Violent games Influence Your Child? HA!
Aug 15 '00
To this day, I do not understand why politicians are blaming the video game industry for influencing children to commit acts of violence. Video games are entertainment, much like TV, movies, and music. Nothing more. I hear no one blaming filmmakers for having violent movies, or telling record companies to make their music less graphic. So why pick on video games? It is my opinion that people are blaming increased aggression in children on video games because it is the least popular of the entertainment industries, making it the easiest to drop the burden on.
No matter what the reason, I do not think that they should be blaming anyone. Think about this: when you pay for TV, you do not choose what programs are on, so it is very easy for children to watch violent movies without you knowing. However, since you purchase video games individually, you know what they are seeing. You have much more control over screening violence when you buy video games. ESRB rates all video games, so you can easily see if the game is appropriate. Many people say that the ESRB rating is not trustworthy, and I do agree with this. ESRB should straighten themselves out, fully evaluating the game before slapping a rating on. Suitable rating or not, parents should be responsible enough to look at the back of the game and read what it is about. In those 30 seconds of reading, you should be able to determine whether or not the game is fitting for your child.
Please do not tell me that TV shows like Power Rangers is a better influence for your child than most video games. These shows are aimed at children, and the whole point of the show is fighting. Video games are aimed at a wider age range, and most of them do not revolve around fighting. Movies are the most violent media, yet they are not targeted by this anti-violent situation. Why?
The only reason that I can see why the video game industry is being blamed is because the child actually controls what is going on. In a movie, they just watch. In video games, you take control of the action, and you act violently. That still means nothing! I played video games all of my childhood, and I still do. I liked the violent type of games, like Mortal Kombat, but my mother would not let me buy them. Though I was upset, this worked great! However, my older sister undermined my mother, and bought me Mortal Kombat. Yipeeeee! I played it day after day, ripping off people’s heads, slicing them apart, and beating them senseless. That series must be the most violent games out there. Yet I never was violent, and I still am not. I have never even touched a weapon, or thought about the fact of owning one. I believe that video games may encourage some children to be violent. But these are the same children that would be affected by movies and TV. They would be just as bad if they did not have video games, so do not go looking for a scapegoat.
I doubt that politicians will get anywhere with all of this fuss, and I sure am glad. Video games are a great form of entertainment for children and adults, and should not be thought of as a influence of violence. If they are, then the movie industry and TV should go down in the mud with them. One for all, all for one!
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Epinions.com ID:
JimboF32
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