The National Institute on Media and the Family issued its annual report card for the gaming industry yesterday. It noted a number of areas where the industry had regressed compared to advances made in previous years. You can download the report from this page on their site.
I believe that many of their observations are valid, but a few may be skewed. The most prevalent theme throughout the report is their concern with violent media. Though they recognize the maturation of the game-playing public in one sentence, they criticize the industry for making mature titles in another. The fact is that the violence in many of these games is less graphic than content in R-rated movies (which also are targeted to a 17+ year old demographic).
At one point toward the end of the report I found myself a little confused and I re-read a paragraph a few times to try to get my brain wrapped around the logic. Having not read the original book which they cited as research, I don’t know if this assertion is from NIMF or the researchers themselves. On page 14 in the second paragraph under the “Content” sub-heading of the “Research” section, the report cites the book, Violent Video Game Effects on Children and Adolescents: Theory, Research, and Public Policy. In this paragraph they state:
Yet, both children and college students were more aggressive to others after playing the aggressive game, even though it did not include what most parents would consider “violent” content. It is important to remember that aggression is typically defined as intentional harm to victims, and not by how graphic it looks.
Correct me if I’m wrong (and chime in below), but according to this, the children and college students intentionally harmed others after playing this game. They define aggression as intentionally harming victims after stating that they players were more aggressive to others after playing the game. Really?
I have no doubt that media can influence behavior and significantly impact the viewer/player. I believe that this is a given. I’ve laughed and cried during films. I have friends who have yelled at their televisions in disgust when characters in their favorite show behave ignorantly. I have witnessed smack talk and elevated emotional reactions during competitive videogame sessions as well. However, I have witnessed all of this behavior during any number of events including baseball games, debate tournaments, and live music concerts. The fact is that we are emotional creatures and we react to input - virtual and real. Our media merely extend our experiential realm. As parents, we need to make sure that our children’s experiences are appropriate for their level of maturity.
Having said that, in spite of any concern I have with specific observations within this report, I whole-heartedly agree with their conclusion which states:
In short, the research published this year continues to provide more evidence about the power of video games to have both intended effects and unintended effects. This wide set of results makes it clear that parents must pay attention to and be involved in children’s video game habits.
This, I believe, is the truth. It is the reason that NIMF continues it’s work and it is why Chris and I created this very site. Download the report and read it. It’s not long and it’s worthwhile information for parents. I invite you to comment on it below or discuss it in our forums.
In a special December supplement of the Journal of Adolescent Health, a number of articles focus on media impact on violence. The suppliment entitled Youth Violence and Electronic Media: Similar Behaviors, Different Venues? is available is available online for free here.
There are a number of interesting articles focused on electronic-mediated bullying and harassment. Though much of this is not focused on gaming in general, these are important and relevant studies to parents. Noted in one of the studies was the fact that approximately 50% of the victims of “online social cruelty” did not know who the bully was. Thus, technology provides the method and opportunity for adolescents to remain anonymous while being hurtful to their peers.
Closer to home is this article on the effects of media violence. In this case, the researcher L. Rowell Huesmann, Ph.D. states that exposure to electronic media violence conclusively “increases the likelihood of aggressive behavior.” This is reinforced with a bar graph that notes the significance of known health threats and places “Media violence and aggression” second only to “Smoking and lung cancer” and above “Condom use and sexually transmitted HIV.”
Whether or not you agree with all of the observations and conclusions presented here, there is some important work and significant data worth noting. If for no other reason than to increase our awareness as parents. Because knowing what to look for helps us better to guide and inspire our children.
This brief article in the San Diego Union Tribune tells of a two-month undercover survey conducted by the National Institute on Media and Family. With the help of a number of youth organizations throughout the United States, they found that out of 60 stores nationwide, 47% sold “M” rated games to “teens younger than 18.”
First things first. If this means that these retailers are selling these games to 16-year-olds and under, then this is a problem that should be addressed. Retailers need to take a more active role in training their staff to properly identify whether or not their prospective customers are old enough to purchase said title. However, if this study is including 17-year-olds in this group, then we have a failure to communicate on a different level.
The ESRB rating “M” for Mature states that a game is intended for an audience who is 17+ years. By definition, these individuals may be minors (if they are not yet 18) and still be able to purchase the game. If this age seems an awkward cut-off point, keep in mind that it matches the age for entering an “R” rated movie without a parent or legal guardian.
Either way, retailers and parents need to be aware of the titles our children are buying and playing.
This Yahoo News article highlighted a recent Associated Press-AOL Games poll. Among other significant numbers, 43% of parents whose children play videogames do not play along. Of the remaining parents, 30% say that when they do, it’s less than an hour per week. I can’t help but think that this is a wasted opportunity. At the same time, recognizing how many hours many parents have to work, time can become an even more precious thing.
The perception that many people have is that videogames are a waste of time. Depending on what you need to do with your time, this could be a very valid argument. Some weeks I spend 60+ hours working. If I’m going to have some time with my kids, I’d rather be able to read to them and get some tickling time in or maybe a few rounds of hide-and-seek before we wind down for bed. We don’t need to spend precious shared time watching TV or playing a videogame. Yet, when I have a whole weekend of activities, I enjoy the variety and relief offered by watching a Scooby Doo episode or playing with a PS2 Eyetoy title. (I can’t tell you how often I hear the pleading for the “wishy washy game.”)
However, keep in mind that my kids are all under 5 at the moment. When my son is 14, kicking back with a videogame on the weekend might become quality time. I want to do what I can to find ways for our kids to want to spend time with us as well as their friends. Heck, maybe when they’re in high school they’ll have their friends over to play Halo 12 and I’ll be invited to join. (I can dream!)
I plan to find as many ways to relate to my children as I can because the more that we understand each other, the more we’ll appreciate and respect each other. That’s the only way that our kids will listen to us. And we need to return that favor. As parents, I hope that we all strive to find opportunities to build positive common experiences whenever possible. It’s too easy to lose one’s sense of priorities with other pressing time-lines. (Anyone care to guess what Harry Chapin song I heard earlier today?)
Special thanks to our friend David Stoddard for passing us the link!
Above is our brief comment about last week’s Rockstar release, Manhunt 2. Let me say that we do not have any bone to pick with Rockstar Games. In fact, we took our time to post this comment because we didn’t want to be a part of the media hype.
We believe that they have the right to publish content as long as there is an audience for it and as long as it is targeted appropriately. Having said that, we want to help fellow parents identify whether or not games are appropriate for their families. For the most part, we try to provide you the information so that you can judge. But I believe that it’s clear that this title is neither intended, nor appropriate for children.
Having said that, the Halloween release date seemed appropriate for a horror/slasher title. I believe that the real source of concern over this title is based in the misconception that videogames are only for children. This is just no longer the case.
This article in the November issue of the journal Pediatrics identifies a link between viewing violent content and aggressive behavior. In particular, boys ages 2-4 who view violent video content or play violent videogames are predisposed to antisocial behavior evident five years later (ages 7-9).
Interestingly, there was virtually no correlation for the girls of the same age in this study. The researchers suggest that this could be attributed to the difference in socialization between genders.
Special thanks to avid reader David Stoddard for the info!
