Teens and Video Games

Are video games good or bad for teens? Do parents know the content of the games they buy for their kids? Sony PS3, Nintendo's Wii, and Microsoft's Xbox are gaming consoles that are in millions of homes across the U.S., so, teens and video games is not a passing fad. In 2005 Kaiser Family Foundation reported that 83% of kids, eight to eighteen, have at least one video game player in their home, 31% have 3 or more video game players, and 49% have video game systems in their bedrooms.

It is now 2010, and if the the video game market in the United States reached over $21 billion in sales in 2008 (NPD Group, Inc 2008) it is safe to assume that video gaming is here to stay.

Do video games have any positive factors? The answer is yes and no. Overly aggressive and violent games, such as shooter games, can have a negative affect on teens and children because a child is still growing and developing. They may not have the capacity to separate reality from fantasy. Video game content varies, and parents are the key to keeping game play safe by making sure their child is only playing age appropriate games; it is a parent's responsibility.

Understanding the Rating Symbols
EC - Games rated EC (Early Childhood) have content that may be suitable for children age 3 and over. Contains no content that parents would find inappropriate.

E - Games rated E (Everyone) have content that may be suitable for players 6 and older. Games in this category may contain minimal cartoon, fantasy or mild violence and/or infrequent use of mild language.

E10+ - Games rated E10+ (Everyone 10 and older) have content that may be suitable for persons ages 10 and older. Games in this category may contain more cartoon, fantasy or mild violence, mild language and/or minimal suggestive themes.

T - Games rated T (Teen) have content that may be suitable for ages 13 and older. Games in this category may contain violence, suggestive themes, crude humor, minimal blood, simulated gambling, and/or infrequent use of strong language.

M17+ - Games rated M17+(Mature) have content that may be suitable for persons 17 years and older. Games in this category may contain intense violence, blood and gore, sexual content, and/or strong language.

AO18+ - Games rated AO18+ (Adults Only) have content that should only be played by persons 18 years and older. Games in this category may include prolonged scenes of intense violence and/or graphic sexual content and nudity.

RP - Games listed as RP (Rating Pending) has been submitted to the ESRB and is awaiting final rating. This rating symbol appears only in advertising prior to a game's release.

There are many games that are fun and educational, and with the release of Nintendo's Wii system kids and parents can actually get some physical exercise, and burn calories while playing exercise-oriented games. Trivia games based on popular TV game shows can be educational. There are many sports games, tennis, golf, bowling, baseball, football, soccer, and basketball are all games that are safe and fun for teens.

There is a lot of controversy about whether or not video games are responsible for a teen's behavior, however, it is up to parents to monitor their teen's video gaming choices, and the amount of time spent playing video games.

Parents must stay on top of their teen's activities, and that may mean becoming an annoying parent or the parent that is not cool like "everyone else's parents" that let them play whatever they want. If you fall for these teen tactics then you as a parent are failing your child. Be the parent that says "no" you cannot play that game. Teens and video games are a part of life, and some video games can be a positive form of entertainment.

Parents print out the list of ratings if you need to. And do a search on the Internet to get information about a game title your teen is asking for if you are unfamiliar with it. If your teen is already playing a game you know nothing about, read the case, check the rating, play it for a while, go online and look it up, whatever it takes find out what kind of game your child is playing.

Effective parenting is a must because the video game industry is a billion dollar business, and that means it is here to stay. Therefore it is up to parents to take action, and become active in their teens life.

Source: National Institute on Media + The Family