90 %+
of U . S . children play some kind of video game
85 %+
of video games on the market contain some form of violence
2hr 51min average daily time spent gaming by kids eight or younger *
As a result of this report , the APA is urging the Entertainment Software Rating Board ( ESRB ) to refine its video game rating system . Can you explain what you ’ d like to see happen ? Violence is not well defined in the video game ratings , even though violence is a factor considered in deciding the rating . So games with very similar forms and levels of violence may have different ESRB ratings . Also , ratings are derived from an assessment of a number of factors , including violence , crude humor , profanity , alcohol , tobacco and drug use , sexual content and gambling , but there is no assessment of these factors separately . A parent or game user can ’ t easily determine the type , amount or level of violence in a game . I would very much like to see the ESRB develop a clear labelling system so that parents and users could easily know what is in the game .
The APA is also suggesting that game developers make changes to content . In an ideal world , what should manufacturers take into account ? I would hope that developers would consider what is known about children ’ s cognitive , social and emotional development at different ages when designing content . Children are better able to process and make sense of content as they progress through different stages of development , and it is possible to design exciting actionbased games that take these developmental differences into consideration , and then to rate and market those games appropriately .
In the wake of mass shootings in America , the media often draw links between the shooter and violent video games . Do you shake your head or is it understandable ? It is understandable , but I still shake my head . It is horribly difficult for us to try to understand the extremely violent behavior of mass shootings and we crave explanations . Blaming violent media seems to provide a logically simple explanation and a seemingly easy solution .
Will we ever know if there ’ s a connection between criminal acts and gaming ? If you mean a straightforward , simple experimental demonstration — probably not . That kind of experiment would be ethically impossible to conduct . Also , human behavior is very complex and it is unlikely that any one single factor ( playing violent games ) determines human behavior in a uniform and consistent way .
Do you have advice for gamers or their parents ? For parents , like for any other part of our children ’ s lives , be aware of what they are doing and be alert to their moods , thoughts and affectation . Talk with them about the games they are playing . Get them to explain the games to you . Be aware of what they think the games are about .
For parents and gamers alike , try to monitor the amount of time you ( or your children ) spend playing these games . They can eat up a lot of time . Developers are very good at producing extremely engaging entertainment ; self-monitoring can be difficult .
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