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Have you ever asked yourself this question? Considered each game that your children play, and wondered if they realized that there is a huge difference between the fantasy of the gaming world and the reality of life?

I voted yes in regards to this question. My reasons are varied and include many views of this topic. In reality, the fantasy world of a game would not affect our children if parents were more involved in their day to day lives. The invention of gaming consoles, computers, LAN parties and more has given parents the ability to choose a "babysitter". Parents make a conscious decision to allow their children to play these games because it keeps them quiet, out of their hair and in their rooms instead of out on the street.

However, as a parent, one must realize that this choice leads to the downfall of our children and their ability to define the difference between right and wrong. How many parents allow their children to play a violent game such as Grand Theft Auto while sitting by their side and explaining that in real life, the consequences for the actions they commit in their fantasy world would land them in jail with a lifetime of regrets?

How many parents even realize that Grand Theft Auto is actually a violent game based on crimes that would make a conscientious parent shiver with the fear that their child might actually turn out to be one of their "heroes" from this game?

Society places the blame on the game, the TV Show, the magazine or the book. It is misplaced and misused as a reason for our children to commit unspeakable crimes and take the responsibility from the correct place, the parents shoulders, and move it to the indirect cause of the issue.

Parents are the immediate cause of our children's inability to differentiate between right and wrong. Though I agree that a game such as Grand Theft Auto should never have been released to the general public, it remains the parent's responsibility to monitor the games that their children play, to explain that the acts committed in this game should be considered a mortal sin and as such, will not be allowed in our homes, our schools and our communities.

If you as a parent choose to allow your child to play a violent video game with no supervision and no discussion, then you have only one person to blame. It is not the gaming communities fault, it cannot be placed on cable television or the violence in a movie. The blame is your weight to bear as you move through life. Remember, if your child commits that unspeakable crime, because he or she saw it in a video game, the ultimate regret and sadness will be yours to carry throughout your lifetime. Play the games you buy for your children, watch the same shows they like to watch and above all, protect your child's future, by teaching them instead of allowing a game or a television show to teach them for you.

Learn more about this author, Melanie Winters.
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