‘I want to be a car thief!’

Abdulrahman Al-Hazaa No matter how frequently columnists write about the importance of raising our children with good values, it is still not enough. We must instill good values in our children’s minds and bring them up on good moral ethics so that they do not go astray. Similarly, we must teach them the significance of being loyal to their country. I have read a lot of studies showing the negative effects of TV on children and how it changes the way they talk and act. Recently, Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Naif, deputy premier and minister of interior, visited the family of a soldier who died defending the Kingdom. The Crown Prince visited the family to offer his condolences. When he asked the soldier’s little son what he wanted to be when he grew up, the innocent boy said he wanted to be a car thief. If anything, this answer is clearly influenced by electronic games and TV. The boy had been playing a “Grand Theft Auto” game and thought the thief who steals cars and runs away from the police was a hero. The game first appeared more than ten years ago and has been serialized several times. The latest version focuses on different crimes. The thief does not only get points for stealing cars and running from the police, but also for committing other crimes such as raping women. The more crimes he commits, the more points he accumulates. This boy must have been playing the game on a daily basis to say he wanted to become a thief. We need to ask ourselves who is responsible for this? Why are our children allowed to play these games? I think the answer does not need much thought. It is the responsibility of families, schools and the concerned authorities. Although this game is banned in the Kingdom, it can be downloaded from the Internet. I urge all parents to keep a close watch on their children. Our enemies are going to great lengths to corrupt our children through electronic games, which are gateways to many forbidden and prohibited activities. Some only care about money and will not hesitate to sell such games to children.