16 Mar, 2018 Sex scenes abound in CHOICES game found on Pinterest!
Choices: Stories You Play is an interactive game recommended to girls as young as 9 and even attainable through Pinterest! It’s loaded with “choices” girls can make that are causing them to experiment with a wide variety of sexual partners!
Picture this: you have a daughter starting her freshman year of college. She is smart, confident, grounded, and has the world at her feet. You want nothing but the best for her, and of course this includes her experience with higher education. Your daughter arrives for her first day on campus. Almost right away, she quite literally bumps into a young man, who explains that he doesn’t mind being “tackled” by a pretty girl.
Next, your daughter moves into her new home. She realizes both male and female students will be living there, and immediately wonders how many of her housemates – of either gender – she will “hook up” with. She meets her new roommate, a girl who encourages her to show up at a campus party where she will be seen by the entire student body wearing only a bikini. Finally, she meets a sorority girl with whom she instantly gets into a catfight over a guy, claiming victory not because of the words she used or how she chose to take the high road, but because of how great she looks in her bikini. Your daughter steps back, sighs contentedly, and says, “Now THIS is college!”
Dangers of Choices: Stories You Play
Does this sound like your worst nightmare? Maybe it is, but it’s also a scenario typical of the game “Choices: Stories You Play,” an app for Apple and Android published by Pixelberry Media. The app allows players to choose an avatar and a name for themselves to use while navigating through a series of, well, choices. There are several different scenarios you can place yourself in and one of them is being a college freshman at a (fictional) top university. Though the avatars a female player can choose from are of varying skin tones and thus we are supposed to see them as racially diverse, they all have a few key things in common: they are all thin, scantily dressed, and stereotypically beautiful.
Because the game is interactive, and the outcomes of each different scenario are dependent on what the player chooses, there are many ways the whole pretty-young-college-freshman scenario can play out. However, one thing is clear: this game is rife with stereotypes that are damaging to young women and men alike. Females are adversaries to one another, competing to see who can better sexually attract a man, and men are pieces of meat to be fought over who only value women for their looks. In the round I played, my avatar got into an argument (over a guy, naturally) with another character. She was then told by her roommate, “Your bikini won you an enemy,” and “Your first day and you already have a nemesis, you are so lucky!” because in the world of Choices, girls are meant to be valued based primarily on their physical appearance and to compete for attention from guys, rather than lift each other up.
Why this is concerning
So why, you may be thinking, does this game affect me as a parent? Because not only is it easily downloadable on any smart phone or tablet, its advertisements are imbedded in other popular apps such as Pinterest, allowing your son or daughter to be exposed to a game where they are encouraged to explore totally inappropriate and sometimes graphic situations involving drinking, partying, and sexuality. The game is heavy-handed with sexual trysts and relationships of all kinds, and players are often encouraged by other characters in the game to choose bad behavior – meanness, drinking, promiscuity – over morally sound choices. Frighteningly enough, I changed the settings on my App Store to find games specifically appropriate for ages 9-11, and Choices did indeed make it through that filter!
Moms, watch this quick clip about one of the scenes from the Freshman Book 4 – chapter 5 in the Choices game. It gets super sexual between two women at the 17 minute mark. This is what our kids are playing and we wonder why they are experimenting with the same sex, getting pregnant, and contracting an STD at 13 years of age. This company does anything BUT protect our young children!
Ironically, the creator of the game, Pixelberry Studios, includes a mission statement on the homepage of their website stating that they aim “to entertain and educate players via games.” The creators go on to say “We’re a small team, but we try hard to do the right thing. We’re excited to be making a difference through our games.” Though I am unsure what difference they are striving to make, it is abundantly clear that they are NOT “doing the right thing” for the youth they are exposing this game to. To voice your concern, click here to contact Pixelberry Studios to implore the makers of this game to – if they really do wish to educate – help educate our children to make smart choices, rather than dangerous, amoral, and downright poor ones.
Blocking this app
- Select “settings” on your child’s home screen
- select “general”
- select “restrictions”
- select “enable restrictions”
- choose a passcode
This passcode will need to be entered before your child can access or change any restricted areas on his or her device. This includes the app store! You can block all apps from being downloaded, and when your child approaches you wanting to download a particular app, you’ll have the opportunity to explore it for yourself first before it can be downloaded. (Handily, this feature also allows parents to block the ability to open any existing apps, so if you want to limit your child’s ability to go on Facebook, Instagram, and the like this is a great way to do it!) Android devices unfortunately are not able to block free apps from being installed, however there are apps parents can download (such as AppLock) to prevent certain apps from being accessed.
