Stumble This | You should also watch “Six Year Old Conny Sings 'Somewhere Over The Rainbow' ...” |
LOL - Remember that time, you were playing CounterStrike and they guy just seemed to be 'too good' - well it was probably this kid!
At five years old, his reactions are very quick and he is adapt at learning!
Start 'em young. (I'm kidding!) - Sadly this kid's father doesn't seem to be...
(You can hear Jack Thompson screaming "Somebody think of the children!" at this one!)
At five years old, his reactions are very quick and he is adapt at learning!
Start 'em young. (I'm kidding!) - Sadly this kid's father doesn't seem to be...
(You can hear Jack Thompson screaming "Somebody think of the children!" at this one!)
Why?
a) He's 5 and they're letting him play counterstrike... a game about shooting people dead, in a realistic setting with blood and all... great.
b) They all laugh and gloat when he shoots the guy (poor sportsmanship by the sounds of the guys there)
c) The kid says 'Shut up Dad'... so he already has no respect for his parents, brilliant... brilliant.
d) His dad's final laugh 'Heh Heh Heh Heh'... you can TELL he's a competitive jock dick who loves reveling in others misfortunes and will goad his kids to be competitive jocks too.
I have three kids, two of which can play computer games (3 1/2 and almost 5), it will be many years before they are allowed to play a game like this. They currently play games like Thomas and Friends or Lego Star Wars or Tonka to the Rescue (or whatever that game is called) or Audiosurf. Nothing with real violence at all... (and even with lego style violence like in Star Wars you can see the effects in their play).
And their play time is REALLY limited. They were allowed to play for 10 mins or so a day if they wanted, but now my eldest is on a 'break' for a week due to carrying on like nothing else because he wanted to play again in the same day.
They're too young to spend much time on a pc. play with lego, play in the garden, read a book etc. etc.
I love computer games, I have a Computer Science Degree, I make my living coding. I didn't touch a computer until I was 7 (well, there wasn't really any ability to until the mighty ZX Spectrum in 1983), and so while I'm happy for them to be familiar with PCs, enjoy the occasional game, I do not want them to be hanging for their next game at all.
I feel sorry for this kid, I really do.
He is so wrong.
Firstly, to say his son is a 'social and academic achiever at the top of his class' WHEN HE IS 4? His at pre school for god's sake, they don't do tests, they don't have a 'top of the class'... geeze. And what does he mean by 'social achiever' anyway? One of those kids that is in the 'gang' of thugs that so often exist in pre schools... yeah, I'd be so proud to have my kid in one of those.
And I'm not one of these people who say games are the root of all evil, and protect our children etc. etc. BUT there are appropriate ages to introduce your kids to violent play, and shooting people in a game which shows death and blood, and really... you think that 4 is that age.
Well, good luck to you sir... but then you are the sort of person who finds this amusing... so... yeah, I'm sure those kids of yours will make you so proud.
Still, I'm going to upvote this video, as I'd love to see some videosift discussion on it.
...and I will hunt you down and kill your whole fucking family if you say otherwise.
But who knows, perhaps my views will change when I become a parent.
Spoco2 I agree with you on a & c, but disagree on b & d. I wouldn't consider their laughter poor sportsmanship, just finding amusement in the kid's ability at the game - the whole point of the game is to shoot other people. Poor sportsmanship I think would be more along the lines of taunting them through the mic or in chat. Also, I don't think we can make assumptions about someone's personality by their laugh.
However, I do agree that this is poor parenting. Just because a parent claims to know that this violence has no affect on the child doesn't mean it is true. Desensitization at an early age has a rippling effect. Furthermore, most children at this age still have great difficulty discerning the difference between reality and fantasy and try to act out the things they enjoy (remember how children have imaginations?). How many of us broke our arms acting out ninja turtles? Guns are not toys and this easily puts that thought into kids.
This is also bad parenting because it's not exploratory or any kind of creative outlet, the kinds of things needed in the developmental stages. He says it helps develop hand-eye coordination? Bullshit. Yes, I know it helps that, but the parent is trying to justify that as some kind of reason to promote it. What this kind of entertainment really is is a quick solution. Instead of investing yourself, you can just plop the kid down and let something else keep the little squirt occupied - that's why they call TV the boob-tube.
