"Complacency, especially on the part of retailers and parents, appears to have caused a backslide in ratings awareness and enforcement. And, at the same time, while the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) has continued to educate the public about its video game rating system, several shocking incidents have inadvertently revealed dangerous loopholes in the ratings process. Simply put, some of the hard-won progress seen in previous years has been lost, and now, too many children are spending too much time playing inappropriate video games that can harm their health and development."
You would think they were talking about methadone abuse. I don't know about you, but video games kept me pleasantly entertained and out of trouble. Am I to believe that killing someone on Mortal Kombat will breed murderous desires within me? Aside from a mean case of road rage, I've yet to see the signs.
Not only are video games are a plague on society, but they suggest that parents need to be educated on how to proceed with caution when purchasing games. Here's a clue: if your kid is 6 and the game says "Adults Only" or "Mature" -- don't buy him the FUCKING game! Don't you hate going to the movies to see a vicious, violent film and there's a screaming kid in the theater? Why do you feel the need to bring your 2 year old to see "Kill Bill" with you? Can't find a babysitter? Then sit your ass down and stay home. If your six year-old child possesses a deep disdain for law enforcement and a mouth that would make a sailor cringe, and you don't realize that it's possibly because you bought him the unedited version of Straight Outta Compton, then maybe -- just maybe -- you are a fuck-up.
Just a thought.
"Earlier this year, a disturbing trend appeared in some public libraries and churches across the country. To recruit youth to use public libraries and participate in church activities, several libraries and churches resorted to using video game tournaments with popular M-rated (Mature) video games, like Halo 2. While video game tournaments are an innovative way to reach today’s children, allowing 13- and 14- year old teenagers to play games that are rated for players over the age of 17 is irresponsible. This strategy undercuts the rating system and sabotages parents who are trying to follow the ratings and restrict their children from playing M-rated games."
Really? Kids still go to the library? One of my co-worker's daughters (10 years old) was asked to research a project at her local library... and the first thing she did was come home and ask her mom what a library was. No bullshit. With the advent of the internet, I guess it's becoming obsolete. So, while we're blaming tournaments... can we then say that anytime a white girl gets (allegedly) raped by a black athlete in a Denver hotel room that the NBA playoffs are to blame?
Just take responsibility for your own knucklehead children and stop trying to save the world. They're probably somewhere igniting a forest fire, anyway.
*SIGH* I'm about to go play Madden now.
6 comments:
Son, apparently you didn't hear about this.
http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2005/08/09/video-games050809.html
Video Games=Evil^2 :op
@ music snob: That's just a damn shame. This 28 year old obviously didn't have much of a life. Two days of video games? I guess video games can kill.
You know what's funny? I JUST finished playing Mortal Kombat on my DS, I'm listening to rap music right now and I spent hours last night playing Guitar Hero. This is all true, no lie. Yet I'm not inclined to kill, mame, hurt, or otherwise make someone even remotely uncomfortable.
This is a classic case of Scapegoat Syndrome also known as the Weapons of Mass Destruction Defense. People, please. Your kids are fucked up because something in their genetic makeup AND their environment made them that way. You can have 2 brothers go in different paths. It happens. One kid can play violent games all day and be just fine, another can play them and something askew in his brain makes him violent. Deal with it!
To quote a video game message board tag line,
"Kill a man: You're a murderer. Kill 10 men: You're a psycho. Kill 100: You're a monster. Kill 1000: LEVEL UP! "
Watch out for me!!! I've been playing Grand Theft Auto on my PSP. I'm ripe for going on a crime spree any minute now!!!
Dr. Snob -- first, we have to start with the fact that he QUIT HIS JOB to PLAY MORE VIDEO GAMES. Perfect example of one of those people with a genetic predisposition to being a fucking lunatic. Who quits working to play more games, are you serious?! I guess the rent was just going to pay itself?
E2K4(TM) -- Remind me to never drive anywhere within 3 states of you.
Funny, I just heard on the news this morning that a majority of parents who are buying these video games weren't even aware of the ratings system that have right on the box.
Come on! How are you to buy something that costs as much as $50and not read the damn box and find out what your kids are getting into. Its really simple. But I also don't believe there is a direct correlation to violence and playing video games. I do think it can create a desensitivity to violence but not lead one directly to it.
Basically if youre kids are stupid and highly suggestible you might want to skip those purchases.
I mean there always books. Entertained me as a kid.
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