I work at a Gamestop. I applied with the thought of, “hey, I’ve always enjoyed video games so why not put that knowledge and experience to good use?” I was right, working sales at that store is a breeze because it is something I personally enjoy. However, working there has opened my eyes to some disturbing aspects of our society. The most common of these is the ignorance of some parents as they just allow their child to select anything from the store.
Just like with films, the heavy hitters of the video gaming industry are most often games that are intended for adults, these recieve the M rating which stands for Mature. You must be 17 or older to buy, or have a parent consent to the purchase if you are under age.

The store I work at sees the most traffic from children between the ages of eight and fifteen years old. Despite these young ages, M rated games like Gears of War and Call of Duty are the most popular purchases. These kids come in with their parents, pick out the latest and greatest M rated game, and the parent just shrugs when I tell them that the game is intended for 17 year olds because of blood, gore, language, sexual themes, etc…

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not condemning M rated video games. Just like with film, these adult-oriented games are often the ones that dazzle and amaze with stunning visuals or a masterful plot. I’m not saying that people under the age of 17 should not be allowed to play these games but I am a believer of informed and active parenting. It should be the parent’s decision whether or not their child is allowed to experience the content but that parent should be informed about said content and be active in deciding whether or not this specific child should exposed to that. I think that they should research the game and then think about how it will effect their child before making a decision.

As I mentioned before I am required to speak with a parent before selling a M rated game to a child. This is where both of our experiences are the same, the system and the people on the side that provides the product are perfectly fine but some parents are not active in deciding what is best for their child. This drives me absolutely mad. It seems that so many of the percieved “problems” with today’s youngest generation are due to a lack of parenting. Parents ignoring their child’s interests and behavior as long as it doesn’t directly annoy or harm the parent.

So where do you think this “lazy” parenting came from? I believe that I am correct in my observations, why else would a sign be needed such as the one you saw at the theater? Why else would countless parents carelessly allow their children to purchase M rated games? Do you think there is a way to fix this or at least prevent it from happening again when my generation starts playing the parent role? I know my experiences in retail have affected me but not everyone knows or even cares about this phenomenon.