When this kid acts out something he sees, it can't be blamed on video games. It can be blamed on shitty parenting. I have no beef with violent video games. Violent movies and books have been out forever. I just have a problem with parents buying mature material for young children and then blaming the medium when their kids do what kids do, which is act out what they see.
Sorry, it's not... this is not appropriate for a 5 year old (or, as his other video shows, for a 4 year old for god's sake)
>> ^spoco2:
I just looked at one of this guy's other videos (of his son at 4 playing counterstrike) and he has this comment on it:
He is so wrong.
"How did you spend your childhood?"
"I shot imaginary people"
The thing is there is no social interaction here, and i would want him learning the language at 5 other people will certainly be using!
Thats just me, in time yes, at 5 years old - no way
But, thats not because I think it will damage him to the extent others believw, in the end CS is Cops and Robbers (I still dont think for kids though, too bloody)
The problem is parents who worry so much about aductions, pollution, drugs, the kids falling out of trees, that they don't let them out of the house, and so, TV and computer games become a lazy tool of parenting. (I am not saying if you let your kid watch TV or play computer games you are automatically bad and/or lazy)
Kids should play with other kids. Computer games yes, but not frequently. And check the content, CS I dont think is suitable for a five year old!
The funny thing is, some parents don't think twice about their kid playing that violent bloody shooter, but if the game contains any reference, no matter how slight to sex, then suddenly they give a shit. Now thats twisted logic.
We will see more of those kids, though. Too many idiot players out there who have nothing else in their life and can only teach that to their children. Heres hoping that most of them will never have any children.
I'm not outraged at the video, but I don't think I'll be letting my boys shoot people in games until they're at least a few years older than this boy. That will go for them watching me play such games as well. But it'll largely depend on how well they're able to "handle" it.
I don't think the laughter in the video, or the "shut up dad" (which came off as playful to me), has any relevance whatsoever.
But yeah the dad did seem a lil' too eager.
They follow 25 children born in 2000 each year with a team of psychologists for testing etc. One of the kids was a serious HALO addict and in to most games in that genre. He was fine, a bit one sided but as they pointed out in the show, his games gave him something to talk about to other kids that was 'cool' so he was always very social and had lots of friends.
I think balance is the important thing. I'd be more concerned about obesity and diabetes than any mental problems from this behaviour.
A P90? I think the kid just had a lucky round, his dad probably filmed him through a couple of dozen games to get one that good. His opponents also looked pretty bad. I haven't played in years but I'm pretty confident he wouldn't kick my ass.
My dad took me to see "it's alive" in a drive-through when I was 5, and Alien when I was 8. Both feature gory killing. I must be totally broken now.
I agree with you, but not your reasons...
Cause and effect. A cop sees people treating others violently, is he not affected by this? Does he not "get used to it?"
If someone watches "two girls, one cup" are they disgusted? If they watch a second time, is it less of an effect?
Violent media --games, movies, and music-- affects us. As children are more impressionable and have less experience to fall back on, they are affected more.
Will GTA cause a child to grow up to become a prostitute-killing, car-jacking, asocial monster? No.
Will witnessing a violent act have less of an impact on them? Yes.
Will they care about the victims of crime less? Yes.
Will they be less outraged when injustice happens? Yes.
When you confuse someone's "moral compass" by subjecting them to violence on a regular basis, they will at best accept violence as normal, and at worst, feel it's enjoyable.
I feel it myself sometimes, so it HAS to affect kids...
>> ^spoco2:
There is no evidence that playing this type of game does anything but improve hand eye coordination.
>> ^Morganth:
He says it helps develop hand-eye coordination? Bullshit. Yes, I know it helps that, but the parent is trying to justify that as some kind of reason to promote it.
I would rather see the kid playing counterstrike instead of team fortress 2.
I would rather see the kid playing a game with realistic violence with realistic consequences(screams, blood, death) than playing a cartoonish parody of violence which whitewashes nearly all consequences of the act.
I would rather see the kid watching Saving Private Ryan(rating PG-13 in my book) instead of Tom and Jerry(rating R in my book.)
