Is gaming subject to a double standard?

[Peench]

We've skirted around the issue for a while now, most recently while posting about the ESRB standards. In response to a proposed bill in the Mass. Legislature, author Stephen King ripped politicians a new one about what he considers the double standard to which video games are subject. The article is a nice, short read and is very concise in its critique. And you know what, I agree.

Most of us here have stated as much so I'm wondering if the poll this week will be lopsided, but I do have to ask. With persons under 18 subject to violence at school, in movies, television shows and even the nightly news, are video games an unreasonable scape-goat for politicians? Why is gaming so easy to pick on? Is it because it is misunderstood by those doing the picking? Or is it because of the interactivity of the media? I certainly don't know, but I do think that since both movies and video games have rating systems, the continued harping by legislators has to stop.

Instead of wasting time and State resources attempting to "punish" those who sell to underage gamers, why not spends some money on something positive: Educating parents. Highlight how the ESRB ratings work. We're all familiar with ratings for movies because they've been around longer and most everyone has seen a movie. Well many parents these days don't know about the ESRB ratings. Why not take some of the administrative funds that will have to be set aside for enforcement of these proposed laws and use it for an education campaign?

I certainly don't profess to know the answers, but I certainly think that treating the effect is not going to cure the cause of the problem. And frankly, my thought is that the source of the problems is pure ignorance on the part of parents as to what gaming and ESRB ratings are all about.

So sound off PGL'ers. Are games subject to a double standard? And if so, what can be done about it?

[Gordon]

Well... I didn't bother to bring it up in the ESRB thread because I was a bit busy. Anyways, I believe that the ESRB board does it's job. It ranks games based upon its material, and should only be used as a guide for people to buy games. It should not be used to stop people from renting / buying the products. It displays just an age range for what the game should be played with, and includes the topics of what will be found in the game. Likewise I believe that video games are a form of free speech, so hampering them in anyway is taking away freedom from creative people.

Such also should be said about other forms of media like movies and music. Not every kid can get into a rated R movie, but most of them can pick up any CD that they want. So overall I do believe there is a double standard.

[lovekeiiy]

I don't know if video games are subject to a double standard or not. I do know they've become a classic scapegoat the politicians and media like to imply is the cause of all these wackjobs out there. It's like rock n' roll during the 50's, sex during the 70s, and so forth.

I don't like the idea of this censorship. It's one thing for stores to choose not to carry certain games. It's another to ban it them outright when it really doesn't pose a serious threat to the community. If they're that worried about these games getting into the hands of children, how about levying heavy fines selling games to kinds under its rating, something similar to tobacco or alcohol. Hit the stores with fines, and we might find less young children playing these games, unless a parent chooses to allow their child to do so.

[Gordon]

Placing fines against people for selling entertainment media / ideas is still horrible. Would you fine a store for selling books to people that you believe should have them? No. Video games are not drugs. To do something like fining people for selling video games is creating a double standard. -Shrug.- Maybe I am just a bit against censorship in general.

[TheEman28]

I believe there is a double standard involved and video games are the conduit to which the politicians and the like are trying to use to increase censorship. I agree with Gordon. Censorship in general can turn out of control if taken too far. Imposing fines against the sellers is not the way to control this. We do not want to have an Orwellian society. Having the ESRB system in place, for what it is worth, can be helpful to the discerning parent who cares about what their child is playing. The tools are out there, people need to use them.

[DeputyDogg1985]

I read a good article one time don't know where but it basically said books went through this then movies and now it's just video games turn to go through this crap. Bottom line is if these younger kids had parents that didn't let their kids play games that are marketed for adults then we wouldn't hear as much about it.

