Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can play games with a group of friends online. Boys no longer call each other to talk. They talk while playing games using Xbox or PlayStation. If you have no gaming system it can be hard to be social.

My son started a new school for 5th grade. He now plays with 3 other kids from his school for 30 minutes to an hour in the evening. He would feel really isolated without that connection.

That’s exactly right. Instead they spew misogynistic and racist garbage through their video games because nobody is watching. Your kids are exposed to all kinds of things you don’t know about on there.

They do this in the gym, on the playing field and everywhere else.

I’ve never heard my son say anything inappropriate on Xbox live or on the playing field. Sorry your son was so poorly raised though.

My kids are 6 and 8. We don’t have one. That was a ridiculous comment.

My knowledge is based on half a dozen male friends who tell me what goes on in the chats. My black friend plays and nobody knows he’s black and he says you should hear the racist crap people say and all kinds of hateful things about women. It doesn’t surprise me. Anonymity of being online makes things worse. That’s different than being in person in an all-male macho environment.

I have young elementary aged kids and a “black friend” so let me tell you how to parent...

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can play games with a group of friends online. Boys no longer call each other to talk. They talk while playing games using Xbox or PlayStation. If you have no gaming system it can be hard to be social.

My son started a new school for 5th grade. He now plays with 3 other kids from his school for 30 minutes to an hour in the evening. He would feel really isolated without that connection.

That’s exactly right. Instead they spew misogynistic and racist garbage through their video games because nobody is watching. Your kids are exposed to all kinds of things you don’t know about on there.

They do this in the gym, on the playing field and everywhere else.

I’ve never heard my son say anything inappropriate on Xbox live or on the playing field. Sorry your son was so poorly raised though.

My kids are 6 and 8. We don’t have one. That was a ridiculous comment.

My knowledge is based on half a dozen male friends who tell me what goes on in the chats. My black friend plays and nobody knows he’s black and he says you should hear the racist crap people say and all kinds of hateful things about women. It doesn’t surprise me. Anonymity of being online makes things worse. That’s different than being in person in an all-male macho environment.

I have played Xbox live for 18 years and I haven't heard any rampant racism or misogyny. Either your "male friends" are full of shit or somehow they run in bad circles. Get better friends.

Same here. Also sounds like the “black friend” is playing with randoms instead of people he knows. My son’s not interested in playing/chatting with strangers (nor is he permitted) just the friends he would normally socialize with.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can play games with a group of friends online. Boys no longer call each other to talk. They talk while playing games using Xbox or PlayStation. If you have no gaming system it can be hard to be social.

My son started a new school for 5th grade. He now plays with 3 other kids from his school for 30 minutes to an hour in the evening. He would feel really isolated without that connection.

That’s exactly right. Instead they spew misogynistic and racist garbage through their video games because nobody is watching. Your kids are exposed to all kinds of things you don’t know about on there.

They do this in the gym, on the playing field and everywhere else.

I’ve never heard my son say anything inappropriate on Xbox live or on the playing field. Sorry your son was so poorly raised though.

My kids are 6 and 8. We don’t have one. That was a ridiculous comment.

My knowledge is based on half a dozen male friends who tell me what goes on in the chats. My black friend plays and nobody knows he’s black and he says you should hear the racist crap people say and all kinds of hateful things about women. It doesn’t surprise me. Anonymity of being online makes things worse. That’s different than being in person in an all-male macho environment.

I have played Xbox live for 18 years and I haven't heard any rampant racism or misogyny. Either your "male friends" are full of shit or somehow they run in bad circles. Get better friends.

Anonymous wrote:Because they can afford it and are trying to make this pandemic a little bit more bearable.

It has nothing to do with the pandemic.

Because they can afford it and are trying to make this pandemic a little bit more bearable.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mine earned it with good grades at a tough private school, and in sports accomplishments. But he will still be limited on time he spends on it.

50% of all U.S. 12th graders have an A average GPA. Grades are a joke, you have to basically stop coming to school to not make the honor roll.

This is so pathetic. We are raising a generation that has no concept of what it actually means to work.

Ugh.

Anonymous wrote:OP, why are you so worried about what other parents are doing. You are clearly the best parent to ever parent.

Love this!

Anonymous wrote:Our teen son claims every one of his friends is getting one. Are we the only parents who don't allow these addiction machines in our house? I don't understand how parents not only welcome this addiction into their homes, they pay $500+ for the privilege – it's a freaking drug. Boys are far more likely to drop out of college and twice as likely to live at home as adults. These video games are sapping their ambition and attention span, and often end up controling their life.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-creativity-cure/201603/the-silent-epidemic-young-men-dropping-out-college

My children and my husband are not addicted LOL

There is a happy medium with these games.

Video games are not making boys drop out of college LOL...

Cause life is for having fun, OP

OP, why are you so worried about what other parents are doing. You are clearly the best parent to ever parent.

Anonymous wrote:Because they're home all day and being shut-in in the fall/winter with only virtual school they'll need something to do.

These parents are being proactive. You'll be up sh*t creek with no paddle with everything sold out for months past Christmas and a teen that hates you.

Good luck.

Maybe the teen should learn to save up for such an extravagance.

Good luck to you.

We bought our son a system right when school shut down in March. It was a good decision. He didn’t have a big interest before but realized that this was the way most of his friends communicated and socialized when they were not together. It was a safe way for them to keep in contact for the past 6 months. He plays with them for a little on the weekends, mostly because that’s the way they hang out now. None of us are comfortable having them socialize in person yet unless it’s outside and you can only go on so many bike rides. I’d probably feel differently if DS really loved video games and was addicted.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mine earned it with good grades at a tough private school, and in sports accomplishments. But he will still be limited on time he spends on it.

50% of all U.S. 12th graders have an A average GPA. Grades are a joke, you have to basically stop coming to school to not make the honor roll.

Well guess what. I’m talking about a middle schooler at one of the most competitive private schools on the east coast. But thanks for your thoughts.

Anonymous wrote:No you are not the only parents who make your kids' life miserable. Signed, someone who grew up in a no screens household, and whose brother nearly dropped out of college because of videogame addiction

So your brother couldn't play video games at home so once he went to college he went crazy playing. Maybe if he learned to play in moderation at home it wouldn't have been a problem.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If your child is going to have issues with addictive behavior, delaying their access to video games isn’t going to help. If anything, it means that they will first get meaningful access at a time when you can’t provide as much guidance and oversight (eg, college), and they are therefore more likely to get into trouble with it. By allowing kids to have video games while they are still living under our roof, we have the ability to set rules in a way that teaches them healthy ways to manage screen use.

LOL, PP, do you also let your teen drink in your home because “you can control it”? Jesus.

Teaching kids about setting personal limits starts young. Start with video games when they’re younger, and then you’ll have established a foundation for healthy drinking habits when they’re older.