I think most childhood violence happens due to the 'acceptable'(aka unreal) violence in our daily media consumption. It subconsciously debases all reality of the act. I ask you, are parents who slaughter an animal on the family farm worse human beings because the child now has an understanding of death? I hope you realize 'no.'
I know most parents want to hold onto their child's innocence as long as they can, but that's their style of parenting. It takes all kinds, right?
Will witnessing a violent act have less of an impact on them? Yes.
I'll give you that one, but is that so bad? My GF is the daughter of holocaust survivors, she is so traumatized that she can't even have a conversation about most of the fucked up shit going on in the world today, she is paralyzed by lack of exposure, and excessive "impact", that is not a good thing.
Will they care about the victims of crime less? Yes.
I don't see any evidence for this, if you can supply more then "I wish it -> it is" I'm sure we would all like to see the evidence.
I've been convince by the lack of evidence, despite decades of hard looking, that these sorts of games harm people, even very young people, in any way.
Judging somebody else's parenting cred on the basis of opinion is messed up, tie it to some fact, and I might be able to agree, but otherwise it's the same as the folks at the westboro baptist church telling you that you are a bad parent for not teaching your child their fucked up take on christianity.
Would i be pursuing a career in the graphic design industry if i had never played computer games? Who could tell? Maybe I'd be a successful athlete/astronaut/president? I wouldn't argue with the idea that one interest leads to other similar interests.
fuck my riding red cock master. edit: I was drunk; that last bit was probably over the line.He's wrong there's no evidence that playing counter-strike harms children? So present the evidence. Stop making assertions you can't back up. None of your three posts so far have contained a single scrap of useful argument.
>> ^spoco2:
I just looked at one of this guy's other videos (of his son at 4 playing counterstrike) and he has this comment on it:
He is so wrong.
That's not exactly what I was saying 'He is so wrong' about actually. I was saying that in regards to it being no different to cops and robbers. Playing cops and robbers is effectively playing tag... really, that's all it is. You could also suggest that Counterstrike is also like playing tag, except that it involves playing with guns and seeing relatively realistic depictions of death.
Look, I know that the kids that I see who are exposed to this sort of thing a lot play and behave differently. My own kids, when they watch a small bit of Star Wars (only some bits, even that film can scare a 4 year old), they get into pretend light saber battles with each other and play really roughly for the next day or so. Not let them watch things like that, and instead they're building train tracks, building things out of lego etc. etc. Constructive vs Violent play.
I don't have the time to track down a study that says it's harmful to kids, I'm sure they're out there, I'm sure that there are also those that say it has no effect, I'm rather numbed to 'studies' these days as so, so many of them are poorly done, don't take into account other factors and come to bizarre conclusions. Not to mention you find out that many of them are sponsored by some group with a vested interest.
I would really like to see what this kid is like in 10 years time, I really would.
I'm certainly not a 'shelter my kid from everything' kind of parent, certainly not in regards to climbing trees and what not... but really, do they have to be exposed to this kind of violence, especially violence they are in control of at this young an age.
Give them a chance to have some innocence before you try to turn them into your gaming buddy.
It's all about age appropriateness. Not 'games are bad' vs 'games are good'... just in general, think about what you expose your kids too. If they DO get exposed to violence or the like, at least discuss it with them so they understand it.
Spoco2: Really? I mean, really...? Few things anger me as much as religion, but this witch hunt against video games is really angering up my blood. The TV is just as bad as any videogame a five-year-old could ever play (hmm, probably, apart from manhunt), so you'd have to exclude that from the kid as well.
Videogames are not decidedly bad for children, because it's not really been proved on way or the other. A lot of people have claimed results, but have as far as I know, always been biased be some sort of lawsuit (hello america, fuck you!).
I believe (and ugh, that word cuts my heart) that videogames don't hurt anything at all, and I base that on my own personal experience. I may not have been exposed to as life-like games as todays youth, but I don't think that makes that much of a difference. (Again, movies are much more lifelike than games).
This game is very little different from playing "cops and robbers" or "cowboys and indians" as it was called, when I was young... (uuuhhh, PC-police coming to my town.. I'm so scared)
Edit: His second post is good too. Academic achiever at age 4, priceless.
