A few of us are having a debate on video game violence & what should be done. For the most part, we agree it's a form of "protected speech" but one that should be restricted to minors based on rating.
I, for one, don't think the rating system is fair. In movies, you can show brief nudity & get a PG-13 rating while doing that in a video game would definitely get a Mature ranking. If there's going to be a comparison to movies, shouldn't the system be universal?
Basically, my argument is that it's OK for the product to be out there but the parents need to be sure little Johnny doesn't have access. Yes, he may try to buy the product himself...but honestly, he/she should fear, yes F-E-A-R, the discipline that's coming when they're caught. IMO, parents who are involved in their kids' lives will be able to credibly control the content to which those kids have access.
OK, now say the store sells the kid something. Well, that's entirely different, right? Wrong. The parents need to return the product, talk to the manager & promise swift action if this sort of thing happens again. Legislation isn't the answer, parenting is.
There's already a system in place that prohibits children from buying games of a certain rating. However, much like gun-control laws, it's all worthless paper if nothing is done to give it teeth. In the case of games, the parents need to enforce the law. If the kids think mommy & daddy don't care, they probably don't either.
Overall, I think it comes down to a parenting issue. C'mon, we have lots of laws out there but if we don't teach our children to respect them, who's really to blame when they find themselves on the wrong side of it?
2 comments:
I think legislation is the way to go. I want the government to tell me how to do it. That's why I'm voting for Hillary. NOT!
It's just silly. There should be reasonable standards set by law but I firmly believe if a parent has a 16 year-old they think can handle a Mature game, they should be able to make that call or vice-versa.
Post a Comment