[TheEman28]

I think kids behaving violently or being involved in some sort of crime is what you hear about the most. That's stuff makes most of the headlines and "they" blame video games as one of the reasons sometimes. When you look deeper into it, it is about the parents. However it is not about the parents buying a videogame for their kid, but rather if they actually know what they are buying. Even more importantly, are they actually part of their kids life? Do they know what he/she is into? Have they seen their kids "MySpace Page? Do they really know their child? There have been troubled kids like this for a long, long time and the behavior has always been blamed on something. I remember back was I was younger "they" said that listening to "Fade to Black" on Metallica's Ride the Lightining album would cause you to commit suicide. Or listening to Black Sabbath albums backwards would do the same. Like Stephen King said, it is a way for politicians to ride the topic because it is part of today's pop-culture.

[lovekeiiy]

I don't claim using a fine system is the ultimate answer. I fail to see how a fine system is censorship. It's one method to try to limit something getting into the hands the community feels should not. It doesn't say it can't be sold to others or even be created.

Even with a fine system, will kids get their hands on these games? They will because a parent will buy them for their child because they feel child is mature enough or out of ignorance. I'm sure some stores will sell those games to kids too. Look at tobacco and alcohol. They still get in the hands of under the age persons. They get into the movies they're not suppose to enter.

The idea is more a question of where is it easiest to control the distribution to the under age? And unfortunately, it is probably the seller to the public. And from that point, what kind of incentive to you have to implement to make the seller enforce the regulation.

All that said, as gamers, we know what are in games, we know plenty of gamers, and we know the benefits and costs that come with gaming both economically, and socially. With this knowledge we see how games are manipulated into something more than they are in the media and politics when something bad happens, but it's only a two minute puff piece at the end of the news broadcast when they're used as learning tools or something beneficial for society.

Alas, it's easier to for people to blame something else when bad happens rather than taking responsibility for their kids being bad apples because they're were too busy to notice the signs, or choose to ignore them for whatever reason.

It's not an easy answer to underling issues. But trust me, I don't like censorship at all, and have a history for voting for the other guy who doesn't take some stand on banning something that is not an immediate danger to society; it's why I voted for Bush his first run at president. I referred to Gore and his running mare as the censorship twins since they were all about limiting games after Columbine. Also, Tipper Gore had been trying to ban games and other materials for years.

Remember, it takes a village to raise a psychopath, LOL.

[Desi Cuse]

Heres a small bit of the research report to show what I found and believe. Ignore the citations in parentheses, you won't know what they mean.

“They poison the mind and corrupt the morals of the young, who waste their time sitting on sofas immersed in dangerous fantasy worlds” (“Messenger” par.1). That is how parents in the 18th century felt about novels and their impact on young people. People always need a scapegoat in order to take a stance on issues. Yesterday’s scapegoats are today’s masterpieces and works of art. Looking back in history, one can see rock and roll as one of the greatest forms of entertainment ever created and novels are now encouraged. That is how history will judge video games. For example: “1816- Waltzing considered fatal contagion; 1910- Films denounced as ‘evil, plain, and simple’; 1950- Rock music was said to turn people into devil worshipers; 1950- Comic books accused of making kids drug addicts” (“Messenger” par.2). The gaming industry is not the first popular entertainment to find itself under attack. The comic book was much enjoyed in the 50s and the content became regulated by the government, making it into an “underground” activity, due to its failure to self-censor. The video game industry created the ESRB (Entertainment Software Rating Board) that gives ratings to games based on their content, which was approved by Congress in 1994. This shows the industry's effort to control and regulate its products.

“A common misconception about video games is that the people who play them- often referred to as ‘gamers’- are mostly young children or teenagers. In fact, according to a May 2006 study conducted by ESRB, an industry group, the average gamer in the U.S. is 33 years old. Less than a third of all gamers are 18 years old or younger” (“Games” par.2). This misconception often leads to negative media attention and uninvited criticism. Today, modern games are more inclined to mature content. In the year of 2006, 15% of games contained mature content. Those who oppose violent games often state that they turn kids violent. That statement could not possibly be true because kids are exposed to all different kinds of violence, in and out of the entertainment industry. For example, violent cartoons, abusive parents, violent movies, and war are all too common in our society.