The fact is, you have to take a test for everything. Wanna drive a car? Take a test. Wanna be able to go to college. Test it is. But every dumb fuck yahoo is allowed to have a child and raise him/her however the fuck he wants...
I feel sorry for your mum. She probably didn't intend to raise such a whiney twat.
Imagine what should happen if this kid i put in a situation like in "Home Alone" movie.
Poor poor robbers ...
And he doesn't play it often. He'd rather play HL2 and fight off ant lions.
And to to the person saying cops and robbers was like tag. What the hell are you talking about? We used GUNS. We shot each other with cap guns. We played DEAD. We did it all day. And to me this no different. And it's safer.
He reads. He does well in school. He's a great kid and plays well with everyone. He doesn't have a mean streak at all. And being a kid who was a nerd growing up, it really chaps my ass to be called a "competitive jock."
Because I laughed that some guy walked right into my kids line of fire? Because I was proud my 5 year old was winning? Please.
I control what servers he plays at. Only the Christian ones. If anyone curses he leaves and tells me. All of the guys he plays with know who he is. And they look out for him when I'm not in the chair next to him. I do parent my kids. All 5 of them. It isn't easy. But I do the best I can. Thanks for watching. Please don't post hateful comments on the YouTube page. He checks it often, and the mean ones upset him.
"I control what servers he plays at. Only the Christian ones."
Letting a 14 year old play a M rated game is one thing, but 5 years old, that's just bad parenting, stop trying to find excuses. You're worried about swears so you only choose "Christian servers" (whatever the hell that is)? So you encourage your son to shoot people in the face, watching them bleed and sink to the floor while you cheer him on, but reading "shit", that's crossing the line! People, this site is in dire need of an "Only In America" channel! But I do realize this one individual just reflects horribly on alot of decent US citizens.
What kind of argument is that: He knows it's not real. So I suppose you'd let him watch the Saw movies or Hostel, since he knows it's not real. Why do you suppose the game has an M rating? Do you even know what that means?
I think Saw and Hostel are something of a different class from Counterstrike. They are intentionally designed to disturb people. I don't think that CS is likely to give the kid nightmares...
Unless your argument is that you think watching Saw will actually make the kid go out and reenact the things on his friends.
You sound like sanctimonious pricks with your unfounded outrage and wild conjecture about the parenting skills of others.
Thuggery? I laugh.
I'd like to start off however by saying >> ^tonyandronda:
Jesus christ they're tracking us down from youtube, better start to watch what we say about their videos lol.
Now, This is in no way, shape, or form bad parenting. My dad left when I was 5, so I didn't have someone to go out and do the "Fatherly Stuff" (Catch, swimming, ect.) with, except every other weekend.
My time was spent on videogames. My first game was Tomba on the playstation where you went around and killed cartoon pigs. We'll then move onto games like legend of zelda, where you used a sword/bow/slingshot. Final Fantasy series using weapons. Area 51. GTA.
I'm glad to say that in the 15ish years i've been playing videogames that not once have I shot someone (apart from paintball) i've never weilded a sword. I've never got into a car and run someone down, and yes, I tried using magic. BUT! Who among us hasn't?
The reason i'm explaining all this? again, i'd like to point out that I was no older then this boy was when i started killing pigs in tomba. I'm not a mass-murderer, i'm not twisted, dark, or scarred. I live a normal life, and have no criminal record.
I do, however, have an amazing glove hand and hand-eye co-ordination. Weather or not that's because of videogames really can't be said, but it's true. But no, videogames don't turn kids into murderers, they don't teach people that killing is ok, or funny.
You wan't your proof? Go ahead and look at me. Because i'm it.
Alright, reading the comments this time...
Spoco2: Really? I mean, really...? Few things anger me as much as religion, but this witch hunt against video games is really angering up my blood. The TV is just as bad as any videogame a five-year-old could ever play (hmm, probably, apart from manhunt), so you'd have to exclude that from the kid as well.
Um... which we do. Seriously, do you think we ban them from playing violent video games but plonk them down in front of Alien on the tv? Come on... at their age they do not need this sort of violence in their lives. You can spout all you wish as to 'I was never affected' or the like, but as well as just pointing out single cases doesn't prove a point, I'd also like to wager a lot of people who say "I played X Y and Z when I was a kid and I'm ok" were not 4/5 when they were playing those games.
