Let’s face it the Internet is a shadowy place.  Beyond E-mail the most definable trait seems to be cloaked identity.  From discussion boards and chat to online gaming.  I’m basically disgusted with playing with teenagers who’s parents don’t pay any attention to their children’s behavior online.  With the advent of voice over IP (Internet Protocol for those of you wondering) no longer do you have to be cursed at in text which can be quite creative, after all the term “flame” or “flaming” came about from insulting folks but with text. 

Now playing online with console games such as Xbox over Xbox Live you find yourself being cursed at, taunted and blasted by multiple people at once.  Finding a few friends online that have balanced personalities is a challenge in itself.  Then once you accomplish a decent friends list to play with you find that you and your friends are being cursed at by the other team. 

Mind you that the other team doesn’t need to be better than you in the game.  They just need to make any accomplishment what-so-ever. Any reason to taunt or whip our their favorite expletive laden phrase is all they need.  And by they I mean a young person between the age of 11 and 24.  I feel bad for the normal people.

Meanwhile you have to ask yourself, what kind of parent allows their kids to talk this way.  I often find myself saying after someone tells me "lick my balls, I'm teabagging you"...I say “Your parents must be proud of you.”  Which is generally followed-up with "FU". To hear it from a 12 year old child with such venom is sad.  I imagine how they sit at the dinner table with mom and dad playing the good son, then logging into Xbox Live only to shame their family.  But wait! They are just a voice with no accountablity.  Time to curse and lower yourself with not an ounce of accountabilty. Wow.

Then there are the cheaters.  Those people that don’t play the game for the experience, these players (if I can call them that) cheat for the sake of gaining rank in the gaming community.  There are no prizes. There is no widespread recognition either, just the perceived right to display their rank no matter how fraudulent it is.

In my opinion something should be done about it.   Parents are letting kids use their credit cards to sign up for online gaming services such as Xbox live. Can you imagine spending $50.00 to allow your child to curse at people.  That is exactly what is happening on millions of Xbox Live accounts. 

You can play online for hours in hopes of a good game experience and not get it.  All because of the venomous and disgusting words that come from the mouths of teenagers and early twenty-somethings.  While it is true there are plenty of nice people, the bad behavior is not policed in any way and grows like a cancer among players that get sick of the smack talk and respond in like manner. 

Where does it end?  With every new game that comes out there becomes a rampant community of cheaters and insulters that make it almost impossible to let your own children play with them.  If you are a parent reading this, you better take me serious.  I beg you to watch your kid play from a distance as they play on Xbox Live.  You will be more than shocked. 

There are thousands of normal people that wish you as a parent would smack them over the head for being a monster towards hundreds of strangers weekly.  These very rude people need to removed from the good people. Only by missing out on the experience will children and young adults learn to be a better person. I have no doubt it is the parents responsibility.  For those that are in their twenties, I can’t feel bad for them.  I can only be glad that I never have to call them a friend.

For the record.  I play video games with my kids.  I don't let them get out of line and more imporant I talk to them about self-respect.  Now there are only a million other parents to go.