pm -0500
The Ars Technica article missed a lot of the most interesting survey findings.
You can get the Massachusetts General Hospital's press release for this article (which has more information) at:
http://www.massgeneral.org/news/releases/062907olson.html

You can read the article abstract at the journal's web site, at:
http://journals.elsevierhealth.com/periodicals/jah/current
Submitted by Erik - July 7, 2007 at 10:17 pm -0500
After messing around with Wii today a thought struck me. I'm not sure about PS3 or the 360, but the Wii has parental controls. So I see no good reason why a game such as Manhunt shouldn't be on the market. Unless parents are even lazier than I'm aware and walking a few feet over to the system and setting up a password and taking five minutes "parenting" would be too much trouble for them. Why go through all that "trouble" when you can just let the goverment raise your children.
Submitted by CyberSkull - July 7, 2007 at 9:21 pm -0500
Forbidden fruit mostly sums it up. The allure will likely disappear for most of them when they get older.

Oh, and those aren't LEGOs in the picture, I forget what they are.
Submitted by GoodRobotUs - July 7, 2007 at 8:41 pm -0500
I think the 'nothing better to do' is a good indicator.

Also, as I've said before, and was said as the first 2 words of this report. Forbidden Fruit. When you have Politicians and Lawyers running around telling people how 'bad' these games are, it becomes more attractive to young people.

I've said it before several times that the free popularity bought to these games by idiots like Grossman and Thompson actually makes them more of a 'must own', because it's a symbol of rebellion against the 'older' people. Admittedly you cannot stop children trying to play violent games in general, when I was 8 I ran around with replica guns that fired caps, they were accurate enough that I COULD have learned to use a real gun from them, but I didn't, nor did I go on a rampage with one, despite spending several days a week running around playing 'War'.
Submitted by BmK - July 7, 2007 at 7:40 pm -0500
I really don't see the big deal with this. I played Mortal Kombat and Mortal Kombat 2 when i was 12 years old. I used to plug in the second controller in my SNES and just do fatalities over and over again yet i was not a violent or aggressive person in real life. Same thing with most of my friends back then and most of the kids i knew at school.
I remember Mortal Kombat being huge and all the kids i hung around with and all the kids i knew at school loved it but none of us tried to act it out or thought it would be cool to do the fatalities in the game in real life. The fact is the vast majority of kids around that age have a firm grasp of reality and fantasy and know the consequences to real life violence. When it comes to young children like 5/6/7/8 year olds i could see a problem but not when it comes to older kids or teenagers.
Submitted by Dersu - July 7, 2007 at 5:36 pm -0500
This is no surprise at all. When I was growing up, all my friends in elementary school often talked about gory horror movies, and all they would talk about were the kill scenes. "Oh, man, there was this scene where some girl was showering, and Jason walks in and totally cuts her boobs off with his machete! It was awesome!" If we had the "Grand Theft Auto" series back in the '80s, kids would have played that too. And when we got to high school, "Mortal Kombat" became a regular topic of discussion when that was released. When I was in grade school, I used to think there was something wrong with me for practically being the only kid who didn't want to watch Freddy Krueger eviscerate a bunch of teenagers.
Submitted by Wookiee - July 7, 2007 at 3:32 pm -0500
Ah, yes. The original Dark Forces. It was so popular Kyle Katarn is now an official character in the canon. My dad confiscated my DF disk because I never got my homework done.

As for the M rated thing. I would have thought that was obvious.

“In order to make a man or a boy covet a thing, it is only necessary to make the thing difficult to obtain.”
-Mark Twain
Submitted by me - July 7, 2007 at 2:18 pm -0500
This will be the latest "study" cited by anti game critics, watch...
Submitted by cfulp - July 7, 2007 at 2:21 pm -0500
Same thing I told my parents when I was younger, buy me a dirt bike and I won't play as many games.
Submitted by finaleve - July 7, 2007 at 12:56 pm -0500
Sometimes the good things in life we can't have. Sometimes its the things we can. Sure, a lot of good games are in fact M rated. There are a lot of games that aren't M rated. I play both those, and sometimes I do prefer the ones that aren't M rated because they sometimes invoke a lot more creativity than others.

Also, GTA should talk with Lego about making a Lego GTA 3, imagine the fun that game would be. ( I know its Rubrick, but considering how successful Lego Starwars was...I would try other things as well).
Submitted by Insanejedi341 - July 7, 2007 at 12:34 pm -0500
This isint very surprising, nor should it be that shocking to parents saying OH MY GOD WE HAVE TO SHEILD THESE THINGS FROM OUR CHILDRENZZZZ!!! I see most parents saying that, but if you look at it from a perspective of 20-30 years ago, and even today, teenagers like watching R rated movies. if this does become a blow out, then most likely parents wont consider that there kids watch R rated movies, becuase in there heads there saying. "oh well i did that as a kid, and im perfectly fine now, so i dont see why they cant do it as well." Once a generation has passes video games will most likely be treated like different forms of medium such as movies, and when someone wants to ban a game or something, most of us will just turn our nose up and call him crazy.
Submitted by Erik - July 7, 2007 at 12:28 pm -0500
And I started sneaking into my father's room to look at his Playboys when I was around 13. So this "study" is nothing new or interesting.
Submitted by Phantom - July 7, 2007 at 11:15 am -0500
I'm just here cursing Colin for my wave of nostalgia. I have to reinstall Dark Forces when I get home, and it's all his fault.
Submitted by Pyrrhus - July 7, 2007 at 11:03 am -0500
Clyde Wyman - It's not LEGO, it's a limited edition Kubrick set which is available from Rockstar's store here.
Submitted by jakethe8lf - July 7, 2007 at 11:01 am -0500
Why isn't there a Mothers Against Bad Parenting, then?