We limit what the kids watch on tv, we limit what they play on the computer, both in time and in content... I have NO anger towards video games, you are obviously over touchy on the subject, did you NOT ACTUALLY READ any of my comments? I played games a lot as a kid, I earn my living from computers, but I didn't even touch a computer until I was 7 and then it was the oh so realistic graphics and gameplay as present on the 48K Spectrum...
>> ^tonyandronda:
Jesus. Where to start? That's My son in the video. You all are basing my parenting skills on the fact that I let my son play CS?! I'm a horrible epic fail for that? Really? He knows it's a game folks. And it's not like it's all he plays. He likes his other mario games on the wii also. He like his toys, his bike, and to go swimming. Kid stuff. He also likes to watch his big brother and I play CS against each other. He does not equate the kills on CS as murders Do any of you? Their just points to him. He's always known and understood this. Stomping on Koopas head in Mario is killing too. Where do you draw the line?
And he doesn't play it often. He'd rather play HL2 and fight off ant lions.
And to to the person saying cops and robbers was like tag. What the hell are you talking about? We used GUNS. We shot each other with cap guns. We played DEAD. We did it all day. And to me this no different. And it's safer.
He reads. He does well in school. He's a great kid and plays well with everyone. He doesn't have a mean streak at all. And being a kid who was a nerd growing up, it really chaps my ass to be called a "competitive jock."
Because I laughed that some guy walked right into my kids line of fire? Because I was proud my 5 year old was winning? Please.
I control what servers he plays at. Only the Christian ones. If anyone curses he leaves and tells me. All of the guys he plays with know who he is. And they look out for him when I'm not in the chair next to him. I do parent my kids. All 5 of them. It isn't easy. But I do the best I can. Thanks for watching. Please don't post hateful comments on the YouTube page. He checks it often, and the mean ones upset him.
There will be no getting through to you I see, at all, you try to say that 'he'd rather play HL2'... as if that's better... dear god that has some violence in that game, zombies being blown apart, screaming while they're on fire etc. etc. The game is A Grade great, but for a 5 year old? Truly, you don't get it.
And saying he won't watch violent movies because the music scares him obviously suggests you've given him the chance too... brilliant.
And you say that you play on Christian web servers, which I think really does say a lot. Has your son seen naked women? Are naked men and women and some bad words off limits while gratuitous violence and fighting is a ok?
Great stuff, really... great stuff.
Sure, everyone has different styles of parenting, but ask yourself why does your son really need to be exposed to this so early? Playing or building things with his dad would be a FAR more constructive and lifelong strengthening exercise for him...
Reading the hyperbolic feedback here reminded me of why I first began to enjoy VideoSift - because it was an online community. Regardless of the topic I was usually very interested in the exchange of ideas. And as the site has become more popular, and the quality of videos deteriorated so too has the conversation.
You sound like sanctimonious pricks with your unfounded outrage and wild conjecture about the parenting skills of others.
Really? So... the thing is, you put a video out on the internet saying 'look how awesome my kid is for playing a violent game at age 5'. And you think everyone else should just go 'Yeah, great, that's really... erm, great.'
No, you put this kind of thing out there and this is what you can expect. You can try to suggest anyone against this kid playing these sorts of games this young are just reactionary 'anti gaming nuts'... but you'd be wrong. I can't see anyone giving any good reason why a kid of this age should be playing games like this, and yet there are plenty of reasons not to.
As such... why do it? Hand eye co-ordination is a steaming pile, there are plenty of other computer games and real world activities that develop that much better... playing a musical instrument would be one, and probably serve a kid better than being able to play CS.
Maybe Half-Life 2 and CS are too violent for most six year olds, but I think if you present them as a pure game, like Cowboys and Indians, or in the case of HL2 as a sort of participatory movie, it's okay. You just don't want to leave you six year old alone in a room obsessively playing the game to the exclusion of further development. That's for when they move into the basement!
All we really have here is someone's hot button issue exposed, like choggies surprising outburst (surprised me anyway) about gay marriage. Other people go all road rage when flag burning is discussed, or abortion.
