Are immature kids hurting the game?

As an adult who plays GW, I find that the graphic comments that I hear in many locations is really uncalled for. I am not a prude by any means, but have learned there is no place in a public area for some of the things I see. I don't really see how it can be controlled short of constant screen shots and reporting to ANET.
Now I am assuming that most of this is coming from kids as I hope any adults would have a little more common sense. I know that this is not all young people for we have in our guild many very nice kids, but does anyone have any ideas on how to control the problem children?

I apologize, I may have mis-stated. I should said are immature people hurting the game. At my age (59) most all of you who play are kids, but noone should condone the type of conduct that some people think is cute or funny. I ask all of you who may be an offender or a condoner, would you talk like that in front of your family? In most cases I think not, if if you do shame on you and your family.

You've never been young, have you?

[ ]Local [V]GUild [V]Team [ ]Trade [V]Allience [ ]Emotes

In short, NO.

Just turn off Local Chat.

I don't like having which chats I can use dictated to me by some bored attention-starved little kid. I just ignore the bull**** being yelled in towns, and occasionally ask the person to stop via whisper.

Not much you can do when people bring their own personal issues into a virtual world.

Kids will be kids, its just that simple.

Look at any online game and you'll see immaturity. Guild Wars just has more of it because there are no monthly fees.

my solution is to stop being so sensitive and play the damn game you paid 49.99 for.

<--17

I've run into a lot of kids and people my age that are immature that I just ignore however it's REALLY hard to tell someone that's older then you to grow up. Trust me there are people with overally large egos that make then act immature no matter their age.

Do I have a problem with Local Chat? Somewhat. I hate seeing racist, sexist and discriminitory comments in nearly every outpost I'm in. It's worse than trade spam.

Keep in mind that chat isn't the only thing the kiddies can ruin. And also keep in mind that it's not only the kids that are immature.

I'm 18, by the way.

Whining is hurting the game more, IMO.

<----17

Agreed. I don't care how old people are.

Believe me it's not just kids that are immature, I've had 20 year olds act like they were 12 year olds before. I am 17 but I've been told by guildies that they thought I was a couple years older than them and they are in their 20's. Well I just wanted to point out that it's not just kids that are immature.

Don't like the immaturity? There is a reason you can turn off certain chat channels and there is also this thing called the ignore list. It's the same advice Anet would give you if you sent in a report.

True, but by their very nature aren't kids immature? It's the idiotic behaviour of various nut jobs that bugs me more than immaturity!

Kids have a right to immature I guess, and it's nothing new, we see it all the time in real life nearly as much as online games. As Azagoth said, the real problem comes from none kid nut jobs, mainly invloving e-peen etc.

I'm 17, so I get to drag my teenage issues in with me.

Guild Wars is just as much for the naive as it is for the "mature". And while we all see things we don't like in chat, simply finding something offensive is not a basis in itself for having it banned or punished in some fashion. I think part of being truly mature is to accept that other people can do things we don't appreciate, and that this is a personal problem on our part that we ourselves have to overcome.

Yes it is not only the language it is their playstlye as well let them go back to Runescape.

<- 16. Welcome to the internet.

Welcome to the internet, enjoy your stay.

I've had a problem with the "you only won because..." mentality ever since I first took quake 1 online. Online games would definately be heaps more fun if it wasn't for people who take it so seriously, but there's not much you can do about it and in the end, it's only a big of a deal as you make it.

My favourite pvp playstyle is interrupting and disruption, and I get a ton of grief for it. Sometimes it just gets under my skin. It's unbelievable what people come up with sometimes.

Hmmm complaining about kids? That's not very mature. Let me tell you this. Kids will be kids, and in this day and age they tend to be a bit more "advanced" than I was. That being said these same kids exist in the real world. What do you do when you hear them carrying on like that at say your local mall? Do you confront them? Do you put on your Spartacus costume and attempt to rally your fellow adults into putting them down? I should hope not. I should hope that you simply ignore them and carry on with your life. The same principle should apply here. That being said I think that you should grow up a bit yourself and find something more worthwhile to focus your attention on.

Kids? Annoying to some, Amusing to others; others like myself. The stuff they say may sound stupid or offensive, but it's good for a laugh. Don't take it too seriously, they are kids after all.

I agree with every point made but I'd like to add that most culprits of vulgarity aren't kids, per se. You'd be surprised at how some adults in their 30s and 40s behave within the anonymity of the Internet. I have to defend 'kids' in that respect because they're often more stupid that vulgar.

