www.commonsensemedia.org is a great site, but it's done what it said it wouldn't: get politically involved. I'm torn, because I agree with what they're saying, but I don't like the way they're saying it: turning it into a bit of fearmongering by comparing playing violent video games with smoking risk.
For example, they recommend that the law...
"Treat video game play as a serious potential public health hazard for millions of children, similar to the treatment of alcohol and tobacco products as they relate to minors."
No... tobacco in moderation kills you. Drinking and driving is a high-ranking cause of death of older teens. Playing video games makes you meaner.
It's just NOT the same thing.
Further, they use ill-defined terms such as recommending,
"Enact legislation at both the state and federal levels prohibiting the sale of ultra-violent and sexually offensive ‘M’ rated games to all those under the age of 17."
What's "ultra-violent"? What's "sexually offensive"?
The fact is, other than this semi-hysteria, their guidelines are sound. Who is it they mean to persuade by speaking like that? Presumably the people who want to restrict access don't need the hyperbole, and the fence-sitters look at statements like that and start thinking that the entire conversation is ill-conceived.
I hope they become more careful in their work, but in the meantime the fact that they provide more detailed reviews than mainstream is very helpful.
I believe that the argument "Because this is what they're interested in at this stage of life" is a warning: The kids/teens *will* explore the issues of power and dominance, including the concepts of killing (and dying), and parents should hold the boundary while allowing conceptual exploration in a supervised way. I'd rather have an 18 year old who looks back at his age-14 obsession with Halo and thinks, "That was SO teeniebopper! It was cool at the time but I've moved on!" than an 18 year old who still hasn't had an opportunity to explore those issues and is still obsessed.
The fact is that many people are interested in having and wielding power throughout their lives. Manipulating kids in the schoolyard becomes playing violent games becomes questionable dating practices becomes being a domineering boss, spouse, and parent.
Thoughtlessly removing video games doesn't solve the problem, it just creates a boundary. It makes more sense to me to think about the boundary in the context of solving the problem.
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