Why are so many RP sims so kid unfriendly?

[HarrisonMcKenzie 216]

What the title says. It seems like a lot of RP sims prohibt sex and nudity, yet also prohibit kids. I'm not talking babies, I mean older kids and teens. Younger characters exsist in ever time and setting, yet there is a blanket ban on anyone under 18.

Why is that? I mean, I'm not trying to get into a Gor sim or anything inappropriate. I waant to have fun in SL like everyone else, so why the agism when it really isn't necessary?

[irihapeti 39]

as one venue owner told me

i dont allow littlies on my sim bc I got heaps of scars on my ankles in the RL. scars given me by rugrats. Horrible little things they are. them rugrats

bite your whole leg off they will if you dont stomp on them. On my virtual self I dont want any scars on my ankles at all. I still have nightmares about all them RL rugrats and I dont want that to happen to my virtual self. Not ever

(:

[Rhonda Huntress 17,669]

LOL

 

My youngest grand daughter (18 months) is teething and she can bite hard!  I know your pain.

[Amethyst Jetaime 1,563]

The owner of a venue decides who can get in and who can't.  They don't have to have a reason that makes sense to any one or really any reason at all per the TOS.  If they have a reason they don't have to tell you anything before booting and banning you. 

A lot of people are very wary of child avatars, even though they know they are being driven by adults.  A venue owner may not allow child avatars because most of the regular patrons don't want to be around them and will leave. 

It could also be the type of roleplay going on.  Not all roleplay is suitable for the presence of children in the opinion of the owner and/or other players.  For instance a heavy combat roleplay.  In RL there may be kids around during such an event, but it doesn't have to be that way in SL.

These are just the more common reasons.  If you want to go someplace that doesn't allow children, then wear an adult avatar.  I have several avatars and a lot of different styles of dress that I can wear if i go to a sim that caters to specific avatars or uses historical costumes.  To me its the polite thing to do so not to distract others from what they are doing or the ambience set for the venue.  It's also fun IMO to make yourself completely different from time to time.

The bottom line is that you have a right to be anything you want in SL, including a child.  However you do not have the right to go places where your type of avatar is not allowed.

[Cinnamon Mistwood 243]

Every sim owner that bans kids will have their own reasons for doing so.  Not every adult wants to interact with people RPing kids, or people RPing furries, or people RPing elves.  The sim owner gets to decide who is welcome and many will base that decision on what their customers want. I know you want to have fun too, but asking them to accept you when they don't want to role play with kids is pushing the freedom a bit.  I do not consider it ageism, but freedom of association.  I don't mind SL kids, I'll play along when I am in areas where they are.  My house  is located on G rated land and everyone is welcome.  BUT - I want to log in and have adult converstions, too, not worry about what or how I say it - bad words and all and I like an area where I can do just that.

There are many sims and RP areas that ARE kid friendly, fun and active.

[HarrisonMcKenzie 216]

Perhaps the better question is "do they have a reason?" Sure, sim owners can do whatever they want, but there has to be a reason floating in there head somewhere. Is it fear? Is it descrimination? Do they not know the ToS? There's a reason why we do things.

And sure there are counless community Rp sims, but that's not what I'm talking about. Why am I unwlecome in cyberpunk or sci-fi? How many medieval fantasy sims allow kids? So far, the answer is not many actual RP sims outside of kid safe family fun time. Why?

[Cinnamon Mistwood 243]

Several reasons were given in the above posts.  None of them have to do with fear, discrimination or not knowing the TOS.  They have everything to do with personal preference and control of your own area.

Have you tried making a post asking about RP places where you would be welcomed instead of complaining about the places you're not (as a kid av)?  You could put in your preference for  a not modern family RP setting.

 

"Early or mid-teen av looking for RP opportunities in Fantasy/Sci-fi, historic/futuristic type role play"

 

[Tari Landar 2,680]

I suppose the most basic reason is....

The TOS doesn't prohibit it, at all.

You might consider it discrimination, and by definition alone it very well may be. However the TOS doesn't consider it as such.

