The Irony of The Sims and My Tween

Source: Helen Pond

(42 ratings)

The recent release of The Sims 3 offers a great opportunity to share a story about how as parents, despite the very best of intentions, we can miss the big picture.

My first introduction to The Sims was my tween begging for the The Sims 2 game. She was relentless. As a technology wary pre-teen parent, I conducted my own investigation, including calling the manufacturer and actually speaking with a very helpful program designer who provided a crash-course of The Sims during our conversation. My key questions were primarily related to violence and sexuality. Proud of myself for all of my due diligence, I decided that The Sims 2 would be suitable for my tween -- a great reward for her hard work on a recently completed task.

After purchasing The Sims 2 game, she spent the early evening installing and getting familiar with the new game. Having a prior commitment myself, she played the game with my husband while I was out. Upon returning home, after my daughter was in bed, I asked my husband how the rest of the evening went. He said it was...traumatic...after hours building her house and creating characters, her Sims house caught on fire and the baby "went missing" (never to be found)!

So, the irony...while I was focused on violence and sexuality, it never occurred to me that real life trauma and sadness might be an issue! The good news is that the next day, after many tears and a lot of empathy, we started over. She built her house and her people...and this time, installed a fire alarm. Future disaster averted! She's now a big fan of the game.

The Sims Basics

Originally introduced in 2000, The Sims is a life simulation game where you create and control your own digital people. Perhaps not surprising, The Sims is the best selling PC game of all time (with over 100 million copies sold worldwide). At the highest level, it functions like what might be considered a virtual dollhouse. Albeit a very sophisticated dollhouse!

The game's "location," the sprawling Sunset Valley, affords dozens of interesting locations to visit and hundreds of actions and reactions based on each Sim's personality. Each Sim can pursue a career or relationship, start a family, chill at the beach or pool, play chess in the park, or even rummage through the neighbor's garbage.

Selected character traits give your Sim unique abilities and some entertaining attributes with true Sims (slapstick) humor. For example, the frugal trait will have your Sim clip coupons from the newspaper for discounts and reveal true joy at the savings!

From another perspective, The Sims is a time management game where digital people juggle daily and lifelong goals. There's the short-term need to keep your Sim fed, social, and happy, but then there are long-term needs that require your Sim to improve their skills in order to gain a promotion, work out to get into shape, tend to an elaborate garden, or maintain friendships. There's never enough time in the day, so you must learn to set and prioritize goals.

Parental Insights

The rating for The Sims series is "T" (for teen) by the ESRB, but, like many things, appropriateness can be very subjective.  Below are some thoughts and input that might be of help.

• In the game, sex is called "WooHoo" and can be accomplished a number of different ways. The most common method is to place two Sims on a bed by having them both "relax." Once both of the Sims are on the bed, "WooHoo" or "Try For Baby" are available. Sims must first be in love with one another or the interaction will not appear. Sims can also perform a "WooHoo" in a hot tub or in dressing rooms. Gender is not taken into consideration, making it possible for a "WooHoo" between two males or two females. Even though sex is certainly suggested, the graphic nature of the interaction can only be described as "PG."
• There is no nudity within the game. When a Sim takes a bath or shower, "blur" marks appeared over the Sim to simulate a "censored" tag. With the blur removed, the Sim looks like a mannequin with no details.
• There is essentially no violence within the game. No weapons are included, although Sims can die in many, and sometimes humorous, ways. No death is graphic, but can actually appear sad in some instances. Some methods of death include (but are not limited to) old age, drowning (by having your Sim get into a pool and then removing the ladder), electrocution (by having your Sim attempt to repair an electrical object without first possessing mechanical skills) and by fire (your house catches fire from the stove/oven or fireplace and the Sim is unable to extinguish the flames). Sims cannot inflict bodily harm on another Sim.
• The language has become known as "Simlish" ( a take on English). No words actually make any sense to any real language in the world. The Sims utter words that can seem to have meaning, but are actually very funny to listen to. There is no swearing or any words that can be construed as offensive to anyone within the game.

New with The Sims 3

• The game looks and feels much like The Sims always has, but updated. The animations are beautifully done and much more detailed than ever before.
• The big change in The Sims 3 is the fact that "life" no longer revolves around a single household at a time. Your Sims can go anywhere in town at any time.
• The Sims 3 also offers an interesting way to experiment with architecture, as it lets people design and outfit a dream home. There are an incredible amount of options when it comes to selecting wallpaper, paint, surfaces, and furniture. And when it comes to furnishings, clothes, and objects, you can create your own custom patterns.

For additional information about technology and your tween, check out these other articles on tweenparent.com:

With Proper Limits, Video Games Can Offer Benefits
Does Your Tween Need Help Managing Screen time?

Share your thoughts about overscheduling concerns and preteens:

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