Attention viewers, we interrupt this weekly scheduled series on setting the moral compass. To camp out on culture for a bit more. When we set our moral compass, we need to know deep down who we are. We also need to know the setting of our own moral compass when it comes to making decisions in our life. One of those decisions affects how we help our children with their moral compass. As parents we set up rules for our own household and as christian parents we are to teach them about God. Their future depends on it. They are the future generations that will be leading our country. The Lord tells us in His word the following.

“Start children off on the way they should go, and eve when they are old they will not turn from it.” Proverbs 22:6

One of the ways to help our children is to lead by example of a godly life. When we make a decision about our morals we should not sway from them because of pressure from our culture.

A challenge I face in this age is not one my parents had to face, video games. When I was at the age that my son is now. Video games had come onto the scene and that was not a luxury we could afford. Over the years games and gaming systems have greatly advanced. In fact video games today look more realistic and can make it difficult to separate fantasy from reality. The video games themselves do not make children violent but here is what they are responsible for. The violence in the games in turn desensitized our children and makes them more accepting of said violence. It’s bad enough what is on our evening news that they absorb so why would we plant the seed in their entertainment? Here recently I heard the following comments made in an interview:

“I don’t like my 13-year-old to play them but because all their friends are playing it. I buy him the game.” Mom purchasing GTA5

” I really don’t see a huge problem with this.” a parent

I am not bashing these parents, I just do not understand. I write this with a heavy heart. This is the way I view it through the eyes of my heart. People say it’s just a game, it’s just entertainment. Well, articles and pictures of naked women featured in a magazine is a form of entertainment to some adults. But would you purchase them for your child? Hopefully most would say no. But compare that to a video game it’s no different except one is a video enhanced graphic (Fantasy) and the other is a real person (Reality) . Now lets look at another feature, alcohol and drug use. Some of these games involve “drinking games”. That you can join in the games with the same side effects, slurred speech and blacking out. But people are still saying it’s just a game, it’s just entertainment. Well let me ask, Would you set up a game of quarters with your child? It’s just a game, it’s just entertainment. Hopefully no you would not but again they are being allowed to do it through a video enhanced graphic (Fantasy).  Do you see where I am coming from? The video enhanced graphic is a fantasy, that is desensitizing them. Making them more acceptable of things that are not morals that we have set for them and ourselves.  Another side of the issue I have heard is that a parent should supervise their children while they are playing these type of games. That sounds all well and good except one thing. When you were at that stage in your life of wanting more independence, did you want your parents hanging out in your bedroom “supervising” your activities? I know I didn’t and neither does this generation. The best way I have found to supervise my son is to be proactive in what I allow for his entertainment, which means NO rated M = for Mature video games for my preteen. By setting this guideline, I am allowing him the freedom of more independence without me turning against my morals. Again I will say video games do not make children violent, but when it goes against what we are trying to teach them. Why would we allow those seeds to be planted? Why would we desensitize our children any more than our culture is trying?

I would love to hear your insight on this subject. Please share if you will.

In His Love, Crisi