Before learning the GTA 5 parents guide, let’s know more about the game first.
Grand Theft Auto V (GTA 5) is a famous video game with 50K+ downloads and an average rating of 3.8 on the Google Pay Store. It is a venturous game that enables players to accomplish their missions and goals. However, this game has extreme violence and culprit activities that increase parents’ concerns about kids’ safety.
In this article, we will provide you with a GTA 5 parents guide and parental review by analysing its features, potential concerns, alternate games, and how parents can protect their children from such violent games.
Overview of GTA 5
The GTA 5 game was created by David Jones and launched in September 2013. It is set in the imaginary state of Sun Andreas in the city of Los Santos and Blaine County. GTA 5 enables up to 30 players to participate in different collaborative game missions.
Features of Grand Theft Auto 5
- Hunting:
GTA 5 allows players to go hunting in the uninhabited area which is located outside of the country town..
- Graphics:
In GTA 5, Rockstars has enhanced its graphics to look amazing and run smoothly.
- GTA Maps:
GTA 5 has bigger maps than GTA 4 and Red Dead Redemption. These maps are designed based on real locations in the city of California.
- Scuba Diving:
Scuba diving is an amazing feature of GTA 5, through which players can get diving suits to have an adventure in the depths of the ocean.
- Game Mechanics:
One of the best features of GTA 5 is its gameplay mechanics, which allows automobiles to run smoothly on the roadways, participate in close-quarter battles, etc.
- Variety of Games:
GTA 5 provides a variety of non-violent games like golf, cycling and tennis.
- Gameplay Content:
Rockstar games improved the gameplay content like story missions and heists, character switching, video and audio alerts from characters, dating in the game, etc.
- GTA 5 Customization:
Grand Theft Auto 5 offers a variety of customisations, and players can customise wheels, tracksuits, and clothes of their own choice.
Gameplay of GTA 5
GTA 5 is basically a crime mafia game in which your character roams around the city of San Andreas, keeps on doing missions and ranks up. There are tons of bombs, guns, and armoured vehicles used to do the missions. The money and power the character gets can be used to buy houses, cars, aeroplanes, enter clubs, and pretty much everything a person can do in real life.
Target audience
GTA 5 is basically designed for hot-blooded teenagers who just want to kill and beat everything.
Is GTA 5 appropriate for a 10-year-old?
No, this Grand Theft Auto 5 video game is not a really good choice for 10-year-old kids because it has intense violent activities. The kids may be exposed to explicit content, murder, violence, bank robbery and the use of drugs. All these factors are actually harmful and may bother the behaviour of your 10-year-old kids.
This adventurous game is popular among younger audiences due to its vehicles, customisation, open-world freedom based on California, weapons, and relevant commentary about modern America.
However, as everything has its dark side too, similarly this game, along with outstanding features, has some cons which negatively impact the kids. That’s why the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) also rated GTA 5 “M” for Mature. So, parents should protect their children from such violent games that may mislead their growing minds.
Can you put parental control on GTA 5?
No, there GTA 5 isn’t built for kids so it doesn’t have any parental controls, meaning you can’t control bad content of the game like nudity, guns, killing, drug activities, etc.
Deep reviews: GTA5 potential concerns for parents
Grand Theft Auto V is the most popular multiplayer video game, but it may have negative effects on kids. Some parents have issues with playing this game depending on their parenting style and strictness towards their kids because of several aspects. Let’s explore these factors:
- Violence: Parents don’t allow their children to play violent games, so they shouldn’t do those activities in their real lives. If you also want to protect your kids from online toxicity, then restrict your kids from playing GTA 5 because it involves severe violent activities such as killing, murder, and player bank robbery.
- Drugs & Drinking: In the Grand Theft Auto V, players can go out with their friends or girlfriends for drinking or drugs. Game characters may also manufacture and sell drugs & drinks. If you refrain your characters from linking to the drugs, then you might be unable to complete your mission.
So, Grand Theft Auto V is not actually good for kids to play.
