Community poll forum: Keeping violent video games away from children

If you know anything about history, you know that eras are marked by wars. Violence is as common as people, and it isn't going to change anytime soon. Maybe when adults stop killing each other for whatever reason, then it may be time to cut the violent video games. But America, and every other country in the world, were built and organized through murder, rape, genocide and other atrocities. Most of the countries and governments of the world have been ensconed in blood and guts. As a matter of fact, the worst wars in history were religious. Does this mean that we need to ban kids from churches?

So to try to insulate your kids from video games is totally specious, as all they have to do to see violence all day long is to turn on the news or a stupid talk show or stupid "Judge Slap-Em" show. If your kid is going to be influenced to be a violent attacker or killer by playing a video game, I don't think the kid is too stable and/or the parent(s) aren't doing their job. Every study that I've seen on the video games have not been able to link any real cause-effect relationship between kids playing violent video games and perpetrating violence. I let my kid play them, but I do limit his playing time for other reasons. The bottom line is that while you don't want to turn your children into adults before it is time, you don't want to hide them from reality either. No use in having your kids believe all that lovey-dovey B.S. P.R. that we get from television for them to eventually have to do a mind flush and embrace reality...

I am a 25 year old male who grew up on video games. I got my first gaming system in 1986... The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and began playing violent video games at the tender age of 5. I started by spitting fireballs and jumping on and squishing goombas as Mario. Then I learned up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, A, B, Select, Start... and in doing so I got to play Contra from beginning to end, indestructible with all the bloody weapons I wanted. From there things progressed until I got into late elementary school and middle school fighting as Ryu, Ken and Blanka on the SNES in Street Fighter II. Then... there was the ultimate in violence... DOOM and MORTAL KOMBAT!!! I got to buzz through Imps with a chainsaw, rip my enemies heads off with their blood-dripping spinal chords still attached and I even got to do it against my little brother and my best friend across town (cause we had modems back then and they were cool). But alas... since then Congress has started taking the responsibilities of raising children away from the parents and instead granted custody to the corporations. Now... instead of parents actually educating themselves on the things that their children watch and play they have little symbols that come right on the box: E, T, and M (those three being the most common and relating most succinctly to movie ratings PG, PG13, and R). But even when THAT happened parents still wanted more to be done... so there was the invention of the V-chip so that parents could trust a machine to look after their child so they wouldn't have to... and Net Nanny which didn't work because it blocked the Disney website on our first computer that had internet access. And NOW... you can even put password-protected parental controls on video game consoles (I know that the PS2, XBox 360 have them) but parents STILL either don't want to educate themselves enough to learn how to use such controls (if they even know that they're there) or they don't want to have to upset little Johnny because he can't play Halo 2 with his friend down the street because his friend's parents are "cool" and don't restrict the games he gets to play on HIS XBox. There's a very simple solution to all of this... PARENTS, for the love of God, all you have to do is talk to your children about the things you feel are appropriate and inappropriate... THEN listen to how your children feel about those things and reach some kind of compromise that you can both live with. If you think that your child is capable of going to school with a gun to kill a fellow student or a teacher then the problem lies in your parenting skills, not the games he's/she's playing or the movies they're watching. Quit casting blame on everyone else when you know damn well that the blame lies with you. If you need more help then just go to Barnes and Noble, browse the Self-Help section and find a book called "Parenting for Dummies." If that insults you then maybe you should've given the child up for adoption to that a real parent could instill values and morals in your child. And for the record... I grew up playing violent video games... I've never been in a fight... I've never fired a gun at or near another human being... and I don't want to. I just got married a week and a half ago and when I decide to have children I'm going to play video games with them and every time my child kills a monster from outer-space with a laser gun I'm going to make sure that my child understands that it's just a video game and that real people don't do that kind of thing in real life. Okay... I'm done now... if you've made it this far and you agree I'd like to hear about it. If you don't agree... you're entitled to your opinion (but just remember... it's YOUR responsibility to take care of your children and to monitor their viewing/playing habits... it's no one else's).

If a parent has a good relationship with the child/ren, is patient, listens and hears what is being said, and discusses problems without threatening, so there is always a win-win situation, then there wouldn't be a reaction to parent applying a violence filter - there are plenty of hosts sites prepared to supply them. On the other hand if a parent has used TV as a "nanny" for the child/ren from an early age,while they are busy doing other things, they can expect erratic behavior, bullying, lying and stealing. That type of behaviour only escalates as they get older, because movies, videos, DVDs and video games are part of the child/ren's view of the world.

Sadly many parents do not see the dangers, others are just not interested. Those who care are in the minority.

Both the Developers and Vendors are only interested in making money and lots of it whatever the cost.

Federal or local government could make a difference but have to be instructed to do so.

Legislation would be unpopular but is there an alternative?

Would you trust a group of people who have said that torture of prisoners is okay? That subjugation of an entire race was alright until the 60's? That an entire class of people who want to serve their country and put their life in danger in that service can't -simply because they may not be attracted to the "correct" gender?