If you would like further research on this game, you can read many parents’ comments on their experiences with Choices through the Common Sense Media review here. If you’re wanting to do a pop culture purge in your home and replace any games that do not line up with your family values, text the words MEDIAGUIDE (no spaces) to the number 44222 and you will be emailed a sweet Parent Media Guide loaded with positive entertainment options for your kids! For CDs and DVDs to help your kids see Hollywood’s true agenda, click here to check out the new store!
SHARE THIS POST by hitting the share button above this article so more parents are aware of what is popping up on kids’ cell phones!
Rachel Rose who is a project manager at a large Chicago company was the contributing writer for this article. She is excited to one day raise a family and be a full-time mom.
Bob Johnson
Posted at 19:09h, 25 AugustAnd not like your Daughter is not already slamming guys in High School or going to college to “party” while going to school. I am sure you were an angle in your formative years.
Tina Marie Griffin
Posted at 09:38h, 24 SeptemberHi Bob,
I’m not sure what you’re talking about in your comment to this blog post? I don’t have a teen daughter and I was not having sex in high school. In fact, I waited to have sex until my wedding night. More people choose that route than what the media shows. I tried my best to steer clear of dangerous lifestyle while growing up, yes. My parents did a great job raising me and I loved Jesus and still do today. He taught me a ton over the years. Thank you for writing in!
The truth
Posted at 20:39h, 13 SeptemberMore and more young adults and children are hearing about APK downloads, which bypass monitoring apps and also be pass restrictions. If a user can’t download it from play store/app store, a quick APK search will let them making your point about stopping them from seeing the contents obsolete.
Tina
Posted at 06:40h, 24 SeptemberCan you email me more information on this? In fact, would you mind writing a blog post on this that I will share all over? if so, email me at info@counterculturemom.com and I will send you what I need for the blog post! Thanks!
Raleigh Rose
Posted at 17:08h, 20 SeptemberDude. Are you saying that LGBTQ+ stuff is bad? My girls seem to be fine with two moms.
Tina
Posted at 06:32h, 24 SeptemberHi Raleigh. Thanks for writing in. This is one of the top ?s I get from teens as well. I don’t talk about LGBT when I speak in my live shows or on my blog. So I’m wondering why you’re asking me this question. However, I can answer it for you. I want to clarify that it’s not what “I” think but what God says about this. I love Jesus, I placed my faith in him when I was 16 and since then, after reading scripture, I’ve learned a lot and I’m still learning a lot. This is one of the toughest ?s to answer, because I want you to know that I love you and care for you. I truly do. I even love those that say the meanest things to me and call me a hater. God someday will judge ME on how I answer this ? so I need to be truthful. All that said, God says in scripture many things about homosexuality. Please check out these verses and see what HE actually tells us.
1 Corinthians 6:9-11
1 Timothy 1:8-11
Romans 1:26-28
Those are some good places to start. I’m sure you are an amazing person along with your partner. I have friends who are living this lifestyle and some that are no longer living this lifestyle. I’m not a perfect person either. God is working on things with me throughout my walk with Him. There are many sexual temptations that Satan tries to deceive us with. I pray you can hear my heart in my response to you. It is with all sincerity that I tell you God loves you and wants you to learn more about Him and what he wants for your life. Thank you for writing in!!! Have a great week!
Michael Hensley
Posted at 12:05h, 16 MayWhile I agree with much of what you said in regard to protecting children from age inappropriate content, please ease off of the bible pedal. Your religeous views are yours and you are entitled to have them. Unfortunately your “same sex” comment in your original blog shows religeous bias.
You were asked about that and immediately started preaching from a book that I find infinitely more harmful to children than a game app. Please just stick to helping people block content that they might research and deem inappropriate for their own children.
Thanks for pointing out this problematic issue.
CCM Team
Posted at 07:16h, 02 SeptemberMichael, thank you so much for your comment! We definitely agree that we need to protect our children from content that is not appropriate. However, our standards at Counter Culture Mom will always come from God’s word. It is our mission to share the love of Christ and the truth of God’s word with all who have ears to hear! Thank you for being so thorough when reading and responding to our blog!
Bella Artista
Posted at 10:39h, 03 OctoberI found this article trying to block their advertising!
It’s smut.
And sexist. The ads I see are always one of the following, girl on girl (never see guy on guy, guy cheating on girl with maid, or something like that…
I’m 44, open minded about consenting adults, but very anti cheating or sexism.
This company needs to be removable and blockable.
Tired of playing an innocent game like feel breaker and seeing smut ads pop up.
