I was banned from all forms of gaming for about a year and a half because my parents thought I was wasting my time, it being unhealthy, etc. And I mean I do get the unhealthy part, gaming was (and still is) a coping mechanism of mine and serves as a form of escapism, but if my parents wanted to "help" then they could have gone about it in a way like teaching restraint of it over restrictions, and, oh I dunno, actually trying to help the root of the trauma that caused me to need a coping mechanism in the first place?
Instead they decided to gaslight me, insult me for it, call me an addicted lazy piece of shit, took literally every form of entertainment (including BOOKS I might add) and just left me with absolutely NOTHING but School and Chores. For reference, that is an absolute hell for an ADHD person.
The funny thing I find about it is that they told me I should socialize more, which I mean makes sense right? Well they also never allowed me outside, I was put into home-school and was forbidden from using any sort of messaging or social media, and IRL Friends? Nope, that's not allowed either. Tf are those double standards?
I presently have video games again, but my god that 1 1/2 year(s) was horrible.
So I'm not against games before people get upset. I just don't play them anymore. I used to be a big gamer myself as a kid and growing in my teens, it slowly died off until now where I don't even play at all. so it'd be hypocritical of me to condone use as a kid. But anyways, in my college English literature class, between the other students and I, we talked about video games before class started. a guy mentioned how it'd be a good idea to make an American history Literature video game to teach people history instead of the normal way. 2 people in class were opposed to it (one was in her late 20s, maybe early 30s the other was a lot older, won't day age to be generous), and both said they had experience of when their kid started playing a game like GTA, their attitude changed and they became more aggressive and rage filled. they both claimed they saw immediate severe personality changes (for the worse). Now, they're talking about little kids. under 13. how do you all feel about what was said? do you really think games are detrimental or harmful to kids, especially like GTA???
Uhm, what exactly was the reason for quoting my post for this?? (Also why is there a locksmith link? lmao)
Anyways, onto your point.. I really think it depends on the individual. The vast majority of people are able to distinguish the behaviors they or others exhibit in games from real-life, while others may not- this could cause unnecessary anger or behavior, but once again; that would depend on the individual. It also really depends on the environment they find themselves in-game. For example, playing an online game and getting bullied in said online game could cause a degree of anger in the child that from a parent's perspective seems to be the fault of the game, rather than an aspect of it that could be easily avoided and would result in an otherwise enjoyable experience. I also gotta say that it could be considered unfair to generalize the impact of video games on children, especially based on the experience of only a few individuals, while not taking many other factors into consideration.
Furthermore, it should also be taken into account the type of games being allowed for children. For example, GTA as you mentioned is Rated M, which is for mature audiences. There are people who can play it just fine, there are others who can't. When it comes to any for of media, it should be the responsibility of parents and / or caregivers to monitor what they're are exposed to. Inappropriate content, whether it be in a video game or a movie, can have negative effects on anyone, of any age. I personally think <= 13 is more or less fine for a game like GTA, but that's up to parent discretion as they would know what their child is able to handle the best. It really comes down to the individual's maturity, and often-times mental disposition.
I don't personally think games themselves are 100% going to make someone more violent. I've played my fair share of violent video games, and I can safely say that the behaviors exhibited in my daily life are not influenced by the violent actions in games. I also think it's important to recognize that violent games can also serve as a method of stress relief, as it allows people to vent pent up frustration, anger, etc. So it could also be argued that it can reduce the amount of violence in a person. But like I said, it comes down to the individual level. So to generalize such a broad topic, across 100% of people, simply won't be accurate.
Onto the history game point? I really don't see how that would be a problem. Although I don't think it should be a "replacement", it could just be introduced in certain places alongside the normal flow as an option. Also, not all types of games beget violent behavior, so that point is kinda weak.
Although you can make your choice yourself, and your family is your own. I'm not going to tell you how to parent- that's 100% your decision.
Thankfully, she's also the type of person that trusts her children as long as we aer honest with each other. We talked a lot about being careful with what I watch, so no harm done in the end. She never told me to not watch something, but when she wasn't comfortable with something she would tell me. She was just making sure that no harm was done to me.
Saturday dude. 
JM 