How I shot human children...and enjoyed it!
By The Horse
@TheHorse (218931)
Walnut Creek, California
November 26, 2020 1:50pm CST
My Tuesday was one of my most delightful days of recent memory. I went to my music friend Mike's house and played with his grand-kids all afternoon. They live in LA, about 400 miles South of me and Mike, but we always have fun when we interact.
I'll provide more details in a separate post, but what cracks me up is that we all killed each other before dinner. Their mother had bought them these "guns" with sensors, and "vests" that you strap on. The vests have a "heart" that goes from green to yellow to red. If you get shot enough times while red, you're dead.
The kids and I (they are 6, 8, and 10) ran around their back yard shooting each other, and had a great time! The 6-year-old outlived me several times, and the 8- and 10-year-old each "won" at least once.
We live in an era where kids are discouraged from (and even severely punished for) playing war games at school, even as their video games teach them to shoot anything from Zombies to Enemy Soldiers.
I guess I am a "politically incorrect" developmental psychologist, but I had a great time running around in the back yard shooting my young friends.
Nobody cried, nobody said "that's unfair!" and everyone bragged about their perceived victories. Yes, as an adult, I did some "no mercy" commando attacks and was brutally killed. But I was able to "model" laughing and saying "Oh, no! I'm dead!"
Would you let your kids play with such a toy?
20 people like this
13 responses
At least none of us go around feeling the need to murder others.
@ramapo17 (30441)
• Melbourne, Florida
27 Nov 20
I am with you @JudyEv. I use to play cowboys and Indians also and no one in my lifetime ever hurt anyone because of this. Some people blow things up so much and it is those people that are going to have the problems in their families.
3 people like this
@allen0187 (58582)
• Philippines
27 Nov 20
I'd get them these toys and let them play with it as well. I'll even play with them.
2 people like this
@allen0187 (58582)
• Philippines
29 Nov 20
@TheHorse true.
You can explain it to the children and they'll learn about it.
@RasmaSandra (79929)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
27 Nov 20
As long as no one got harmed and everyone had fun why not,
3 people like this
@porwest (91089)
• United States
27 Nov 20
It is actually refreshing to see kids not only doing SOMETHING, ANYTHING outside instead of being glued to a small screen all day. And these kinds of games are fun, and harmless despite the current culture we have that thinks games like this are bad. When we were kids we played games like this, with less technology of course, and so far as I can tell no one I knew became a serial killer or murderer of any kind for that matter.
Seems like you had one hell of a good time.
2 people like this
@ramapo17 (30441)
• Melbourne, Florida
27 Nov 20
@porwest I totally agree with you. It is so great to see some kids playing outside. Growing up, I lived across the street from the town park. We always had things going on there. During the summer, we had activities all day and at night we would have outdoor movies. We brought our blankets and set up on the lawn. During the day we had arts and crafts. We also use to make "towns" to ride out bikes in and out of. I would go out right after doing my "chores" and never go home until it was dinner time. After dinner we would go out again.
Now kids don't even get fresh air or some don't know how to communicate with others.
It is a very sad world.
2 people like this
@porwest (91089)
• United States
27 Nov 20
@ramapo17 It is very sad what has happened to kids nowadays, in my opinion. I have even considered it takes away the imagination of a child and the creativity of a child. When I look at music today which is largely just copied stuff (so many songs sound like other songs), and all the remakes in Hollywood, and the lack of character development on screen...
I think it's because kids have just lost touch with making things up too, having everything just spoon fed to them. Their minds never develop creation and critical thinking skills.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (160708)
• United States
27 Nov 20
Sure I would. If they wanted to.
1 person likes this
@xander6464 (44250)
• Wapello, Iowa
27 Nov 20
I shot the Sherrif...He got so mad he almost arrested me but that's another story for another day...but I never shot any kids. That must have been fun.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (218931)
• Walnut Creek, California
27 Nov 20
@xander6464 Were his "important parts" OK in the long run? Even if it was just his tush?
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (218931)
• Walnut Creek, California
27 Nov 20
Did you shoot the deputy? I hope I beat @FourWalls to that reply. You set us up.
2 people like this
@xander6464 (44250)
• Wapello, Iowa
27 Nov 20
Oh, the game is called Lazer Tag and since you enjoyed it, you might want to try Paintball next.
1 person likes this
@xander6464 (44250)
• Wapello, Iowa
27 Nov 20
@TheHorse A little...none if the distance is great enough. But yeah, the lazers don't hurt at all.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121604)
• Gainesville, Florida
29 Nov 20
I think that there is nothing wrong with this type of activity, as long as the children know that it is not okay to shoot or kill people in real life.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121604)
• Gainesville, Florida
4 Dec 20
@TheHorse Maybe we evolved from beating each other with sticks to just pointing at each other with sticks.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (218931)
• Walnut Creek, California
25 Dec 20
@moffittjc It would be informative to be cavemen or...barbarians...Indian Warriors...or whatever...for a few minutes. But I like my internet and my comfy bed.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (178869)
• United States
27 Nov 20
I'm glad you had such a good time. I have no problem with your game!
1 person likes this