Tina Marie Griffin
Posted at 23:51h, 07 OctoberI am right there with you! let me know if you see anything else that i need to warn people about. You can also join our Counter Culture Mom FB page or group and post info on those walls as well!
Holyfour
Posted at 05:39h, 15 OctoberI’m personally, don’t support such kind of ads. And games also. And a post is great. Thank you
Tina Marie Griffin
Posted at 08:35h, 31 DecemberThank you for your encouragement! Keep sharing truth as well!
God
Posted at 15:48h, 30 DecemberYou disgust me.
Tina Marie Griffin
Posted at 08:25h, 31 DecemberHi “God” AKA Satan… If you’re in favor of behaviors that are perverted and harm children, then I will be praying for you. Sincerely. The true GOD knows who you are. You’re either for God or against God and the true God of the Bible is full of wisdom and knowledge and HIS words are in support of what I posted in this article. I encourage you to read the article and scripture and then you will know the ONE TRUE GOD.
Ligma
Posted at 13:12h, 16 AprilI’m gonna 100% say that that would fall under ‘premium content’ and you had to buy that. Maybe its the parents fault for making their credit cards so accessible. This developer knows what sells and you cant bash them for that. All-in-all your article is a joke. Have nice day.
CCM Team
Posted at 07:25h, 02 SeptemberI appreciate your input on the article! Yes, parents should be more careful with the access their children have to their credit cards!
About the Game
Posted at 16:34h, 05 MayHi there.
Your main point of contention with this game, it seems, is the way it portrays same-sex relationships. This app portrays them in a light-hearted, healthy, and yes – sometimes sexual – view. Imagine your daughter is going to college. All she knows is Jesus and heterosexuality, christian media and virginity. Those are absolute great things to know about! I too follow Christianity, and and know the importance of living a life that He would want me to live. This is all your daughter knows and she enters a scary, progressive, liberal college with not a clue on how to act. She gets into a fight with a girl she just met by mistake, she accidentally collapses into a guy and he says something sexual to her, then she finds out she’s living in a multi gender apartment. Yikes! How should she act and respond to this situation? This app teaches young women (and men) the consequences that decisions may have in a fun and light hearted way. I think you need to consider what is making you angry about this app. Is it the same-sex relationships? That’s normal, and God loves everyone anyways. Sex? Better to read it then engage in it prematurely. How it pins girls against girls? That happens in real life. Take note of the strong platonic female relationships the app also promotes. Fighting over guys? You can choose to not fight over the guy in the game as well, and he will love you all the same. Or, you can play the game without any romance! Heterosexual or homosexual! You can choose to focus on the storyline and the platonic relationships the game offers. It’s called Choices, and you can choose what you want to do and say in the game. I’m sorry that you choose the options that would offend you the most, but I don’t think you should slander an app just because you don’t agree with 1% of it’s gameplay. And those ads? Not real gameplay, just a product of their external advertising company. God bless 🙂
CCM Team
Posted at 07:24h, 02 SeptemberHi there!
We agree on several points you have made! Absolutely we have to teach our children how to respond to situations in life like all of the ones you named. At Counter Culture Mom though our standard for what is good and true comes from God’s word. You are also right when you say that God loves all of His children. It becomes problematic when the basis for truth comes from our feelings rather than scripture. God does love us, and that is why he has set forth His word to show us what way of living will be beneficial for flourishing. A lifestyle of homosexuality is not healthy for us. If it were, it would be spoken of in scripture in that light!
Much love to you!
Lara Narayan
Posted at 07:52h, 08 MayWhat’s wrong with having relationships with the same sex? Also, the game has options to stay single and not have any sex. It’s fine for young girls, at least the mature ones.
CCM Team
Posted at 07:19h, 02 SeptemberHi Lara!
At Counter Culture Mom we base our standards for everything out of God’s word. That is how we come to the conclusion that same-sex relationships are not correct. We do however love our brothers and sisters who struggle in this area and pray that the Lord shows them the truth in His word.
Thank you for sharing the information that you can play the game in an appropriate manner. We are just concerned that young curious kids will not adhere to those limitations for a lack of maturity and understanding.
That was ignorant
Posted at 21:03h, 03 OctoberThere is no point in the original Bible where god says ANYTHING about same sex relationships. The original scripture that is often quoted is the one that says man shall now lay with another man and in the traditional Hebrew that it was ORIGINALLY written in, before translated and edited by self serving regular human MEN, it stayed man shall not lay with BOY meaning pedophilia not homosexual relationships. And there is also no time your Jesus mentions same sex relationships at all. Please read your Bible and research the actual “word” before trying to use it as a guideline and preach it incorrectly to others.