Violent Video Games
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2010-04-28/violent-video-games
The Supreme Court takes on another free-speech challenge: whether states can ban the sale of violent video games to minors: Arguments for and against expanding obscenity standards to include violent images.
Guests
Leland Yee
California State Senator
Cheryl Olson
Co-Director, Center for Mental Health and Media, Harvard Medical School
Richard Taylor
Entertainment Software Association
Eugene Volokh
professor of 1st Amendment law, UCLA Law School
Craig Anderson
distinguished professor of psychology, Iowa State University
Comments
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Many of these video games aren't marketed or meant for children in the first place. Grand Theft Auto is a prime example of a rated 'M' game that is meant for adults. The target demographic of these games are ages 21+ Several stores, including Target, Walmart and Game Stop already require an ID to purchase these games. At Game stop if it's known by the clerk that the game is being purchased for a child they're obligated by store policy to advise the adult purchasing the game that it is rated 'M' and why it's given that rating. This isn't something that needs to be handled by law, it's a matter of parenting. If you feel your child can handle the game that's your call. When I was underage my brother and I often played games that would be 'M' by today's standards, including the original Grand Theft Auto, after my mother had already played it and decided we were mature enough to handle it.
If there is a causal link between these games and aggressive behaivor then why is youth violence not only down but way down since these games have been introduced?
You can track a trend line which follows the introduction of these games and the reduction in youth violence. It is far more likely that these games create an outlet and release for aggressive behaivor than a cause of aggressive behaivor.
I'm not sure why these "games" are allowed on the market place at all. If these games desensitize individuals to violence and depravity, make individuals un-empathetic then they are not constructive for a society that values goodness. It also makes me wonder why these so called games are used to train 'law' enforcement and the military--is the goal to make these agents mindless un-empathetic killers? No wonder why so many do not trust the "authorities" if our "peace" keepers and military are trained with the bias of violence over peace keeping and conflict resolution.
Please, California - stop trying to be the nation's nanny. The rating system works just fine, we don't need yet another legislation boondoggle.
Freedom of speech? Wasn't it's intent not to cause physical harm? It's not the video game, but the perception of reality and what it manifests. I appreciate you speaking of risk factors. Media is a risk factor and the video game is media. Right before this morning's broadcast, the news reported the 18 stabbings in China of school children AND the execution of the person who stabbed 8 children last month. We are in two wars that we speak on and show (in your face) every day. Why wouldn't we think that these games are just a connection of our real lives?
Thank you so much for forcing him to answer the question about the correlation between aggressive/violent behaviour and violent video games.
I am 27 years old, and have been playing video games since the NES hit the shelves. I was able to play whatever games I wanted to play, and the amount of violent games that I played and the content never made me a more violent person. No one that I know, and many of them would play the ultra-violent video games have no taste for physical violence.
To ban games simply for the content, as opposed to keeping out of the hands of children not prepared for the subject matter is dangerously myopic, and it reeks of laziness and scapegoating.
Be a parent to your child, don't blame it on music and video games.
the senator stated that police are desensitized to pain to pain and suffering so that they can stop crime. I was a policeman. I was never taught anything that would make me less sensitive to pain or suffering. Police are taught to serve and protect not serve and kill.
I can't say the same for the Army and Marines because I was in the Air Force., but we were never taught any thing like that.
Also, as a child, I and all of the others in my neighbor played cowboys and indians where we shot at each other , watched westerns with massive shootouts, and war movies with shooting, bombing and blown up bodies.
If what we saw had desensitized us as he things video games do, there would be no civilization left.
JMA
It works perfectly. You're absolutely correct. Don't sell them to kids, and don't let your kids play them. Job done.
I, and many others play a game called "Arma2" which bills its self as a combat simulator. I find that these player from around the world tend to be well adjusted mid 20s and above. I strongly believe that this would infringe on our free speech.
When children play with toy guns and pretend to shoot each other or play cut one another with toy swords with no remorse during play, it does not mean that they do not understand the difference between play and reality. If real violence does occur, the problem did not start with the game, that person has had issues long before. I believe that the majority of people can distinguish the difference between fantasy and reality. To the the majority of people the games have no real effect on their everyday lives because shooting a virtual person is not the same as shooting a real one. We need to give people more credit.
