Recently in Russia, the popular life simulation franchise The Sims was discussed once again. Clinical psychologist and pediatric neuropsychologist Kira Makarova, in an interview with Gazeta.Ru, spoke about the age at which children can play The Sims.
The official rating for The Sims 4 is “PEGI 12”; however, the psychologist believes that the game could cause psychological trauma to younger children, as a child is not capable of properly “digesting” certain scenes.
According to Kira Makarova, one needs to pay close attention to how a child interacts with the characters. In The Sims, players can create situations that lead to the death of Sims themselves—the psychologist believes that this can cause emotional distress in children:
If a child also begins actively causing characters to die, or even killing them, that raises a major ethical question.
The Sims also features romantic relationships and intimate scenes (not in an explicit form). In the psychologist's opinion, such content is acceptable for a teenager, but only provided that they are mature enough to understand the simulated nature of what is happening.
For 13-14-year-old teenagers, the psychologist advises playing for about an hour while taking breaks. However, strictly monitoring every minute of the gaming session is not necessary.
Instead of bans, Kira Makarova recommends that parents discuss the gaming experience in The Sims with their children, take an interest in the characters, and ask what engages them. However, if after gaming sessions a child starts withdrawing into themselves, acting aggressively, or feeling anxious, it is necessary to temporarily limit access to the game and seek help from a specialist.