As long as the internet retains out anonymity, some idiot will continue to draw a penis on the radar.

If they were making racist, sexist and derogatory comments, I'd probably get their attention and yell at them, sure. I wasn't too nice to a kid who said "look at that [n-word] over there". I don't take that crap from anyone, no matter who they're talkin' to.

Ignore racism? Hells no! That'll encourage it.

It kinda sounds like you're referring to kids who say gross and crude things. For that, yeah, most of the time I just sigh and ignore it.

It's an online game, you SHOULD expect immaturity.

The "Kids will be kids arguement" is a bad one. Kids will be kids. But people promoting hate speech is not a "childish" action which I will turn the other check for. It's a felony.

"The difference is in the dose."

Amen.

It is very mature as when I grew up I got the strap or a slap in the face from my parents or even teachers.Teenagers are praticaly getting away with almost anything they can swear at their parents and act like they are amrter than those 20 years older than themselves.I would like to see their constitional rights revoked.Like it was for me.A principal hit me with pointer years ago.Adults can talk about kids any way they want.

Every game has its share of immature idiots. The beauty of GW, as opposed to other online games, is that you can completely and totally disregard them. Deactivate local chat and emotes, play with friends/guildies or solo, and it's like they're not even there.

You are showing just how immature you really are!

Yes, because you got wacked with a pointer, everyone else should also get their constitutional rights revoked so they can get wacked with pointers too!

See, what's sad about that is that that's the reason I've found most people for having Local off. I mentioned it before earlier. Kind of funny that people are complaining more about trade spam and not this.

http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2004/03/19

this always comes to mind.

It sad, I always hate that kind of talk.

i won't blame kids only, it can really be any one.

Its really a shame we can't do anything more the simply turning of our all channel

I was wondering where that went. That strip shows nothing but truth.

Immature people exist everywhere and come in all age groups. I agree with the OP that being subjected to something like "fantasy sex" conversations is a bit much. So, I exercise my right to leave the location or, if I need to stay there, put them all on my Ignore list until I can leave.

I'm a parent and a grandparent. I've learned that I cannot always control my environment, but I can control what I do about it.

I do have Local and Trade off a lot of times, but that's not because of the language people use.
When I have Local on, I don't see very bad language often.
Even in RA and TA I've seen it only once or twice.

I know a guild was kicked from our previous alliance, but that was because they used inapropriate language while they knew there were minors on alliance chat. I also had to settle an issue because on of our guild members said something that was not right to a female player.
Those things happen, but fortunately not too often.

Racism, I have mixed feelings about it.
Here in Europe, I don't hear the n-word that often. It's not a real problem (I think).
People from countries around the Mediterranean Sea are considered more of a problem by some people.
I do understand why they think that way, but I don't agree, because their arguments are based on bad information.
I think the situation in the US is different, but I don't know what the main difference between the two forms of racism are.

The only thing I do hear from time to time are namecallings like gay.
That's not racism, but very closely related.

I'm with you Risky Ranger. It's not the local chat that bothers me though - that I turn off. Local chat went to hell in a handbasket a long time ago, and all the "teen chat", whether clean or dirty, is always just annoying it seems.

What bothers me is the horrible attitudes and conversation in PUG's. I try to avoid PUGs when I can and stick with hench/hero or my guild, but there are times that a PUG is your only hope, so...

Now days, I get into a group, and the comments start from the get-go. "Stupid noob, wtf - u suck, do what I say idiot, you ----" and so forth. They can't bring themselves to say "good job team", they rip off runners, they "Leroy Jenkins" into big groups, and then treat you like crap when everyone dies seconds later.

I know there is nothing that can be done. They bought the game just like we did, and every right to be ignorant if they want to be. You can always hench or guild, and turn off chat. Sorry.

eh well if the aim of the racism is to hurt and you let them know that you don't like it, I think that is encouraging it... ignoring it they'll see that its ineffective and move on... at least thats how I've always dealt with the less desirable side of society and its usually worked *shrug*

The broader question may be:Is there a general downturn in the amount of common decency and respect for fellow gamers. Its not "my game". I share a world wth a community of young people and adults. I try to tolerate poor behavior and encourage curtesy and fellowship. We have all witnessed both. I would also encourage young and old to foster healthy behavior and discourage anti-social.
I was recently severely taunted, harassed, jeered, and eventually ripped off by a small group of Kurzic toons Shing Ji Monastery. I had found a green hammer The Rock Breaker req 3 ham mast. Decided Id be a good toon and try to Gift it to a recent spawn lvl2-4 War in Monastery. Spent close to half an hour in Local Chat trying to give this thing away. Only responses were from a 20 rit and his/her guildees. They had been recruiting. This rit kept trying to get me to give it to her, for her "Lvl 3" War. I told her several times gifts are for noobs not shouting 20s. Suprise, suprise a Lvl 2 war pops in and I gift it to him(no guild tag) He imediately trades it to the rit, who commences to gloat and jeer. Dance and Taunt. I kept my cool. Didnt ask for the hammer back. I had said:"Hammer to 1st lvl2 war who trades me..." I was burned. They kept on with their b.s.(in local chat)ever1 else in area had gone quiet looong ago. I just advised all around me, mostly newbies, that they should take it as a lesson learned and not to keep them from trying to "gift" peeps in the future.

Take it or leave it.

So, a child is less of a person than their parent? That's the implication I'm getting from this. Simply because a person has been on the Earth for a shorter time than someone else, they don't get to enjoy the rights listed in the Constitution? A person's age isn't something they can help, so why punish them for it by revoking their rights?

Now I'd like to respond to certain parts of this post...

So because something painful happened to you, it should happen to others as well. Right. Somehow, the whole "People should suffer what I had to suffer" argument doesn't make much sense to me.

This is true, but consider this. In the past 15 years, what has happened to foul language? Fifteen years ago, foul language was extremely offensive and heavily looked down upon. Today, it's considered acceptable provided the circumstances warrant it, and even then it isn't such a bad thing when circumstances don't warrant it. So if a teenager swears at his parents, it's not nearly as big a deal as it was fifteen years ago. Most swearing is considered a fairly mild insult today anyway, much like "You're stupid!" would have been fifteen years ago. So even though it's immature and wrong, yes, you have to put it in perspective to see just how immature and wrong it is in today's society.

And the reason teenagers act smarter than people twice their age is because, in an academic sense, many are. Twenty years after getting out of high school, how much would you really remember? High school sophomores often know more academics than their parents who have diplomas, simply because it's been so long that the parents have forgotten most of what they learned. Now, this doesn't mean that teenagers are necessarily more qualified to make decisions than their parents, but at that age, their words should be at least considered, and not dismissed simply because of their age. Perhaps that's the root of the behavior; parents that don't consider the teenager's opinions and reasoning, resulting in the teenager believing that the parents are too stupid to do so.

Once again, simply because someone has been on the Earth for a shorter amount of time than others, he's less of a person than them? I don't think so. This is also an example of the "Others should have to go through the pain I went through" argument which I highly disagree with.

Well I'm terribly sorry that your principal hit you with a pointer, but why does that mean today's children should have to experience the same? Also, why can adults speak any way they want about their kids? Why should it be alright for an adult to say to their 12-year old, "You're a worthless idiot, go die"? The child is just as much a human being as the adult, so why on Earth should the adult be able to treat the child that way?

Now, back on the original topic, I believe there isn't anything you can do about it. Anonymity breeds stupidity. People say that the Internet allows people to mask who they really are, but it more often allows a person's true self to show itself, since no one knows who the person behind the screenname is. But, much like foul language, insults and behavior over the Internet has grown much more accepted over the years. Being told to "**** off!" over the Internet is about as insulting as "You're dumb!" in person, at least to most players. All you can do is live with it, and hope the people who take part in such action experience something so powerful that it forces them to realize the uselessness of their behavior and the detrimental effects it has for everyone, including themselves.

EDIT: Response to post made while I was typing...

This is more or less what I believe. People who are racist do so to irritate, anger, and demoralize the target, so telling someone you don't like what they're doing is effectively saying "What you're trying to do is working!" Though, ignoring it also gives the person the opportunity to continue with comments like "Too scared to say something, you [insert racism]?" The best response is to say something along the lines of, "Wow, did you seriously just say [insert racism]? Come up with something original and you might offend me " This effectively says, "Yeah, sorry, but I'm not taking your bait."

It's a simple concept folks...

There are things one simply does not do in public. Things that are not acceptable, inappropriate or just outright rude. So you do not do them.

Some of these thing we have laws about, others are just commonly acknowledged as wrong.

Why is it so hard to accept that these same standards belong on in game behavior? If it would be wrong to do it in the middle of your local mall or school or city street, don't do it in game.

Why is that hard to accept?

-Don't thrust your crotch at strangers
-Don't shout racial slurs at the top of your lungs.
-Don't have sex in public.
-Don't shout random profanity like a Tourette's sufferer.

this isn't hard folks.