I think that it's necessary and even healthy to restrict violent games and videos from young children! Parents are SUPPOSED to monitor and control internet and tv content for their children. There is so much positive media content for children available that it's pretty inexcusable to allow violence and aggression become a part of their daily lives! Science doesn't even fully understand yet the effect violent videos and games have on young children but it doesn't take a genius to figure out that it's likely to be adverse. Give him a great book to read or set him up with a game that allows him to learn and be creative! You're a great grandparent for asking for feedback! Good luck!
he learned at school kids talking to him
he learned at school kids talking to him about herobrine and slender man
theres no herobrine in minecraft and slender man
Call of Duty/Black ops are not allowed in our house. They are rated M for mature. How do I know about them, some of my kids friends have them.
Minecraft is not a bad game in any way. Creative mode is about building and my kids leave it in creative mode.
I think that embracing the age in which our kids live in is important. Computers are important to our kids. My sons are in third and forth grade and they do much of their work on computers already. My sons who are into minecraft were able to do some programing and set up their own server to play. These are the kinds of things kids are doing these days and we live in an electronic world. Instead of saying no to it, I found ways to embrace it that would enhance my sons computer ability.
Example, there are tons of games that teach basic keyboarding skills. These are essential because in school, it's headed to using computers for work. By sixth grade at our school, kids take their own computers to school in our district or they rent them from the school and we've been told that this is going to now be part of the 5th grade curriculum as well.
Another example is programming. Scratch is a way for kids to learn basic programing of computers.
Anyway, I guess I just have a new perspective of what today's world is like with computers, ipods and video games. I give my kids screen time (in fact, my son had about 50 minutes of computer based home work last night--- so, whether I want to or not, they are on the computer) but I monitor it, limit it, and set boundaries.
The Dad in this situation sounds very out of touch. Not sure how you get that through to him. But he is. good luck
He isnt allowed to play on the computer at all at home yet his 2 older stepbrothers do. They have video game platforms as well and he isnt allowed to play those either because they have ONLY violent games like Call of Duty Black Ops. Dad was a HUGE video game addict when he was growing up.
Dad has never even looked at the game, minecraft, or even watched him play. He has no idea what the game is. He's basing the entire incident on the fact that the chosen characters for the drawing were Herobrine / Slenderman ! My Gandson plays on the computer at my house only from 1 - 4 hours per week. It's not overdone, and I am constantly beside him, monitoring his activity the entire time. He NEVER plays multiplayer and he understands why because we have discussed it many times. He also plays it on the Kindle at Moms house during the weekend. Dad says "computers are evil" !
Minecraft, for the record, is a building game. My kids build villages, houses, raise animals, and gardens. Then zombies and creepers show up from time to time to steal their stuff or ruin what they've made. They lock them out. It's actually one of the games that I feel stimulates creativity and would compare it to a computer version of legos.
My boys do, however, also love super heroes. LOVE. My son is signing his Iron Man 3 Valentines as we speak.
My sons have good grades, participate in many activities from sports, to cub scouts to creative problem solving group to music (well rounded). They have friends. They are nice, gentle boys. But they like nerf guns, swords, good guys and bad guys doing battle.
I totally agree with rockrose. If he is drawing someone he knows getting killed in a specific way, you let him know it is inappropriate. If he is depicting stories he sees via super heroes, Mario, Minecraft . . . then that is normal stuff.
I get so dismayed when I hear stories like this. Boys are SUPPOSED to be warriors for good, protectors of the innocent and weak.
From what I understand, Minecraft is about brave characters fighting off monsters. . Superman, Batman, Popeye, all are powerful protectors of others. What would the world be like if we are successful in squelching that desire in our little boys. Minecraft sounds the same to me, what little I know about it.
There was this great piece that John Stossel did about the affects of Power Rangers vs. Barney on preschool children. One group watched power rangers for an hour, and then were given free time and a variety of toys to play with. They banded together and pretended to fight off imaginary foes. The group that had to endure Barney for half hour sat listlessly afterwards and whined about each other not sharing.
If he were drawing himself harming innocents, I would be concerned. Depicting imaginary heroes is a whole other thing, IMHO.
Oh, oh, could be something else going on here. This is beginning to sound like, "the kid has been spending too much time on the computer and I need to do something about it." Perhaps not going about it the right way, however (to put it mildly).
Everybody may just have to back off a bit and let dad cool down.
Thanks, I had no clue where those characters came from!
First of all, I just feel the need to say that Slenderman has nothing to do with Minecraft and Herobrine isn't real in the actual Minecraft without the Herobrine mod, just since you said "( in case you dont know, both Minecraft game characters)" and it just irritated me, so sorry. Secondly, Minecraft is hardly anything but violent. It's overall creativity and such, but if he's going on mature multiplayer servers, then it's his parent's fault for not keeping an eye on him. I believe his parent's overreacted and are going too far. Just because he drew a violent picture, doesn't mean he's actually violent. Restricting everything from him was not something that his parent's should've done, unless they want an almost 100% chance that he'll start being rebellious and actually becoming aggressive from lack of entertainment. The most to say, they shouldn't let him on Creepypasta, which is where they both come from.
Minecraft is really not a violent game ! It is more a creative game ! He has been playing it for about 2 years and he has made some amazing creations ! Slenderman and Herobrine are kind of scary creatures, like the Boogyman, but not violent. His dad says " That computer and Minecraft is rotting his brain" !
Oh, I should say that while it was a very mature action on his part to not play on the computer at your house - you probably should not have offered. I think it would be much better to help his parents find a good game that is not as violent - and they are out there - and then tell them that you will monitor him to make sure everything is ok.
I agree with Mark and you completely. Unfortunately, it may be hard to convince them. Perhaps they might talk with his teacher to see how common this is. As an elementary school principal, I do know that boys do like drawing this kind of stuff and I have never seen a problem with them. Now if he was going around hitting other kids, etc - yes, I would be much more worried.
He seems like a wonderful child. And he will probably do exactly what his parents want - for now. But there is also a good chance, that later on he could get a little sneaky if his parents continue to be so over reaching. It is much better to train a child how to use a tool, then to let them learn from someone else.
I agree with you. Any aggressive behavior could actually occur as a result of this type of overreaction. I