What is GTA?
GTA is short for Grand Theft Auto, and the name of a popular video game that has been around for over 25 years, with the newest version being GTA 5. Many parents of young gamers have probably heard their kids talk about this game or ask for permission to play it.
Still today, it’s a well-known but controversial video game, where players aim to succeed as criminals. The action-themed gameplay has caught the attention of many kids, to the worry of most parents.
As an open-world action-adventure game, it is considered a sandbox game. This means the game allows players to freely explore a realistic city landscape and interact with people in the street, which consists of NPCs (non-player characters).
The realistic human characters, graphics, and actions of the character, combined with the possibility for a first-person perspective in the game, make it a very lifelike experience.
What is Grand Theft Auto about?
The main character of the game is a criminal who needs to make money through various kinds of crimes, while avoiding getting caught by the police. The player is rewarded for the crimes committed and the status he gains in the criminal world.
The game can serve as a platform for players to explore virtual cities, drive vehicles, complete complex missions, and cross boundaries they wouldn't have in real life.
Many players, including kids, find this part exciting because they get to experiment with being the main character in their own interactive action movie.
While some players focus on missions and legitimate business-building, others may engage in chaotic behavior such as crashing cars, attacking strangers, or simply using the game as a virtual playground.
Consequently, how the player acts more or less determines the level of violence and crime in the game.
How to play the game
GTA 5 can be played on PC and gaming consoles, both offline and online. The offline version is called story mode and offers a single-player experience, while the online version can be played with multiple players from all over the world, making it a social experience for friends to hang out in an interactive online environment.
Some players enjoy playing competitively against each other, while others prefer the single-player version to complete missions or simply have a casual experience of randomly exploring the interactive cyberworld.
For children, the initial fascination with the game is usually due to experimenting with moving around in the landscape, driving cars, and being silly when playing the offline single-player version.
Grand Theft Auto 5 age rating
Despite the popularity among the young audience, the game is not recommended for kids to play by experts. GTA 5 carries a Mature (17+) rating reflecting its mature themes, realistic violence, strong language, drug and alcohol references, and sexual content.
The GTA age rating is based on the fact that the game was designed for adults and contains material unsuitable for children and younger teens.
Still, it’s not uncommon to find that the game is played by kids way under the age limit, and reviews by both parents and players show that some parents are confident letting their young teens or pre-teens play the game.
Besides different values and attitudes regarding parenting, the reason for this can be that not all parents are aware of the content of the video games their kids play. At a glance, the game might seem peaceful and fun for kids, as they are able to drive around in cities and explore a lifelike virtual landscape.
Specifically for this game, the outcome and level of violence depend greatly on the actions of the player, making it appear peaceful to some.
Because of the widespread popularity and great variation in parental attitudes and player preferences, younger kids may be exposed to the game when visiting friends.
However, parents should be aware that while the game's open-world nature can seem appealing and fun for kids when played in a passive and peaceful manner, the content of the game often includes:
- Graphic violence
- Criminal activity
- Drug and alcohol use
- Strong profanity
- Sexual content, including suggestive themes and strip clubs
- Unmoderated online interactions with strangers for (online version)
What to be aware of
Confused about what this game is like, parents often ask, “Is GTA 5 child-friendly?” At times, it might appear so. However, after exploring different aspects of the game, most will discover this is not the case.
When parenting a child who loves gaming, it is not just the physical world you need to prepare them for. You also need to keep up with what’s going on in their cyber playground, so you can protect them there as well.
While every family makes different decisions about gaming and what kind of games are suitable for their child, there are specific concerns with GTA that parents should know about:
1. Violence and criminal activity
How violent GTA 5 is depends on the actions and choices of the main character. However, players are rewarded for illegal activities such as theft, drug dealing, and assault to build their reputation as a criminal and succeed in the game.
This way, the game encourages and enables realistic, unmotivated violence, including shootings, fights, and car chases, with no regard for consequences or empathy for victims.
Even though it is a fictional world, the realistic graphics and immersive gameplay can make these actions feel intense and lifelike.
2. Inappropriate content
The game features strong language and sexual content. These adult themes are part of why experts consider GTA 5 inappropriate for kids. Locations like strip clubs, adult humor, and depictions of substance abuse are present as well.
3. Online interactions
GTA Online is an unmoderated environment where players can interact with strangers through voice or text chat. This can expose younger players to inappropriate language, bullying, harassment, or even grooming attempts.
4. Toxic Behavior
Some players engage in disruptive behavior known as "griefing," where they intentionally ruin others' experiences by attacking or harassing them. This can be frustrating, particularly for younger or newer players.
5. Strong Language
Dark humor and the use of swearing and strong language dominate the game. However, there is a possibility to enable a profanity filter in the game settings and turn off swearing.
6. In-game Purchases
GTA Online features microtransactions through "Shark Cards," which allow players to buy in-game currency with real money. This currency is used to purchase vehicles, properties, and weapons. Progress in the game can be slow without these purchases.
7. Content on other platforms
Given the popularity of the game, it can be found in many homes. Therefore, kids might be exposed to the game on playdates, since some parents don’t mind their kids playing it.
Additionally, GTA 5 content and recorded gameplay are popular on social media, where influencers often share clips of violent or inappropriate scenes from the game.
Key Terminology
NPC: Non-Player Character, game-controlled characters in the world.
Freemode: The open-world, sandbox environment where players can explore or cause mayhem without structured missions.
Heist: Multi-part missions where players plan and execute major crimes, such as bank robberies or casino break-ins.
Griefing: The act of harassing or trolling other players in the game, for example, harming or killing them for no reason.
RP (Roleplay) Servers: Special online servers where players take on specific roles (police, criminals, business owners) and act out scenarios with strict rules. These servers are popular for more structured, realistic gameplay.
Shark Cards: In-game currency purchased with real money to buy vehicles, properties, and other items.
K/D Ratio: Kill/Death ratio, a measure of a player’s combat performance.
Passive Mode: A setting that prevents other players from attacking you, often used to avoid griefing.
Story mode: the single-player offline version of the game