Parental tips for safeguarding your kids in games like GTA 5
Games like GTA 5 have no parental controls, and the level of inappropriate content ( nudity, killing, abusing, etc. ) is at the top. So, it is recommended that parents use the below tips to safeguard their kids from such games.
1. Setting up Parental Controls on consoles
Unfortunately, GTA 5 and other adult games have no parental controls, but if your kids are playing these games in gaming consoles like PS or Xbox, there is a good news as they have built-in parental settings.
Gaming consoles may not control what’s happening in the game but it does can control some activities like money spending limits, limited internet access to contol gameplay time, limited communication, etc. However, your child must have email verification and be signed in to PSN on their consoles to ensure these parental control restrictions are effective.
2. Focus on choosing age-appropriate games
When choosing a game, parents must see their recommended gameplay age and no matter how much kids insist, if the game is above their age, don’t let them play it.
Choosing the right games will help kids boost kids’ cognitive, physical, emotional, and social development so that they can become better people.
3. Monitoring phone usage and playtime limits
In this vast Era of the internet, it has become very hard to keep kids away from mobile phones and nearly impossible to limit their playtime. Unchecked usage will affect the eyes, brain development, muscle strength, studies, and all other aspects of the kids. Fortunately, there are third-party apps parental control apps like FlashGet Kids, which can help you manage your kid’s usage.
Bonus tip: Use of Flashget kids
FlashGet Kids is a third-party app specially designed for kids acting as a virtual assistant to provide a healthy digital room.
Here are some amazing features of FlashGet Kit, which, with its parental control functions, help you save your kids from violent content games.
– Real-Time screen mirroring: Parents can see the kids phone screen on their phone from anywhere in the world. This will help parents see what’s their kids are playing when sitting alone.
– Trace App Notifications: Parents can get notifications about recent downloads, messages, purchases, and every other alert which is on kids phone screen. The Sync app notification function enables parents to protect their children from cyberbullying and scams.
– Limit the daily Usage: You can easily check how much time your kids spend on game consoles and also what type of games they play. If you detect any abnormal behaviour, then you can limit the daily usage.
– GPS Tracking: FlashGet Kit provides the amazing feature of tracking your kids’ actual location with GPS tracking. It is equally important for parents to protect their children not only on the internet but also in real-time for their physical security ( especially if the game involves moving around like Pokemon Go ).
Alternative games sharing
Kids should play safer and age-appropriate games for positive social interactions, emotional well-being, and parental peace of mind. Here, we will discuss some alternate, safer games of GTA 5 that are considered suitable for kids or younger audiences.
Fortnite:
Fortnite is a popular game among children. And it is considered safer due to its creative mood, parental controls, community standards, and educational opportunities.
Minecraft
Minecraft is an extremely popular game in young children as well as in teen girls and boys. Because its a safer option. It has a creative and survival mood and focuses on creativity and skill building without featuring monsters and players losing lives.
Rocket League:
Rocket League is also considered a safer and more suitable game for all age groups because of its positive themes, E-rating, non-violent gameplay and no mature themes.
Super Mario Odyssey
Super Mario Odyssey is included in children-friendly games due to its colourful and engaging graphics, positive themes, educational elements, and family-friendly storyline.
LEGO City Undercover:
LEGO City Undercover is also included in safer games for kids due to its E10+ ratings by ESRB, non-violent gameplay, no mature content, educational value and safe online environment.
And there are some of the other games are listed below that are also considered safer for kids and younger audiences:
- The Sims 4
- Splatoon 2
- Stardew Valley
- Animal Crossing: New Horizons
- Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville
GTA 5 parents guide conclusion
In a nutshell, GTA 5 has some potential concerns due to the lack of parental settings. It contains violent activities like killing, murdering, smoking, too much drinking, heists, sexual content and bank robberies. Therefore, parents must not let their kids play this game, no matter how much they insist.
Besides that, even mobile games can be harmful to children like violence, nudity, or simply an addiction to them. So, parents could monitor their kids with parental control apps like FlashGet kids. It helps see their daily activity, lets them control their gameplay time & schedule, and even blocks them. Let’s check the GTA 5 parents guide together.