[lovekeiiy]

nice tid bit Cuse. As much research that has been done on the effects of various medium on minds of the younger population, it doesn't make headlines.

I don't know about you guys, but every time I hear about someone doing something really bad and stupid, I just wait to hear how it will be linked to video games. And of course, the game usually Doom, even today with game getting close to being 20 years old, LOL. It's just get more annoying by the day.

That's interesting to see the average age of a gamer is 33. Would be interesting to see more of breakdown of the distribution ages. Of course, I wonder if it's an average or a mean age that was given.

[AlphaQ GehaD]

I think there is a Double Standard, this comes into play when kids go to buy videogames. First you have people who say (TYRA BANKS is 1) "Video games are for kids." Then you have people who say (Jack Thompson/Hillary) "These videogames are not for kids!" Well there are adult orientated games Leisure Suite Larry, GTA, PLAYBOY GAME, THE MANS SHOW GAME, DOA EXTREME VOLLEYBALL ETC....

This should be obvious, they are blaming video games in general, but its not the games fault the kid duplicates what he sees or that the kid bought the game.

Posted by Peench

With persons under 18 subject to violence at school, in movies, television shows and even the nightly news, are video games an unreasonable scape-goat for politicians? Why is gaming so easy to pick on? Is it because it is misunderstood by those doing the picking? Or is it because of the interactivity of the media?

Videogames are not a valid scapegoat at all....If it were up to me I would blame Cartoons (Bugs Bunny is being hunted by a redneck with a gun, and yoseimite same is shooting up everything at all times) and #1 on the list is freakin TOY GUNS. Almost every kid has a toy gun, a squirt gun, or an action figure with a toy gun. Even Jack Thompsons kids played with toy guns, its practically a part of your child hood. Name someone you know that never had a watergun fight as a child, some will say, that a squirt gun wont show graphic violence, but it teaches them how to pull a trigger and hold the gun up better than a videogame ever could.

2 cents

[churchv50]

I did my best to skew the results of your poll: I voted no, then learned what it was talking about. Turns out my answer is yes, games are held to a ridiculous double standard. Unfortunately, unless any of us are wealthy lobbyists, all we can do is read up on the issues (preferably ahead of time...) and make sure that we vote for representatives who will send these BS pieces of legislation where they belong.

[Thornes70]

The people who buy into this nonsense about video games causing teen violence, games being too explicit or even that they need to be censored to protect youth are all a bunch of idiots. Period.

Throughout time, people have always wanted a scapegoat - "it's (place latest pop culture craze here) fault my kids are retards..." Meanwhile, dad is getting drunk on the sofa watching IFC and mom just wrote a check to the 700 club...

Politicians will use anything to make them look like they're on the side of the people, and only the idiots buy into this - because they need to be told what to think instead of making up their own minds! Video games are now a major force in the entertainment industry, and always will be, so that makes them a target. But an unfair one? No, because idiots are still yammering on about music turning their kids into little goth freaks instead of considering maybe it had something to do with the family life anyway.

This is a topic that really pisses me off; being a parent, I can appreciate the fact that there are laws and standards that have been put in place for my child's protection, and I agree with the majority of them - but those are things outside of my control - the food he eats at school, the playground equipment at the park - things like that. We as parents need to stop listening to politicians who give a b.s. promise about doing something for us that we have every ability of controlling ourselves.

[ZoomZoom71]

Originally Posted by Thornes70

We as parents need to stop listening to politicians who give a b.s. promise about doing something for us that we have every ability of controlling ourselves.

Man, does this statement go a long way for a lot of topics...

[Peench]

Great info and very well written statements Cuse.

It seems to me that we're still discussing this from a regulation standpoint. My question is more fundamental: Why regulate it at all? Why not address what we all appear to agree is the root of the problem: ignorance.

Instead of spending money creating administrative bodies to fine violators, spend money to educate parents about how to be better parents, or how to spot where a game is rated, etc. *sarcasm rant* Oh wait, perhaps doing something positive like that wouldn't generate any revenue for the government. */sarcasm rant*