Guns and Children

The subject matter of children and guns is a very sensitive subject. For the younger generation generally being uneducated on the true prospects of firearm usage, it is hard for them to differentiate the negative aspects, especially with the activity of peers.  In modern day, many young audiences are becoming increasingly interested in guns via the primary exposure to video games. However, the application of firearms and game play actually go quite far in history, such as the act of 'Toy Soldiers' in which younger boys would play with sticks and act out fictional combat scenarios. Also other contribution such as the manufacturing of toy guns, such as Nerf guns, water pistols, spud guns and even plastic green soldiers. In child psychology, they idolize adults for the prospects of living a free life, being able to do what they wish because they are the appropriate age. When I was a child I remember how infuriating it got when i was regularly told I couldn't do something because of my age. All children really ever wish to do is grow up and be like their peers and this shows with the way children enjoy the prospect of gun play. A soldier is a brave, heroic type of person who fights in order to protect and serve his country, it is with that glorified that appeals to children in this way. They also wish to be brave just like their heroes. This glorified concept is applied a lot with the production of children's toys, whether digital or physical. 

This is where the issue with children and guns come into our current generation. However, it is primarily blamed on the exposure of adult specific games. FPS, the first person shooter genre, is one of the most popular type of game to play. With big titles such as Call of Duty and Battlefield dominating most of the gaming market, it is near impossible to keep children away from the material, especially considering it's something that is admired by older peers, such as relatives or friends. Although the age rating is designed specifically for the exposure to adults of that age, children find their ways to be able to be involved with it. Children often react negatively to things they are specifically told not to do. When told not to do something, a child feels automatically inclined to actively reverse the commands. 

A typical person example myself, was when my parents watched an 18 rated horror film and told me not to watch it. Because they were able to and I was confined to my room, I got curious and wanted to be involved. So I made out I needed a drink so I could travel through the living room, see part of the movie on the way to the kitchen. Unfortunately for me the moment I saw the movie I was extremely terrified and thus spent most of the night restless. It is natural in a child's mind set, to be able to do the things they cannot, as it's apart of growing up.

 However, the exposure to content with our recent shooter games, has proven to create negative affects on the parents of children. Many FPS military shooters have become 18 rated games due to the significant brutality and explicit material. This is overlooked when children manage to play the games based around the element of video game design. As with all games, there are goals and rewards that are reached by playing according to the rules of the system. It is okay for a player to enjoy warfare based games, as they have no real fear of the affects of warfare in reality. Killing gives you points, which add up to a good statistics that are then compared across other opponents in the game. Players want to have the best statistics and want to beat other opponent’s records to appear more 'skillful’ or superior at the game. It's at this point that warfare in games takes away the devastation of war, even though it represents the elements of true warfare. Life has no value, it is a point system, even ways you kill other players and the ratio you kill and die is taken into account on the player's stats board. The better stats, the better the rewards and the more you are recognized as a skillful player. No matter what game it is, there needs to be a sense of achievement, or there would be not enjoyment from it. However with this in warfare concept in mind, it can then potentially create quite a hostile space for the player. Shooters and warfare-based games today are extremely competitive genres both with multiplayer online and offline. It is this reason to an extent why I think these games are beginning to appeal to younger audiences.