With the Federal bar set that low, they have no standing, credibility, or moral ground to determine what is appropriate for my children to see or play.

Parents should only do this and not depend on the government, game makers, retailers, etc. They are the first line in defense as far as keeping violent games away from children. And their decision will have the final say on this matter!

The source of so many social issues is simply responsibility, or the lack of it. Video games are no longer just for children. Early V-gamers are now adults & some of the games are reflecting that demographic.
Are video games desensitizing children to violence? Has anyone been listening to the news lately? News reports themselves contain more violence than many horror books or games! Is the news media responsible for violence escalating?
Can you prepare a child for this world without them having to come to grips with violence. I've a friend whose children are scarred by racisist threats & violence in their grade school! Their mother was VERY protective about their exposure to violent entertainment. It didn't protect them from or prepare them for reality.

With freedom of choice comes responsibility; period!

If it were that simple, we wouldn't need laws regulating cigarettes or seat belt use. The laws become parenting tools, no more, no less

So why do people keep electing people that want to legislate everything from video games to wiping front to back or back to front??

There is a certain aspect about the US government - a negative liberty that we can be free from government.

It's not like Video Games are something life-threatening to humans. On the contrary, as a light gamer, I find that it enhances my senses and keeps me a bit sharp. Turns out I wasn't wrong, and that games do improve motor skills, and may improve the overall brain.

That's another subject through.

The government doesn't need to step into people's lives when it isn't necessary. Parents know how to raise their children, and if they don't then the kids will rebel and get their way after 18. I do feel bad for those kids with terrible parents!

It's not about WHO is responsible. Obviously, in the end, it's the parents. But at some point you cannot control - nor should you - what your older child is doing with their life. IT'S ABOUT HAVING THE TOOLS TO BE A GOOD PARENT. We have a terrific home. We don't smoke, we don't drink, we don't fight (at least in front of the kids), we have family time, we go to church, we enforce discipline, but in the end it's up to the kid to choose how to live his/her life. My son bought these games on the sly with his own money, and I had no idea at the time because he was very careful to keep it secret, knowing I would not approve. He's fulfilled his "violent" tendencies as an adult, he's now in the US Army serving in Baghdad. But if there had been ratings, and laws to enforce them, he would not have been able to buy them secretly or otherwise. Even good parents need tools and resources to help them!

Aren't at least SOME of the video game developers parents? You'd think parents worldwide would want to protect their children from violence and sexual misconduct. I want to hear from parents that actually work inside this industry.

I'm a gamer.....and I'm a parent. If my kids play a new game at a friends, I'll ask them to have the friend bring the game over. My kids know I'm a gamer, but when their friends find out, they look for excuses to bring games over. My "thumbs up" or "nuke it" reviews go a long way, especially when I explain the reasons. Having one daughter suffer seizures from certain video games, it's easy to relay the importance of monitoring the games they play. Realizing that there could be other harmful effects from those games becomes very believable. "Don't try this in real life-leave it to the professionals!" lol

As a parent, I limit the types of games my children play, and how much time they consume. I love video games, but I've come to grips with what I played as a child and what is being presented to my children. I played Astroids, PONG, ATARI games, and Pac-Man. There was no blood, no gore, no sex, no drugs, no cussing when I started out.

Parents are, of course, the first place a "filter" should begin. We are the responsible party for not only what types of video games our children should play, but also what TV they should watch (I haven't had a TV for 12 years).

What sickens me is the lack of responsibility that parents in todays world have shown. There is no discipline. I've even worked in special homes where some parents had children to receive more welfare funds. I am currently signing up to become a foster parent, and it's amazing what we have for "parents" today.

However, because of that lack of responsibility in America today, I also feel that the Government should be slightly involved in simply enforcing that some games should not be sold to minors... period.

I also wish that game developers would take some responsibility in this area. Unfortunately, money talks first. I'm sure vendors follow suite by selling to make money, and very little on either part has been done.

It's sad to me that children under the age of 10 can play video games like Grand Theft Auto, which promotes violence, sex, and drugs.

The Associated Press did issue an article some time ago, that proved that violent games shape our youth today. The effects diminish considerably after the age of 18.

Keep in mind, America is the #1 place for violent video games, and also gruesome, psycopathic horror flicks. Also keep in mind, that America is the #1 place by more than twice ANY other country in the world with psycopathic killers.

I wonder often if there's a link between the two. Many instances like Columbine suggest there is!

Parents are most responsible. It is the obligation they undertook when they decided to have kids. The government is too inefficient, too big to handle the problem. They would enact legislation that is useless or too prohibitive. (Obviously you can see my opinion of Government). As for vendors, retailers, developers; their goal is profit and if it sells then they are all for it until public opinion (by way of the cash register) sways them, as it should be. Let companies continue to develop products and parents can determine what is best for their family.