You saw the title and thought I was going to rant, eh? Don't worry, I'm likely on your side.
Tomorow, I am going to a peace conference with my Peace and Justice comittee (yes, I get to miss school). I, as you probably don't know, am a pacifist peace-loving Mennonite (no, not AMISH), who could ably described as a hippie who doesn't get high. Anyway, back on track, I signed up to be in a group that will be talking about Violence in Media, specifically video games and movies. However, I didn't go to argue the obvious. I am a strong believe that video games do NOT cause violence among children, it is a result of busy parents and soforth. I was thinking about the issue, and started to write ... and I kept writing. Anyway, I was wondering what you guys thought of the whole issue.
The following is how I've spent my past hour:
The video game has been under major scrutiny in the entirety of its existance. The oft-heard of comment that video games causes violence is generally accepted among the majority of moraly-founded adults. However, it is my belief that video games can only continue to harm an already unstable mind. With proper parenting, which includes introducing a moral mindset and adult sensorship, children and teenagers can properly seperate themselves from fiction and reality.
Currently, all video games that retailers sell have a written rating, which is designated by a non-profit organization called the Entertainment Software Rating Board (or ESRB for short). On the front of the video game is a picture and word of the rating, and on the back of the video game there is a more detailed description of why it got its rating. Ratings are Early Childhood (equivalant to movie rating G), generally left for educational games with counting and other early learning skills, Everyone (PG), which means that the game may have a small amount of non-graphic violence, and Teen (still PG), a rating which is left for games with a bit more violence. The previously stated ratings are purchasable by anyone, meaning that people of any age may go to a store and buy them. However, there are two more ratings, which are Mature - which is similar to 14a in its selection - which can only be bought by peope who are 17 years of age or older, even though it has the same requirements as 14a, which includes violence, blood, and possible swearing. Note the lack of nudity allowable - 14a movies are often alowed to show most of the body, and have many sexual inuendos. There is also Adults Only (R), video games which have nudity, excessive violence, and swearing, which can only be bought by those who are 18 or older. Only 12 games in the long history of the ESRB (1994) have ever acquired an Adults Only rating - and most of the popular video game stores refused to sell those games.
Until recently, it was a complaint that while a rating system was in place, most retailers turned a blind eye towards children buying these games - this is no longer the case, as Electronics Boutique, one of the largest and most popular video game retailers, will only sell Mature games to 17 and older people, as well as Adults Only (if they are ever in stock) only to 18 year olds. Suprising to think that movies have been under less scrutiny, yet I, a 16 year old, bought an R rated movie without the people at the counter asking for ID (at an HMV store). I, of course, had permission from my mother as well as having my 18 year old brother within my shouting reach who could purchase it for me, but I was curious as to whether I could purchase the movie or not.
Today (the day I wrote this), I was in a movie store. I heard the all too common 'Mom! Mom! I need this. This is my favourite movie. Mom!! C'mon!' As I looked over, I saw two sons, aproximately 7 and 9 in age, surrounding their mother with products. The one movie that the older (but still young) child was really begging for was a movie aptly titled 'Jackass: the Movie,' a movie based on a series called 'Jackass' about an overweight american man who plays pranks, does stupid things for laughs, and is often plain disgusting (both visually and otherwise). The movie, which is rated R, was now in the hand of the mother, who looked at it, flipped it to the back, and heard her son say 'Please?!' R rating or no, the mother wanted her child to be quiet. She didn't even comment on the obvious brutality of the movie (with an R rating and a name of Jackass, no less). She simply walked to the counter, her jabbering kids behind her, bought the movie, and left. I beg to ask the question, where was the responsible parenting in this?
I can't say that it is in my experience that this is a confined phenomenom, as I have witnessed this same occurence on many occasion. Worse, this is just the tip of the ice burg of the ignorant, uninvolved parent. Surely with the comming adulthood of this parent, there will be constant talk of the old addage 'I was brought up by the T.V.,' as having two full time working parents who come home tired are not all too interested in their child's activities, nor to even engage them in conversation. However, it is my belief that parents have to break away from their stressfull lives to actually see what their children are doing - if you choose to mate, then procreate, help your children in their fate. Most of all, starting at an early age, tell them what is RIGHT and what is WRONG. All teenagers are immature to an extent. However, when they are crude, racist, sexist, and bullying, it is because they do not have an idea of morality. They do what they want because it makes them look better and feel better. They only look out for #1. This is the general message in the capatalist society of today - you need to do what you can for yourself. As such, children will play these video games, see the main characters succeed after having murdered, sexually harassed, and otherwise abused people, and take it for truth. However, if they were taught to think, to know what is bad and what is good, they would realise that while those things may make this videogame entertaining, it is no way to live a life. These acts, if commited in real life, would be horrible.
Having said that, of course, I have lead many people to ask themselves 'If you shouldn't do it in real life, why in video games?' This is a totally viable question. It probably seems to many of you that I have just contradicted myself. And, for many of you, it is this upcomming part you will find hard to believe or agree with. Nevertheless, I continue. In this modern day full of technology, there are fewer and fewer needs upon us. Infact, some of us may work by sitting down in a chair, writing, and occasionally picking up the phone. This is the day where activity is little (which also causes obesity, which is an issue I am not tackling right now), causing the need for more fulfilling entertainment. Enter the television, movies, and video games. Video games often grant children and teens the ability to release physical anger - but not physically. It is within natural animal instinct to be agressive, killing to get your food. However, we do not have physical bouts to get food. It is not acceptable (nor should it be) to solve problems by hitting, which used to be the common means. This causes anger and tension to build up. Teen girls get this anger and tension out by scheming, ploting, and gossiping. Teen males (yes, it is most often males, do not take offense ladies) are beginning to take their refuge in videogames, a seemingly harmless way to let go of their anger.
Now up to this point I haven't really admitted what I have hinted upon: video games can influence a weak mind. I said it - and if you have lasted up to this point, then you are probably heaving a sigh of relief. Yes, I believe that video games can cause people to have more violent thoughts, be desensatized to violence, and start to fall down the stairs towards weak and immoral behaviour. However, I believe that this will only happen if a person has no moral beliefs or is already violent. As I previously stated, parents should be very involved with their children, not only with video games, but also movies, music and books - yes, books. Books can often be very violent, however few people think it is necessary to protest against their violence.
I've also laid a huge burden and blame on the parents so far. It is very possible that the parents have made every right move, and their child is still acting violently and reacting badly due to videogames. This can sometimes happen due to the child just not being compatable with video games. This often happens with children who are unmedicated and have ADD or ADHD. These, of course, are generalizations, as people with those disorders can sometimes go unmedicated and still not be affected by video games in a violent way. It can also come to pass that an otherwise mentaly stable child will become unstable because of video games, even under good parenting. There are exceptions to every rule (well, this isn't really a rule), and this one counts. However, don't assume that your child is one of the exceptions right off the bat - search out other reasons first, and if none are found, then consider revoking video games from your child - and then think about what movies, music, and books are appropriate.
As an endnote, I'd like to comment that I am a 16 year old male who has been playing video games for some time now. Until a certain age video games were kept to a minnimum for me, in my opinion a good move in general. I practice pacifism and believe that I succesfully find alternate means to violence for solving my problems. I hope that this has been a good resourse for you (wherever you happened to read it, I have put it in a few places). You can e-mail me at
eggs4ever@hotmail.com .
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