Industry, critics, disagree on threat posed by video games June 7, 2005 AUMNS Report By Marta Aldrich* Since
1994, video games have been rated for content by the Entertainment
Software Rating Board, an industry-sponsored, New York-based group that
rates the products in six categories: EC for early childhood, E for
everyone, T for teens 13 and older, M for players 17 and older and AO
for adults over 18. Despite
the voluntary ratings system, studies indicate most retailers routinely
ignore the guidelines. A 2003 Federal Trade Commission survey found 78
percent of children ages 13-16 could easily buy M-rated games.
Meanwhile, 92 percent of children play video or computer games, of which
about 40 percent are rated M. The
industry insists it does not prey on children and teens and that it
provides a variety of entertainment choices for all ages. According to
the Entertainment Software Association, the average American video game
player is 29 years old, and parents are involved in the purchase or
rental of games 83 percent of the time. It also argues that violent
crime, particularly among the young, has decreased dramatically in the
United States during the 1990s while video games have steadily grown in
popularity. Critics don't buy it. "This
is the fastest growing segment of the media business and also the least
responsible," said Jim Steyer, who teaches First Amendment law at
Stanford University and is chief executive of Common Sense Media, a
nonprofit group that seeks to educate parents on entertainment media for
kids. "The video game industry hides behind phony statistics and makes
literally millions of dollars from graphically violent games that are
obviously being marketed to kids 10, 11 and 12 years old." Steyer
considers this an "enormous public health issue" in the same vein as
alcohol, tobacco products and pornography. "Violent video games should
be treated in the same way, and that is that you can't sell them to
kids." *Aldrich is a freelance writer based in Franklin, Tenn. News media contact: Tim Tanton, Nashville, Tenn., (615) 742-5470 or newsdesk@umcom.org.
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