Would make a whole lot more sense than attacking art.
Submitted by Ghede - July 7, 2007 at 10:42 am -0500
Yeah, that is nice, they play M rated games... but the survey doesn't ask if their parents CARE if they play M rated games. Hell, I was playing Mortal Kombat before I was in the double-digits, and my parents knew exactly what was in that game. It is not exactly forbidden fruit if you are allowed to play it.
Submitted by Neebs - July 7, 2007 at 10:43 am -0500
Conejo - In today's world, I express disinterest in R-rated movies, only to get them from aXXo later /wink.
Submitted by Conejo - July 7, 2007 at 10:33 am -0500
am i the only person who ever snuck into R-rated movies (after buying tickets for whatever crappy PG movie was out at the time) as a young teen?
Submitted by jonc2006 - July 7, 2007 at 10:27 am -0500
and whether they played electronic games because there was “nothing else to do,” (”yes” for 60% of both boys and girls).

CM: The resounding “because I’m bored” answer to “why” should be an indicator to parents worried about their kids whom they think game too much (hint: give them another activity).

when younger people, especially teenagers are "bored" in the context that article uses, thats when they start getting into trouble, most of the time serious trouble, drugs, gangs, etc. i think its safe to say that if these kids are "bored" and think that there is "nothing else to do", people would prefer them playing videogames when they are bored rather than going out and breaking the law when they have nothing to do.
Submitted by soullexx - July 7, 2007 at 10:25 am -0500
Duh. Most of the good games out are M-rated.
Submitted by Zero Beat - July 7, 2007 at 9:49 am -0500
Was this just a survey? The way you wrote the article made it sound like a general survey.

And I believe I may be first.
Submitted by Morbus - July 7, 2007 at 9:51 am -0500
Bah. Most M-rated games kids play don't actually have any mature content besides violence and the occasional mild nudity...
Submitted by Clyde Wyman - July 7, 2007 at 9:57 am -0500
At least it was not a game that contains many pornographic materials and parents should be monitoring on what their children play.

Anyway, where can I get those GTA III Legos (picture)?

GamePolitics ShoutBox

Posted 01/07/09 at 11:37pm
Mattie: I know Im way late to this, but brawls online SUCKS!e
Posted 01/07/09 at 10:59pm
Derovius: I said no Grizzam, don't make me scream rape.
Posted 01/07/09 at 10:55pm
GRIZZAM PRIME: What's all this about rebuffing advancements? A question is an advancement to you?
Posted 01/07/09 at 10:53pm
Derovius: I was unaware that rebuffing advancements was to overreact. You'd do better to insult my intelligence if you wanted to agitate me.
Posted 01/07/09 at 10:51pm
Brokenscope: Overacting with accusations of homosexuality? Man you must be deep in the closet.
Posted 01/07/09 at 10:49pm
GRIZZAM PRIME: The reason I asked is because I kind of enjoy your posts.
Posted 01/07/09 at 10:48pm
Derovius: Oh of course, you care so little you had to ask. I get it, really, but I don't swing that way thanks.
Posted 01/07/09 at 10:40pm
GRIZZAM PRIME: I really don't care if you get banned, I was just curious.
Posted 01/07/09 at 10:37pm
Derovius: Why would I be banned? All anyone has against me is a difference of opinion. I find your lofty dreams amusing, none the less.
Posted 01/07/09 at 10:22pm
GRIZZAM PRIME: Did devorius get banned or something? It seems like he would have responded quite harshly to Andrew's words by now.
Posted 01/07/09 at 09:15pm
DarkTetsuya: SDD: yeah that guy was asking for a heaping helping of STFU...
Posted 01/07/09 at 09:13pm
Brokenscope: Hmm I think I should have stopped before I mentioned Dresden.
Posted 01/07/09 at 07:14pm
beemoh: \o/
Posted 01/07/09 at 07:12pm
Andrew Eisen: beemoh - Oddly enough, I'm typing up that story right now.
Posted 01/07/09 at 07:10pm
beemoh: http://www.edge-online.com/news/psych-games-teach-kids-empathy
Posted 01/07/09 at 07:10pm
beemoh: Games "teach empathy", says psychologist
Posted 01/07/09 at 05:31pm
ZippyDSMlee: zel/JDKJ:And I haz still not learned to watch mew feet....
Posted 01/07/09 at 05:07pm
zel: I don't predict the future as much as i dig holes and watch people fall in :)
Posted 01/07/09 at 05:04pm
Shadow D. Darkman: Yay! Andrew just scolded DeoVIRUS in the GTA thread!
Posted 01/07/09 at 04:13pm
JDKJ: zel: True. Can't nobody say you didn't predict the future on that one. Experience does teach wisdom.
Login or register to post shouts