There has been a disturbing trend developing in this country over the last decade. The trend I am talking about is blaming the behavioral problems of kids on the video games they play and trying to make laws to ban certain games for fear of their effect on children. This is, in my opinion, another attempt by lazy or distracted parents to find an outside reason for their kid’s behavior. The adults who play these games should not be restricted in what they can play simply because of a possible effect on children.
There are many games that are not made for kids and should not be played by them. Recent market research actually indicates that nearly 75% of the video game market is comprised of adults over the age of eighteen. Adults have more demanding tastes than kids so the makers try to please them since that is where most of their money comes from. In order to assist parents in choosing the right games to buy for their kids the ESRB (Entertainment Software Rating Board) was established in the late nineties. The ESRB reviews each game that comes out and gives it a rating based on content and suitability for children. These ratings are clearly posted on the package and can be used by the parents to decide whether the game is good
This is a great rating system and would alleviate problems with kids playing adult-oriented games if parents would use them. A recent survey of video game retailers, such as Electronics Boutique and Game Stop, shows that most parents never look at the game that their child wants instead they simply buy whatever the child picks up. Parents need to spend time looking after what their kids are playing at home and in the arcades. I would also recommend that these parents also look through any one of the many magazines based on this subject so that they can make an informed decision on what their children can play.
We as adults must remember that while kids are inexperienced they are not dumb. By the time a child is seven they can understand the concepts of real and make-believe. They can understand that a game is not real-life and will normally choose not to emulate what these on-screen characters do. There have been isolated incidences where it may have been an attempt to portray their favorite characters that has led to a child being hurt but no concrete link has ever been established. Proper supervision and teaching of a child goes a long way to preventing possible negative effects that any form of media may have on them.
There seems to be no way to really prove this link between violence in video games and violent behavior in children. Some scientific studies have seemed to indicate this link such as one that is published by the Lion and The Lamb Project. They seem to show that kids can become more aggressive and become desensitiz
Example Essays Home
