Has Grand Theft Auto made you more independent?

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I've been playing games in the infamous Grand Theft Auto franchise since 2003. I feel as if the game's ability (especially since GTAIV in 2008) to take subways and taxicabs, as well as driving in general, throughout such expansive open worlds, has made me more confident in exploring such big cities as New York City, Pittsburgh, and my own city Buffalo, entirely on my own. My parents were rather overprotective of me from a young age since I almost died from a birth defect so they are a combination of surprised, impressed, and proud of how far I've come since then. Does anyone else feel that sandbox/open-world games have had a similar positive effect on their life?

I don't play GTA, as I am generally not into games full of swearing, graphic violence and mature sex themes.
And even if I did play it I can't imagine it ever making me more independent.

Although sometimes I think my Sims games have helped me slightly improve at social interaction and life skills.

Regrettably, I used to play the original GTA games when I was little, and I have to admit I'm NOT very fond of these games teaching you to get into criminal activities (and I cannot believe that they're still making newer ones today. )

So, no, it doesn't really make you independent, it just makes you into gang-bangers.

It made me want to steal a vehicle, so I did

So does Call of Duty make you into a soldier then?

^Well, I'm not really into M-rated media much, so I don't really know what to say.

If being a soldier means that you have to face VERY uncomfortable situations involving modern warfare, like loud gun-fires and explosives, then yeah, probably.

I can only hope you're joking, and dont ACTUALLY believe that. It's not just a myth, it's a bloody awful one. I mean you may as well say that watching movies and TV does the same thing. The only reason people dont believe THAT, is because the older generations (who are the ones that push these damn ideas forwards the most) grew up with those things and thus actually understand them.


I've been gaming since I was 3, and have played LOTS of games with all sorts of violence and whatever in them. Not only do I not commit crimes, but I've never so much as gotten into a fight or taken a swing at anyone... even when getting bullied.

And note that I have zero impulse control, so it's not a matter of having really good control. I also have anger issues. Still aint done anything. Same with every other gamer I've met, really. So.... yeah, that myth is already busted.


Mostly, parents need to stop blaming everything other than themselves for their stupid kids going out of control. That'd put a stop to the myth, since it's the actual source of it.

While what you've said may be true, there are actually people out there who don't know the difference between what's in media and in real life, and tend to be very gullible about seeing what they've watched, played, etc.

So, rather than 'busted', this myth may actually be 'plausible'.

Those are a select few people that are severely mentally ill, and violent games trigger an already existing condition, not create new ones. We're not going to stop creating mature content because one out of a million can't figure out what is real and what is fantasy.

Still going with "busted". And believe me, I'm not the only one. LOTS of studies done on this. And a gigantic amount of gamers out there with personal experience playing such games. Playing ALOT of such games.


Going along with what Modernmax said, those that might have trouble understanding the difference between "real" and "virtual" tend to have very serious mental illnesses. AKA, the gaming is NOT the source. And someone like that is going to be affected by waaaaayyyyyyy more than just gaming. And for someone THAT easily influenced... something like that wont even be the biggest source. They're more likely to be affected by REAL events. There's a reason why the concept of a "copycat killer" exists.

Instead of pointing out utterly ridiculous causes, people need to actually examine each individual situation properly, and determine proper treatment. One of the reasons why people throw ludicrous ideas at gaming is simple: They're bloody lazy. It's easier to use that assumption than it is to actually do the freaking work.

SOmething interesting about Grand Theft Auto: It's one of the single biggest selling game series of all time, period. And this is at a time when the gaming industry has become bigger than the movie industry. Endless legions of players have played it. Notice that we dont have veritable armies of killers roaming the streets.

As 5 zillion gamers will tell you... it simply doesnt have that effect. Again, people are quick to blame anything that ISNT themselves, and gaming is a convenient target.

Also, think back to an earlier time. There was a time period when parents often blamed MUSIC for their kids actions. Freaking music! Now you tell me: Would you ever ACTUALLY believe that? Chances are no, and neither would anyone else. And I'll tell you why that is: Even most older adults grew up during a period where music was everywhere. In other words, it's something they not only understand, but have always understood. More than THEIR parents, who didnt have that stuff as kids.

Probably the biggest reason why gaming is a target is because the older crowd literally doesnt understand it. Notice, in fact, that older adults are almost purely the source of these "theories". It's unfortunately natural for people to either fear, or be suspicious of things they dont understand.

Go forward a few decades from now. Basically everyone will have grown up in a world where gaming was a thing... and instead, they'll move to some NEW thing to throw their blame at. It's a vicious cycle, and one that's not likely to ever stop.


Honestly, the best way to deal with something like this is to do the research. And I dont mean just looking up stats and studies. If you were to actually meet enough people in the gaming community, and take the time to get to know them well enough... this idea would outright vanish. Well, theoretically. Some people are too freaking stubborn to allow ideas to be changed in their minds.

Of course part of the problem is that people DONT take the time to try to understand. Particularly parents.
Hell, it's not just GTA. I myself grew up when mature content in games started happening. I still remember the Mortal Kombat fiasco. It was another load of gibberish, really. Even as a kid though, I played that game, and it's sequels. But not against my parents' wishes. They actually took the time to not only look into the game itself, but to think of me and my personality. They simply decided I was mature enough to handle it, and they were right. That is PROPER parenting. But ALOT of parents are too bloody lazy to do that. It's just so much easier to blame something other than their bad parenting. Not to mention that alot of them are gullible as heck. Note that these sorts of parents are the same sort that will tend to bury their faces in their stupid phones rather than pay attention to their blasted children. And then it's NEVER their fault when something goes wrong, yeah? Ridiculous.

But that's a whole other rant I wont go into right now.

I don't think any game has ever made me more independant.

I played GTAIV a lot & I don't think it really affected me mentally.

I was looking into GTA IV to see what it did that was considered better compared to V and I could really see that the characters Niko interacts with, especially the friends like Brucie, Roman, Packie, Dwayne, and Jacob, really carry a lot of history and it fascinates me to see such interesting and developed characters who really bring out a different dose of reality in each of their perspectives. It's almost reminiscent of The Wire.

But then again, I don't really have an interest in playing it, especially considering how my laptop (while working ok, I guess) on the back left side is jumping out like a pop-up book. So that really narrows down how much I'll be spending on video games this year. Especially considering how much of a nightmare school's been with no one having my back.

I think games have made me independent as it's usually a solitary experience , lots of training in my bedroom as a teenager to be alone , I'd should of never left my bedroom , it would of solved a lot of issues

...Man, I'm so scared of driving. You just gave me an idea.