The tendency to accept of allowing children access to both depictions of horrifying and sadistic types of violence, and even simulated participation in that violence, while recoiling with horror at the sight of a bare female breast, for instance, is one reason why the United States is looked at as more than slightly crazy in many countries.
While video games may be rated, marketing of these video games is incredibly aggressive, pressuring parents to purchase games for younger and younger ages. An incredibly insightful documentary on this issue is "consuming kids: the commercialization of childhood". The Alliance for Childhood has joined 25 other organizations to form a new coalition, Stop Commercial Exploitation of Children (SCEC), to oppose the ever-growing presence of advertising aimed at children. Corporations now spend more than $12 billion annually marketing to children, according to information compiled by SCEC. Video games with any form of violence, physical aggression is harmful to our children. Why buy-in to it as entertainment, when it is teaching our children to turn inward, away from real interaction with their peers, away from positive social interaction with their greater community of family, friends and neighbors.
First, my worry is that focusing on video games is a distraction from real issues. If we judge violence based upon acts that result in imprisonment and jail time, is there a relation? I work with youth that are considered at risk and more at risk to exhibit aggressive or violent behavior. These youth don’t play video games because they and their families can’t afford them. Their violent behavior doesn’t come from playing a video game, it comes from being on the street for lack of other forms of entertainment. If they were inside PLAYING VIDEO GAMES they’d be less likely to become involved in those instances that are exhibitions of violence. Those youth that I have worked with that do come from backgrounds that allow for the purchase of games and game systems more directly relate their aggressiveness to sports and competition how does that relate?
Second, I have a lot of concerns with most of the studies stated because there’s no mention for how variables are controlled. Do kids that play more violent video games also spend less time with parents? If so then could not the reason for this be less parental involvement as much as video games? Do youth that play violent video games also participate in more competitive sports? Is their diet different? Are their parents richer (able to afford video games) and therefore they feel more entitled?
I haven't heard this mentioned yet, but all of the current game consoles have parental controls built in. Using a password, the parent has the ability to determine what ratings are playable on the console, so if the parent doesn't want their 10 year old to play 'M' rated games, they can do to that with absolutely no effort.
I have no problem with the studies being done on the effects of video games on children. However, I believe the target of these studies should be on improving the role of parents in what their children use for entertainment, not the role of the entertainment business in child development. Parents are supposed to be responsible for the development of their children, not the entertainment industry. My parents took an active role in monitoring both my television and video game exposure when I was a child and parents today should do the same.
PS: As an adult I have played Grand Theft Auto and found it very enjoyable... but I wouldn't let me child play it.
I am a parent, and I am in charge of my son's video game playing. I don't need the government interfering with my purchases.
He does not play Grand Theft Auto, because I am the parent and I am responsible.
He does not go off into his room and play video games by himself. I'm aware of what games he has and plays and the content of them, often because I have played them myself first. And, yes, sometimes I have denied him some games because me and my wife decided it wasn't appropriate.
I'm a 35 year old video-game-playing mother of a 5 year old, who by the way is allowed to play certain video games in our home or with us in arcades, and I don't understand why the video-game industry even wants a double standard when it is clear that this has the potential to blow up in their faces. If they ask for separate standards, then they will stand alone should regulators ever want to tighten up the ratings systems or revisit this retail-to-minors issue later if research does eventually prove that violent video games correlate directly with violent behavior. If they agree to play by the same rules as the rest of the entertainment industry, they have some safety in numbers as they would share a power base with the film industry, the adult website industry, and print media.
As a side note, I can vouch for a generation of parents who grew up with video games and are frustrated at the lack of age-appropriate titles for their young children. I don't necessarily want every game my child plays to teach him the periodic table or a foreign language, but it would be nice to have more games that require no reading skills and are just plain fun to play. We've been very pleased with the Wii platform, but even then it's so hard to find something that I can play with my son that doesn't drive me crazy, or that he can play alone without me having to constantly read directions to him. The games that are out there that he can play intuitively are unfortunately all games with at least cartoon or superhero violence.
