Second Life Two Hookers Want to Prostitute Your Kids!
As every good member here at the CW.org knows, video games are inherently dangerous.
After hearing Pastor Jack dynamically speak last week about the Dangers of Video Games, my spouse and I immediately went home and investigated the video game stashes of our teenage sons. What we found confirmed the worst of our fears.
First, for the people reading who do not get to regularly watch Pastor Jack or catch his speaking engagements should know that modern video games encourage things such as prostitution, drugs, murder, homegrown terrorism and other unmentionable acts of horror.
For example, a computer game named Second Life has an actual real life sex market. The people behind the characters virtually trade thousands of dollars (which apparently in Second Life translates to real money!). This jaw-dropping article –an account of a person who hooks on Second Life– will break your heart.
Needless to say after seeing this we ‘booted’ up the gaming system as Jbox suggested (our sons have Xbox, PlayStation and Computer Gaming), and were immediately inundated by profanity in a game called True Crime on the Playstation gaming system.
The objective of this game was to go around Los Angeles, beating civilians senseless and frisking women who appeared to be street walkers. The game even permitted the driver of a car to run over people and collect a kill count!
What sort of example does this set? Needless to say, I had seen enough and when my boys arrived home, I made them go through and show us each game one by one so we could decide what to allow and what not to allow.
Satisfied of our confiscation and ‘depriving the kids of depravity’, I was happy to leave them to their independence and fun playing good games. Still, parents, beware. Know that this stuff is out there and check our your kids’ stash of video games. You’ll surely find something wrong and need to destroy it so they properly learn how real life is supposed to work.
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Author: Amber
Amber <3's you and someone else does too!
4:37 pm
I wish there was a list out there of games that we could past out at mass, so parents could make sure their children aren’t playing them.
The game that I’m completely against is this “World of Warcraft”
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4:48 pm
I find this article completely and downright offensive. Those pixels are NOT real hookers. I take a lot of pride in my profession!
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1:33 am
im all for restrictions on games (i used to work for EB Games here in new zealand) i know for a fact that “true crime” as a high age classification on it, and the only way we were able to sell it was with parental auth….meaning the parent had to be there at the time of purchase and acutally give us the money themselfs,if in doubt we took details down just incase, this was a policy of EB world wide, so maybe you should be looking into how your children are getting these games rather that spending time raging againced them,
Trouble starts at home…look inside before accusing the outside world
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12:12 pm
You think those games are bad, you should see what my kid was in to! It had prostitution, murder, and it even encouraged slavery! Needless to say I took it away from him before he could learn any more about mass killing, rape, or incest. Nope, he wont be reading the bible in my house!
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3:46 pm
You have to be kidding, right? Second Life is meant to be enjoyed by adults, as a fantasy escape from real life. I myself am a 40+ year old mother of three. I love my husband to death. But in Second Life, I am a slave. It’s an exciting and interesting new experience. The reality is, that being a slave in some areas of Second Life has little to do with sex. (and yes, my husband knows that I am a slave in Second Life – before you all start to accuse me of cheating)
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8:12 pm
“prostitution, drugs, murder, homegrown terrorism and other unmentionable acts of horror.”
Mary Magdalene was a prostitute. Wine (which Christians somehow equate to Jesus’ blood) is a drug. Millions of people have been murdered in the name of Christianity. And in my opinion, fundamental religion is just about the worst form of terrorism imaginable, and it’s very similar to the religious intensity used to convince many young Arabic men to blow themselves up. They do it in the name of God.
“I was happy to leave them to their independence and fun playing good games.”
And I’m sure as soon as you left the room your kids whispered to each other: “**** them, they took all the good games. Now all we have is this Bible Adventures crap.” Given that you clearly don’t play games yourself, your definition of a ‘good game’ can be laughingly discarded.
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3:47 am
To Tyson Bowers III,
I agree World of Warcraft is something to be worried about. Not because of the reasons you’re thinking about. I hate it because it’s a shite game. Other than that there is nothing to worry about. Its about elves and dwarves and orcs and other mystical/fantasy creatures and going out doing quests to collect things or vanquish evil with a group of friends. It encourages community and friendship, and many people have even fallen in love and gotten married after meeting on WOW. So, honestly WOW is a very poor choice of game to worry about. In fact really all games are poor choices to worry about. If you’re child is underage and can’t buy a game don’t give him permission to buy it. If the store sells it to them anyway take it back to them and demand your money back, they are obliged to do it, because you have not given consent for your child to play the game. And finally stop laying blame on video games. The only thing video games can be blamed for is for being an excellent medium to escape the every day stress of life and what not and relax for a few hours. So to recap, WOW sucks as a game, but it’s not a vile filthy game, don’t give permission to your children to play buy certain games, stop blaming things on video games, and finally why not talk to your children and be a part of their life so they don’t feel a need to play the more violent and Adult oriented video games.
