GamePolitics brought our attention to this gem. Canadian researcher Richard Tremblay has invested some time in studying a fairly large group of children to identify the roots of physical aggression. How much time you ask? 20 years. How many participants in the study? 35,000.

According to the original article in Scientific American, Tremblay notes that violence is a part of human development. It is through socialization that we minimize the need to revert to violence. However, individuals who have trouble communicating with those around them are more predisposed to utilize violence as a form of expression. The observable behavior is one of chronic aggression. However, Tremblay noted that these individuals have less expressed genes. Therefore, these behavior patterns are not caused by exposure to violent media.

Though this is just one of many studies, it is truly significant due to its longevity and the number of participants. Yet, I wouldn’t use this as an excuse to let my 4-year-old watch Apocolypse Now or play Resistance: Fall of Man.

What are your thoughts? Join the conversation below!

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As parents, we need all the tools we can get. A FAQ is an acronym for Frequently Asked Questions. These lists usually include the answers as well. (How helpful!) GameFAQs is a site that we’ve visited for years. It is a growing collection of reviews and “walk-throughs” for videogames for all of the consoles with some dating back as far as the 70s.

The majority of the content on this site is posted voluntarily by others and it has continued to be a free resource. I have often found that I don’t agree with all of the reviews, but they are the opinions of real people. The site now appears to be owned by GameSpot and I don’t know how that may or may not affect their content. Historically I have always found that they offer personal observations without fear of backlash from corporate sponsorship. If nothing else, it’s always nice to see a well-rounded view of a game.

As for the walk-throughs, there’s nothing like getting frustrated because you can’t figure out what your next step is in a game. At the risk of dating myself, my earliest memory of such a challenge was the original text adventure Colossal Cave. (In those days, no one on the ARPANET had posted hints. In fact, this predated CompuServe and America Online.) To have access to hints or step-by-step instructions on how to handle something that may be taking the fun out of your gaming experience (or your child’s) is very useful.

Another tool to handle such situations is a Strategy Guide. Many titles have strategy guides and these often provide in-depth analysis of storyline as well as impressive imagery and artwork from the game. However, if you just need a quick answer, GameFAQs is an excellent resource to keep the momentum going.

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We’re going to introduce you to a very important tool today. This is the Entertainment Software Ratings Board label. You can find the description of each of their classifications here on their website. This label is printed on the front and back of all games to let consumers know who the intended audience is for the title. For example, if you wanted to take your 5-year-old to a movie, you’d probably avoid the “R” rated options. Similarly, you wouldn’t want to buy him/her an “M” rated game.

You’ll find the label on the lower left corner on the front of a game as well as repeated on the lower right corner of the back. You will notice that on the back, they provide further information to clarify the rating. In the case of this title, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, the ESRB notes the following reasons why it is intended for an audience of at least 17 years:

One of the greatest challenges we have as parents is to recognize that the preconception, “Videogames are just for kids,” is no longer valid. We have seen a similar maturation of content in almost every entertainment industry. All media including books, magazines, popular music, movies, and television provide options which are not intended for children. Even comic books are no longer an easy choice for kids. We must not assume that something is appropriate for a child because it’s a game or a comic. As parents we need to filter what our children consume until they’re old enough to make that decision for themselves.

The fact is that there are no absolutes. As our children grow, we must actively discuss these options and it is only through listening to them that we can determine when they may be ready for certain experiences. As parents, this will always be one of our greatest challenges…but the rewards are beyond measure.

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Everyone has an agenda. We are not exempt from this. However, I believe that you’ll find ours less questionable because it probably aligns fairly closely to yours. We simply want what’s best for our children and we want to help others to make informed decisions.

There are countless studies that argue back and forth about the impact of videogames. We believe that all are valid. Rather than dismiss some studies over others, we encourage you to consider all sides. We believe that your decision is personal and it may be different from ours. That’s great! Read what we have to say and what the studies find and see what makes sense to you.

In an attempt to provide full disclosure, I believe that gaming is not inherently evil. It’s like fruit. Strawberries, for example, are an excellent source of vitamin C and provide dietary fiber. Eating a serving of these every day or a few times a week would be a healthy eating habit. However, strawberries are high in natural sugars and if you eat five servings a day, this would not be in your best interest (nor would it be kind to your intestines).

What I’m really trying to express here is that too much of even a good thing is still too much.

 Now is gaming always a good thing? Well, I’ve never been a big fan of absolutes so I would have to say, “No.” Let’s take my strawberry analogy further. (I just can’t let it go, can I?) Would you choose to give fresh strawberries to your child as his/her first solid food? Probably not until you had introduced other foods to identify possible food allergies. And you wouldn’t hand an infant a whole strawberry without running it through a food processor (or at least cutting it).

The fact is that different games are created for different audiences. I don’t recommend Pulp Fiction as a film choice for six-year-olds. Similarly, Gears of War would not be an appropriate videogame choice for that child either. In America, we have a ratings board for videogames called the ESRB (Entertainment Software Ratings Board). Much like film ratings (i.e., G, PG, PG, R, and X), the ESRB assigns ratings to videogames (E, T, M, AO). Because of the complexity of an interactive media experience, ESRB ratings also include qualifiers with the rating for each game to highlight issues that may be relevant to the buyer.

What I hope that we can do is raise an awareness of this medium so that we can help other parents to identify appropriate content for their families. In spite of some bad press and some over zealous politicians and lawyers, there are thousands of games that are not controversial and provide simple diversion.

As parents, we must simply remind ourselves that moderation is always the key!

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