Tracy from Ohio
What about the aggressive nature of the society we live in. Children participating in middle and high school sports are actually encouraged to seek the limits of their aggression. Aggression that tends to spill into their social interactions.
To my horror, I discovered my 7 year old son playing "Halo" at a friend's home while I sat and chatted with his mother upstairs. I was shocked that she owned this game for her own 7 and 5 year old sons, and couldn't believe it was at their disposal to put in and play whenever they want. My son loves video gaming, and we keep a close eye on the content of games he plays - never mature, or over his age level. Clearly, I need to supervise his play better when we're not at home (and I do) but why is it okay for this mother to let her sons play this game, which is, to me, akin to allowing them to smoke or drink, both illegal activities for kids their age?
Cmack, your argument is a perfect example of what I was talking about. You say "While video games may be rated, marketing of these video games is incredibly aggressive, pressuring parents to purchase games for younger and younger ages". Whether the advertising is aggressive or not, it is still your responsibility as a parent to make the tough decisions for the sake of your childs development. Parenting is not about being your child's best friend and making the easy decisions. Parenting is about making the tough decisions, knowing that if you raise your child correctly they will thank you for it when they get older.
I'm 72 and have played many video games over the years.
1. Grand Theft Auto is a violent quasi-pornographic drug addled killing game that requires one to drive irresponsibility at high speeds while ignoring all traffic laws. I love it. I never play this game when I am going to be driving, because my driving instincts are temporarily impaired-- i.e., I tend to speed.
I am an adult, and know that the drug culture is bad, that being impolite to women is not a good idea, and using a gun to solve your problem is a bad idea.
2. No kid should play Grand Theft Auto. They lack the experience described in 1, above. Very few 10 year old kids haven't at least seen Grand Theft Auto-- if Dad doesn't have it somebody else's Dad does have it.
I do believe that violent video games causes aggressive behavior. I have a friend who, while driving at a very busy intersection, accidentally hit, and killed, a known alcoholic. He got out of the car, looked at him, and laughed about it. My friend plays a lot of violent video games, and I do believe there is a connection between that, and these horribly desensitized behaviors.
While it's true that some violent crime indicators have gone down over the last 15 years, let's not forget that AS A SOCIETY we have become more violent in that time. We are engaged in two wars: Afghanistan and Iraq. And it was during this time that our government also authorized the use of torture against individuals held in U.S. custody.
I am a researcher who demonstrated the long term causal effects of video violence. Dr. Anderson is the informed person on this panel. (Tell Dr. Anderson that Rowell Huesmann has been my research colleague over many years.)
Thank you.
Leo Walder
301/474-1875
Would we let a child play a video game that simulated drinking, smoking, drug use, sexual acts, etc? Why do we as a society view violence as an acceptable outlet for children?
TracyD, get your child a leapster or other leapfrog gaming device. None of the major gaming consoles are targeted at 5 year olds. They may have some games that enter that age range but they will be few because that is not their target demographic. The video game industry is a business and its only interest should be selling as many video games as possible and it is unreasonable to expect them to focus on such a small demographic.
Is it possible that violent media increases public acceptance of violence perpetrated by our government? Would it account for the lack of outrage over torture of prisoners in Iraq?
nancyh68 - Do you ever let your children watch TV without you in the room? There's no actual proof that these video games have effects just as deterimental to well-being as drinking and smoking. You can also take a child into a rated R movie if you're the parent and along with them. Should that be illegal also? There's a big difference between ingesting poisons and entertainment media.
Many are M rated only? Have you gone to a GameStop lately? There are walls and walls of innoffensive E rated games!
I was a former retailer of video games in 2003 through 2006. I took it as my personal responsibility, beyond the ground rules set by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB) and company policies, to make sure that customers were aware of exactly what they were buying.
I don't think a state-wide ban on violent video games is any long-term solution, as the parental controls and restrictions already exist. Also, many of my customers were quick to impose their own rules for their children once they realized what it was they were buying.