Violence in Videogames

I would like to pose a couple of questions to any parents of pre-teens who might be reading this: Would you allow your child to watch people use illegal drugs? Would you allow them to read pornographic magazines or watch adult movies? Would you allow them to watch a graphic murder caught on tape?

For the sake of humanity's future, I certainly hope not. Why is it, then, that many parents will purchase video games for their children containing adult-oriented themes without batting an eye? Are these the parents who haven't played a video game since Atari so they don't understand the graphic depictions their children are witnessing (and, in many cases, controlling)? Today's video games, be they console games like Playstations or X-boxes or PC games, are nearly photo-realistic and at times look very, very real. I know of children under ten years old who own games that are rated "Teen" or "Mature" and many of these games were purchased by their parents or at least with their parent's consent. These same games depict graphic murders (think "shotgun blast to the head" or much, much worse), violence to anyone and everyone, full frontal nudity, rape and prostitution, drug use (and the sale thereof) and many, many other crimes. These parents might just as well give Junior a bottle of Scotch, a couple of joints, a handgun and a hooker and send him to his room.

Now, with all that said, you might think that I feel we should ban these video games. Far from it. In fact, I have enjoyed several of these "racier" games myself, so I know that of which I speak. So am I some kind of hypocrite? No - I'm an adult. I can buy booze and look at porno all I want. I can rent a "Faces of Death" DVD and watch my fellow humans suffer horrifying fates caught on film if I choose (which, for the record, I do not) because I'm not a child. I can also buy violent, off-color games and play them to my heart's content, but children? Children most definitely should not.

The ESRB (Entertainment Software Rating Board, www.esrb.org) has a video game rating system that has been in place for a few years now. It ranges from "EC" for "Early Childhood", up to "AO" for "Adults Only". Most games wind up with "E" for "Everyone", "T" for "Teen" or "M" for "Mature". The problem lies in the fact that there is no legislation to enforce these ratings - it is and has always been a voluntary action which is up to the retail stores to enforce. There is currently no law on the books stopping a six year old from purchasing an "Adults Only" title or stopping a store from selling it to him. Most stores feel it's not their responsibility to make sure your kids don't play these games, it's yours - and they're right, to a degree. But that same store cannot sell Junior a Playboy magazine - laws prevent it. What's the difference with video games?

The Motion Picture Association of America (www.mpaa.org) also has a movie ratings system in place - which is also, you may be surprised to find out, voluntary. Yet it appears to be commonly enforced by the cinemas themselves. The cinemas have taken the responsibility to make sure kids are not being exposed to potentially harmful material, at least in their theaters. Stores selling these same movies on tape or DVD six months later may not subject the buyer to such scrutiny - the very same stores selling graphic video games. But let Junior try to buy beer there and everything changes - the police are likely to become involved because there are laws forbidding it, not just ratings suggesting it (This beer ought not to be consumed by anyone under 21). Pornography is the same, with laws to stop the sale of it to minors.

Occasionally a bill comes along that truly could curb the sale of these games to our youth, but they all get struck down by "defenders" of the First Amendment. These bills are not attempting to stifle creativity, put game publishers out of business, lower sales or ban these games altogether, just help us as parents protect our children from images and concepts that they will be exposed to soon enough. Unfortunately, these bills are usually presented with "evidence" of criminal acts being performed by children because of these video games. I'm not going to argue that one way of the other, but without a lot of "proof" that these games actually cause violent behavior (and no one seems to agree on the issue), these bills never get off the ground. In reality, we don't need to have children perpetrating crimes before we restrict their access to materials that we as adults find inappropriate for them.

I feel strongly that any game should be made available to any adult who wishes to play it, as much as I feel pornography and "Death Videos" should be (First Amendment). Depict whatever they want to depict; if it's worthwhile, people will buy it and if it's not, they won't, it's our choice as adults. However, just like we don't allow kids into strip clubs (and no one complains, except the kids) we cannot continue to allow our children to be exposed to imagery and ideas that they are simply not ready to deal with. Ultimately, parents must be the final line of defense, but introducing laws to stop the sale of these games to minors would help them in their cause. It won't stop kids from playing these games any more than porno laws stop kids from stealing their father's Playboy, but it would help stem the tide. After all, if a thief wants to break into your house, he will. The lock is just there to keep the honest men honest.