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12:11 pm
So what you are saying here is that you’ve been shitty parents allowing your children to run wild and buy anything they want instead of paying attention to what media they consume. Duh, of course Grand Theft Auto isn’t appropriate gaming material for kids – it says so right on the box.
I assume then that you’ve also freaked out about movies in their DVD collection and books they may have read? I hear Tom Sawyer may have suggestive, rebellious ideas . . . and the word “nigger” in it! Horrors!
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12:06 am
SHUT UP YOU SENSITIVE RACIST FAGGOT. YOU KKK LOVING FUCK.
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5:00 am
Hi Amber, you Chinese-fearing, non-racist, you.
I’m an adult gamer in my early thirties and have played games since I was 7 years old. I have grown up playing kids games (and adult games in more recent years) – and I am every bit as neurotic/content and unbalanced/rational as every other typical person who walks this Earth.
Yes, I’ve turned out quite normal – whatever that means these days. Maybe I got lucky. Maybe I’ve just not flipped out yet. Maybe it’s because I know the difference between real and fantasy, right and wrong.
Whatever. Not once have I been tempted to live a life of violence, hatred and hypocrisy by these games (not even towards the Chinese). Yet I know of at least one book (a popular, if out-dated, life-style guide) that has, perhaps ironically, encouraged and lead millions of people into this very behaviour.
Still, I share your general concern. Some of the online adult games ARE used by children – and the anger, racism, homophobia and foul language that come from their mouths is quite worrying (and many of the adults are just as bad). I don’t think you can blame the games directly for their behavior – they’ve learnt that elsewhere. Do you blame poor, narrow-minded parents who didn’t give enough love or encouragement? Or are these kids just mediocre victims of a frustrating society where only ‘being the best’ will do? Or is it the media (always a good one to blame)?
You chose to remove the games that you find offensive from your children and you also saw fit to warn other parents of the content of these games. Both commendable acts – you did this to protect your children and others – so well done there.
However, one thing that concerns me is how sheilding children that way may encourage rebellion or isolation. If they play their games behind your back, or at friends – feelings of guilt and failure may result that will effect them negatively for life. They may face exclusion, bullying or humilation from their peers for only being allowed kids games. They might just think your concerns are old-fasioned, unwarranted and lose respect for you. They might not, obviously I don’t know your relationship is like with your kids – but history shows a pattern of rebellion over the oppressor.
See the problem? Sometimes doing the ‘right thing’ leads to the ‘wrong thing’ further down the line. Perhaps better to show them a little trust and a little freedom – but with clear guidelines and boundries as to what is and is not acceptable.
I think the message to parents should be something more common-sense like this:
“Parents, please be aware that some games contain graphic violence, bad language and adult themes. It is your responsibility to assess it’s suitablity for your child.”
In fact how about this instead (so that it can apply to games, internet, cycling, talking to strangers etc etc etc):
“Parents. It is your responsibility to protect your children. It is your responsibility to research and assess whether any activity they encounter is safe and suitable for your child.”
You could amybe to add some points about the importance of encouragement, love, respect and a stable family environment in there too. Probably the best armour a child can wear in this world.
Oh and something about exercise too. The world is getting too fat.
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12:41 am
Look, video games in no way are harmful. They are merely a way to past the time such as movies. Although they do have to be controlled when it comes to children so it is your responsibility as a parent to decide what is good for your child. I myself are 13 yet I am allowed to play M games since I know that in reality those acts of violence are not acceptable. So I know where to draw the line between good and bad, reality and fantasy, etc. So please stop bashing any game that you find unsuitable for children just because you think that that’s what children are playing today. In fact only 17% percent of people who bought GTA IV were minors. So take responsibility and start being less close minded.
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11:41 am
So, let me get this straight – you hear the sermon, then you take the games away from your children?
What kind of irresponsible parent needs a sermon before they say, “Oh hey, maybe we should making sure our children aren’t playing those horrific video games!”
You are a terrible parent, and you should be ashamed. How dare you not take the responsibility for the situation. How you dare you blame the video game industry for all of this – while you happily and blindly buy any game your teenagers ask for.
You want an awnser for all of this? Look in the mirror, and take some responsibility for how you are raising your children.
Amber, it is religious people like you that give Christianity a bad name. I don’t know what will happen at the Great Judgement, but I believe that all of you “wishy-washy” and lukewarm Christians may be in some trouble with God (read Revelations and the gospel)
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9:37 pm
I just set up an account, anyone wanna cyber?
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2:51 pm
Second Life is not the sex only “Sin City” that many continue to portray it as. Since the 1st wave of media/hype-driven failed Fortune 500 advertising experiments of three years ago, thousands of colleges, businesses of all sizes and government agencies have established a successful ongoing presence in Second Life.
