PS for Parental Supervision

For his birthday, my fiancee wanted a Playstation 2 console so of course I wouldn't let him down. I visited the nearby game store and the place was flooded with children as young as twelve. Mind you, there were no parents around and the pre-teens had money ready to purchase these games containing women in bikinis and gore on the cover. According to a June 2006 Federal Trade Commission on Marketing of Violent and Explicit Video Games, "forty-two percent of the secret shoppers . . . who attempted to buy an M-rated video game without a parent were able to purchase one." M for Mature is intended for anyone over the age of 17. It "...may contain mature sexual themes, more intense violence and/or strong language." Growing up I always enjoyed playing Nintendo games, especially the classic Mario Bros. when it was innocent and didn't require a rating of any kind. Now, the content in video games has changed dramatically.

It doesn't take a gamer to know the content in video games. They're all over: on billboards, commercials, etc. Most importantly, parents see these images and it makes one wonder how parents can let it slide knowing or not knowing their child is playing graphic video games rated M. It would be beneficial for both the parent and the child to set guidelines in monitoring proper gaming.

The most important guideline would be to look out for any advertisements you see. Not only do you become familiar with the name of the game and the cover but you can also talk to your child about it. Ask him/her, "Have you heard of [game title]?" then progress the conversation from there by describing what was on the cover and if your child would like to play that game and why. Go through the rating system with your child and tell them what isn't suitable for him or her. Ask if any of his/her friends have that game.

Since we're in a technological era browsing websites containing reviews and comments from parents or gamers is another useful guideline. A valuable website www.mediafamily.org/kidscore/index.shtml is a useful tool.

Attend a game store and search for games that you would deem suitable for your child. Look for games that require strategies and decision-making to win the game rather than one that would entail violent behavior.

Those were just some guidelines parents can follow and nothing is a guarantee that it will stop your child from playing video games containing explicit content. However, showing your child that you're "with the times" and want to keep on top of what they view demonstrates your concerns as a parent.