The kid plays piano. My other kids play guitar. But go ahead and make pointless grabs at trying to prove your point though. *I* know my kid is well rounded. So do those that know him. Just because he likes to play shooter games, (just like most kids) doesn't make him or me bad. You however are a quick to judge asshole. And you're wrong. These games teach about teamwork, consequences, problem solving, and much, much more. But focus on the simulated "violence" of pointing a gun and going "bang" like kids his age have been doing since the creation of the toy gun. Actually, it doesn't even take a toy to point your finger and go "bang"
And you think that because I said that scary movie music frightens him that I force him to watch them? You are such a colossal dumbass. Ever hear of "overhearing" things? Kids do it all the time. I suppose it's also horrible that I taught him to read Where the Wild Things are. Or that I expose him to art, movies, or outside. That I let him ride his bike with *gasp* no knee pads! The horror!
And if you think its wrong to celebrate winning or beating anyone, at anything, you are what is wrong with this country. People like you celebrate weakness, and mediocrity and sameness. Screw that. My kid is an individual. And I'm damn proud of him.
That is exacerbated by attempting to shelter children from everything. The only way to learn about anything is by being exposed to it.
Still, kids trying to be parents is pretty dangerous.
I wish there would be a parenting license...
Oh yeah, just one more thing. When I was 8 up until I was 12 I had nightmares all the time. I even sleepwalked at least once a week. Then my mother brought me to a therapist and he told me that I should stop watching He-Man, and all the other pretty violent (they werent really violent at all) kids series. Of course I already played computer then and he said I should also stop playing similar games.
I did that and from one day to another these nightmares and sleepwalking were gone.
Im not saying that everyone will react as I did, but I know for a fact that everyone reacts differntly and its nowhere near obvious that there are problems, if there are problems. When that happened to me I never had problems with that while I was awake. I enjoyed watching those series and playing such games.
My brother had a similar experience. He was allowed to watch a zombie film when he was 7. Of course my parents told him that its only a movie and its not real. He SEEMED to understand that but when the movie started and a zombie bit a huge chunk of flesh out of someone he was frightened to death. Not right away, but when he had to go to bed. Even today (hes 33 now) he cant play games like doom 3 or similar alone because it contains zombies...
Get it: There are FUCKING REASONS that those games and movies are rated. Youre just showing your ignorance if you let your 5 year old do something like that.
I know my kid is well rounded. So do those that know him.
See, that's exactly the point you don't get. No 5 year old kid is a well rounded person, they're shaping up to be the person they will become when they're older. Unfortunately for your kids, you're doing alot of the shaping.
The worst part yet is that you're not letting him play because you don't care. You're letting him play so you can film him, put the video on the internet and brag about it. Truly pathetic.
Why dont you post some videos of your child so we can judge your parenting aswell?
Were are your proofs than dont letting your kids play videogames for more than 10 minutes a day is good parenting?
I suppose you mean good parenting from your point of view that being clearly that fake violence in videogames is bad cause your made up view that childs dont know how to tell reality from madeup entertainment as some more ppl posted without any scientifical or statistical proof.
Can you cite the unchallengued sources of your assumptions or is just you are in the truth possesion by your divine right of being a parent?
As for ppl telling their personal experiences about nightmares, and such, for everyone of you we can find a gamer that dont have. Actually we can find childs raised in top families without access to any of your supposed "threats" that commit crimes, is that a proof of something? NO.
Stop trying to force your absurd way of living on everyone else.
Like some ppl are saying in the vein of:
"The fact is, you have to take a test for everything. Wanna drive a car? Take a test. Wanna be able to go to college. Test it is. But every dumb fuck yahoo is allowed to have a child and raise him/her however the fuck he wants..."
Where are your child raising credentials? Would you do different as what you do cause some fuckwit told you how to raise your kids "right"?. Yeah Im sure of that.
The kids and the parents are enjoying their time together is the only conclusion I can see from those videos. Reckon your own kids as the individual persons they are and not as your dog that get smacked when it doesnt do what you want.
Tony, kudos on you man. I think a lot of kids of the whinners here envy yours for having a parent like you.
Why dont you whinners put up some videos of your kids and