It’s unfortunate many of the people who write about Second Life were not able to attend last month’s Virtual Journalism Summit, presented by The Edward R. Murrow College of Communication, in partnership with the McCormick Foundation. (1) I had the privilege of sitting in the front row of Washington State University’s virtual campus and listen to Helen Thomas, former White House bureau chief and Bob Scheiffer, CBS News’ chief &Washington correspondent discuss the history and future of journalism. Sitting around me in this virtual space were avatars representing the essences of current and future thought leaders from around the globe.
Last month we celebrated Earth week and all that week many of Second Life’s residents gathered in-world to learn about and discuss topics like alternative energy, smart grids and the role of social values in creating sustainable societies. Participants in this weeks events will be taking tours of energy technology and applications, such as the Green Ideation Quest (2), that would be both financially and logistically impossible for a majority to attend in the physical world. Some of the discussions will almost certainly use various 3D idea-mapping and collaboration tools by ThinkBalm (3). These next-generation 3D applications are the type of leading edge tools and solutions being created and sold for real $$ every day in Second Life.
A number of companies, including my own, were featured in Business Week last year, for our work using Second Life as a “Virtual Prototyping” tool. This is just one of the many applications made possible by Second Life, that companies are discovering can save them significant $$$, while enhancing collaboration and team productivity (4).
Since the first Bulletin Board Systems (BBS) were established, “adult” content providers and patrons have used online venues to explore their sexuality and conduct commerce. The 2D Internet’s single most profitable industry niche is classified by most Internet users as “porn.” This does not prevent individuals or companies from using the Internet for education, commerce, social networking or any of the thousands of other uses it enables.
Second Life has always had some controls over adult content. Individuals and companies have had the ability to manage their exposure to undesired content, by making use of either PG or private locations. The goal of Linden Lab is to significantly improve the user experience for everyone, through virtual “zoning.” The only people who will be affected by the new zoning are those who are selling adult content-oriented wares.
I invite anyone who is skeptical about Second Life to allow me to take them on a tour of the tremendously positive parts of SL you may have heard of. I would be glad to introduce you to some of the most intelligent, socially gifted and creative individuals you will find anywhere and show you some of the amazing ways they are using Second Life to make a positive difference in the world.
Respectfully,
Valiant Westland
(1) Virtual Journalism Summit – http://communication.wsu.edu/virtualjournalism/
(2) Green Ideation Quest – http://hyvebox.de/secondlife/
(3) ThinkBalm – http://thinkbalm.com/
(4) Business Week Prototyping in SL – http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/08_68/s0808041522849_page_2.htm
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11:44 pm
Really, with this kind of article, I can’t be sarcastic or mean.
These people really ARE just that fucking stupid and ignorant.
Shielding your child from the real world is not going to help them AT ALL.
Life is murder, sex and drugs.
It’s reality.
Now I see why Texas won’t execute retards.
It’s fucking sad to watch them wallow in their own drool.
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6:21 am
I don’t believe this to be necessary (would be an infinitely long list). Simply inform parents to look for the ESRB rating on the packaging of the video games. It says more than a simple suggestion as to what age the consumer should be. It shows whether or not the game involves violence, obscene language, sexual content or humor and so on. For more information visit the ESRB website: esrb.com
On the topic of Second Life…
Second Life is a computer game that offers users an environment built by themselves in order to create a ‘second life’ within the game. The game is meant to be played by adults (there is a teen version with more censorship and restrictions). Just as in real life, people can choose to engage in sexual activity, which then of course also creates a demand for sex within the game which self-proclaimed escorts and escort services look to supply.
The game however offers much more than pixelated sex and serves more as a social application in which to meet one another with three-dimensional avatars. The game also offers users the option to block offensive material involving sex, violence and whatnot. Second Life has a huge Christian userbase that would be happy to answer any questions parents may have on how to keep offensive content blocked.
Again, Second Life is to be played only by adults. A strict 18+ only policy is put in place by the creators (Linden Labs)
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5:42 pm
Are you saying that you enjoy submitting yourself to the will of another man? Ma’am, I do believe that’s a betrayal of the heart. Repent.
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10:02 am
No, it is not a betrayal of the heart. Do I actually submit to another man? No. I don’t. I *act* like I submit. I play the role of being a slave – much like Levar Burton and John Amos *played* the roles of being a slave in the TV mini series “Roots” all those years ago. This is completely different than actually doing it, and believing it, and living it. For a few hours a week, I can escape the hectic real world, and immerse myself in a fantasy realm.
It is something I do not expect you to understand. But before lambasting something, perhaps you should investigate it? There are lots and LOTS of religious builds, and classes and a huge Christian ministry in Second Life. The kind of things you talk about here (and what I do) actually makes up about only 5% of all the people and content in Second Life.
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