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A GST About [Children in eSports and Events]
Phoenix-D
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
The #metoo thread has been getting a lot of discussion about when it's appropriate to have kids at an event, and under what conditions- part of the conversation below. It was getting a bit farther afield of the #metoo topic, so I made a new thread.
Discuss here whether kids should have their own esports leagues, whether they should be allowed at general esports events and related topics. If it's about someone abusing a minor at an event, back to the #metoo thread.
Discuss here whether kids should have their own esports leagues, whether they should be allowed at general esports events and related topics. If it's about someone abusing a minor at an event, back to the #metoo thread.
Atlas in Chains wrote: »Atlas in Chains wrote: »Atlas in Chains wrote: »Atlas in Chains wrote: »The competition isn't causing the problem, though. Why limit a kid's chance to make some money and achieve something, when the problem is clearly the parts where nobody is holding a controller?
We generally have lots of restrictions on child labour.
The labor isn't the thing harming the child here.
According to what? We have lots of restrictions on child labour, period. And even then it can still be a real shit show.
Just cause it's video games doesn't suddenly change anything.
According to the context of this thread. Look, if you think children competing is exploitative, make a thread about it. We are talking about #metoo here. I'm not interested in the fine details of what is and is not appropriate child work. My concern is that your response to a victim group in a sexual assualt context is to exclude them. There are many reasons I might agree with your premise, but in a #metoo context, the predators are the problem, not the kids.
The situation the kids are in is the problem if it does not adequately safeguard them. This is why there's a ton of rules around child labour, even in contexts similar to this. And of course those same kind of situations have also, not shockingly, had problems with children being abused too. From child actors to young athletes to whatever else you wanna go for, you can find incidents. These are not separate contexts. One is not divorced from the other.
And yet, kids act and play pro sports. If your first rule proposed is to ban kids, you might be targeting the wrong side of the equation.
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The initial event that sparked the discussion involved an after-hours party where people got drunk and things went bad (details in the #metoo thread, since unfortunately it involved rape). Older teens, not young kids, but. From there the discussion spread out to whether having kids competing at professional events or being there without a chaperone was appropriate. Since it was veering off topic, new thread.
Now the question of whether esports needs to grow up and start vocally distancing itself from the filthy ooze of regular gaming communities is another matter. It's also something I think is more important to be pushed by games producers into the more general communities.
Treat the thing like any other sporting event with the same rules. If esports events are too dangerous for kids to attend, then that's a huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge (and separate) problem.
As for after hours parties, start with an age limit of 18. If the drinking age is higher, maybe go with that.
I'm not trying to shut down this thread but there doesn't seem like much to talk about. Issues with minors attending these events is to do with the abusers and culture around them, not the events themselves.
They are not separate things. The events themselves and the way they are organized needs to be structured to prevent abuse.
Most "e-sports" consider people who are over 25 to be retirement age and over the hill. Many are from countries with compulsory multiple years of military service when they become adults in their late teens.
So there are literally no adults with life experience in the talent pool unless they manage to become coaches or commentators.
Think Lord of The Flies where the sailor who arrives at the end shows up and gives the kids high fives because he had money riding on it.
I think it's worth noting that this is changing; or at least, there are an increasing amount of areas where this does not hold. The Brood War scene is mostly dominated by ~30 year old adults with kids now, for example, although there are still champion-level pro players in their teens and early twenties.
Yeah, I would say it's still pretty skewed but it is nice to see that people over 20 get to keep playing games they like. It turns out the cries of, "your reflexes are dogshit old man" people used to spit out about anyone over 22 years old are diminishing. However, kids are the ones with the free time to dump into a video game and "go pro" because adults usually have to get jobs. It creates this weird parasitic relationship between kids, gaming and the general audience of e-sports.
Ahhhhhh, I C. I'm guessing that imposing and enforcing minimum age requirements for competing and attendance would severely hurt the bottom lines of several group.
Video games are just a new hobby that can go pro, and they need to be treated accordingly. Not kids banned from them.
Chaperones, rules, oversight and persons of trust. And so much more.
Yeah, you can argue that video games aren't quite there and the majority of the "threat" is because of communities - but that's just for now.