Cigarettes Being Promoted On Gaia

[Trinity-Anne]

I'm very anti-smoking in real life, but even I don't mind having pipe and cigarette-like items for the avatars. In fact, I might just buy the pipe someday, just for the sheer novelty of its imagery. Besides, has anyone noticed that those holdeable soda bottles look a lot more like beer bottles?

[Elf of the Shadows]

John RuffNight

Akuma Takidora

KawaiiKohaku

Akuma Takidora

Yet we also get google ads that are promoting sexual personals.

Cig's gonna stay.

If you think that's wrong too you should be protesting it instead of saying, "oh well everything else is messed up so why not have cigs?" That's not a very good argument.

I dont think that is wrong, I just dont CARE.

I personaly smoke in real life.
I think it looks good on my avatar.
And just because its on my little pixle avatar, does not mean that it will have some seven year old kid ask himself "Hey, maybe I should go take one from my daddys pack."

Actually it IS that kinda thing that kids start to think. their minds are feeble and still really flexable. The tiniest lil thing could set them off.

But on the other hand, even though gaia DOES have a cig item, the site isnt just for kids and young adults, you dont see too many adult items now do you? Right now there is a fair balance of age group items that I think is working out just fine. No need to ban the cig, but there also isnt any need to be a sarcastic jack about it when defending that the cig should stay ^.^

I TOTALLY AGREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! exclaim

[Elf of the Shadows]

KawaiiKohaku

John RuffNight

Akuma Takidora

KawaiiKohaku

Akuma Takidora

Yet we also get google ads that are promoting sexual personals.

Cig's gonna stay.

If you think that's wrong too you should be protesting it instead of saying, "oh well everything else is messed up so why not have cigs?" That's not a very good argument.

I dont think that is wrong, I just dont CARE.

I personaly smoke in real life.
I think it looks good on my avatar.
And just because its on my little pixle avatar, does not mean that it will have some seven year old kid ask himself "Hey, maybe I should go take one from my daddys pack."

Actually it IS that kinda thing that kids start to think. their minds are feeble and still really flexable. The tiniest lil thing could set them off.

But on the other hand, even though gaia DOES have a cig item, the site isnt just for kids and young adults, you dont see too many adult items now do you? Right now there is a fair balance of age group items that I think is working out just fine. No need to ban the cig, but there also isnt any need to be a sarcastic jack about it when defending that the cig should stay ^.^

I agree that there are adults on here but is the cig really necessary? You have to agree with me in that kids under 18 are the majority on this forum. I mean it just seems really unnecessary to me especially since it has potential risks for impressionable young minds.

i CANNOT exclaim AGREE WITH U MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! exclaim

[Inappropriate Fudge]

zomg.

digital emphysema.

[Nariko17]

last time I checked this site was pg-13. Think about that for a moment. That means that most the people using this site should be 13+ or have parental supervision while using the site. By the time a kid is 13 they have pretty much made up their minds about smoking, and if they are under 13 then their parents should be watching them better. I don't think having a cig on gaia changes a childs mind about smoking just because it is online. They will see it EVERYDAY in the real world and at school so whys it matter if it is here? My 7yr old little god-child can get on gaia and sees it, but she still has no desire to smoke.. The cig should stay. Seriously, there are many users that are 18+.

[Yearly Goddess]

pantera1

i CANNOT exclaim AGREE WITH U MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! exclaim

..Don't do that, please. I find it very irritating. gonk

Kids are being too protected these days. We watched a video in class about how the media promotes sex, drugs, and violence, and almost everything promoted it. I don't think a cigarette on a website is going to really affect much. o.o

[Sakoiyi]

I'm against smoking in real life.
But I think the cig should stay. It's an awesome item that can just add that touch to certain avatars.

Also, if it influences kids in a bad way, then what is that kid doing on gaia? I believe it's a PG-13 site. And I don't believe a pixel cigarette on gaia will affect a child anymore than seeing all the ads that are in magazines, etc.

[p a p e r c l i p]

i see your point but i dont think it has as much effect as something in real ife, if there were childern that were like 8 on here, then i would worry, but at this age we are more influenced by things in real life

[FallingAlaster]

SEEING a pixel cigarette doesn't just make kids want to smoke. It's so small an item you can hardly see it, too. Besides that, Gaia is NOT a babysitting service. If some kid is so influenced by Gaia that the cig item makes them smoke or even more inclined to smoke, A) It's not really Gaia's responsibility, and B) The kid is REALLY impressionable and should be under stricter supervision. If an internet game site changes you that much then there are other problems.

Also some of us, myself included, are legal smoking age anyway. (Not that I do, both my roommates in my apartment have asthma. Also smoking smells weird.)

[Sephy_Chan]

Im going to have to agree with those that disagree on this. Gaia shouldnt be a place for kids to learn about right and wrong, thats for school and family. I dont smoke drink do drugs or any of that, my parents dont smoke some of my relatives do and honestly I made this choice on my own when I was small. If your child is influenced by a pixel or a picture to think its cool and you feel you have no or not enough control in their lives to tell them the difference then perhaps theres something wrong. This site has gone to great lengths to make itself open to everyone of all ages and backgrounds, taking it a step further and using it to teach the masses seems uncalled for and nearly impossible. Let it be and do your part in your childs life by taking the time and teaching them what you want on your own, dont expect the world to be perfect and do it for you.

[Reverend Smooth]

Anime-based site, characters in anime smoke- even in kids' anime.

Heck, there's smoking in the latest Miyazaki movie.

[L i e b e]

This is a PG-13 site. Kids under the age of 13 shouldn't be here anyways. Teens over the age of 13 know not to smoke yet they're going to do so. I personally think it's not the ads that are making the kids but the kids them selves. Choice and common sence play a huge role. The cigs are going to stay. What about gambling? Should they ban that too? No because it's all about choice.

[Rennie`]

Smoking is a dirty habbit and it shouldn't be advertised at all! evil

[StupifiedSuperCop]

Shes right, they shoudnt have put it in gaia in the first place because all its doing is creating trouble! evil stressed scream domokun

[my helIo kitty]

blizzard5xz

Shes right, they shoudnt have put it in gaia in the first place because all its doing is creating trouble! evil stressed scream domokun

How?