There are lots of reasons that people have given, though. Some of the ones I have heard:

Sim owner has no desire to associate with children, perceived or otherwise

Guests of the sim have no desire to associate with children, perceived or otherwise

Children don't fit in with the general RP environment, regardless of suggestions otherwise by those not allowed

Some child avs may indeed be ran by children

The general behavior of child avatars has caused either sim owner, or guests, to decide to simply avoid the potential for such in the future. (things like speech, mannerisms, general attitude towards others) because it may ruin the atmosphere of the given RP.

Of course any number of these, or none at all(and they certainly aren't the only reasons) may play a role. In some cases, you can thank those who came before you, because they created a situation wherein "too many bad apples ruined the bunch", so to speak, in the eyes of some people.  Still there ARE RPs that welcome children, you just have to look for them. I'm not justifying any of the reasons for others, these are all just things I have seen people say. Just as you have a right to avoid people you don't want to be around, everyone else does as well. Personally, I can't stand being around people who gesturbate(use gestures way too often, or use really annoying ones), so I avoid those people and places where they might gather. Just a personal preference, because gestures grate on my nerves, and they have ruined a great deal of venues for me(because those folks are welcome there). I already keep the sound off when I go anywhere that they are likely to show up, but it doesn't stop the chat spam gestures bring. Some might call that discrimination on my part as well. Frankly, I don't give a rat's left nut if they do, lol. When I owned a sim, a gathering place for people, I strictly forbid them and had a two strike rule, after which I enabled the banhammer. My sim, my money, my rules. That may seem hard headed to some, but if you think about it, would you want to be forced to be around others you have no interest in being around? Or rather, forced to allow them to use something you pay $195USD+ a month for? 

[AlecDeBoeuil 0]

Because kids are absolute pains in both RL and SL. Especially the latter, where they don't have the excuse of not knowing any better.

Alec - kids, roasted, with sage and onion stuffing and lots of gravy

[AmandaKeen 1,957]

For the past 5 years or so, SL has had to deal with various people who are being "vigilant" for virtual pedophilia and child-cybersex in SL.  

With the best of intentions, those persons direct their attentions to sims that have (a) child avatars and (b) Adult Activity and it gradually created a "this is too much of a hassle" mentality amongest some RP sim administrators as Linden Lab placed tighter Controls in place to protect itself (and keep SL going) and the threat of them being litigated against as individiuals remained present.

So, its the age-old story of "punish everyone to make sure you punish the few"

 

I've never seen child avatars banned for meanness; its just a casualty of a litigous society.

 

Well..I HAVE seen a few Child Avatars whose typists seemed determined to manifest all the most annoying behaviors small children can come up with (as well as some heavy-handed audio spam of "cute child sounds"), but a click of the Mute Button cured that.......

[ToniRossCorona 0]

 Im a nanny irl so when I get on SL I dont want to deal with kids,babies,whaetever even if im not doing adult things. Im assuming many sim owners,managers,whatever are parents irl, or nannys,babysitters,etc and feel the same.

[Fox Paragorn 5]

I am friend to 2 sims owner and one of them at first did allowed childs, but, he had to ban them because they did not respected not being dressed.

the other one was an adult sim so that makes more sense but. the problem is that is people complain the sim owner is the responsable but its far easier to set an automatic ban on heigh than on if they are clothed or not. so why risk to have your sim removed because someone does not respect the rules.

So its more direct to just ban using height, or age. And you may say "so one person does something wrong and all are banned" well yes, but put on the shoes of the owner you want to have your sim banned?

besides childs in sl look really bad. they look like dwarfs.

[Zeevie Amat 0]

I understand most peoples reasons for banning them, Alot of places don't have the time nor staff to watch everything, We do allow them at Kingdom of the large waters but we do make them sign an extra paper on rules for do and don'ts and the rules on adult activities are strictly enforced and watched far more closely on them. I love kids for real and in sl but we want everyone to follow the TOS and keep things clean and fun for all. As everyone has said it is up to the owners.. and if enough sims saw the child players where acting properly and keeping things on the up and up they'd most likely be way more open to matters allowing them. Thats how we feel anyway, lets show everyone that playing a child in sl is fun and not gonna cause any issues. ^.^

[irihapeti 39]

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Fox Paragorn wrote:

. they look like dwarfs.

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you dwarfist you !!!

jejejejejje (: