children posts

Having recently re-read my past post about children and video games, I realized that I have an obligation -- or at least, an opportunity -- to argue the counterpoint to the oft-heard claim that video games are bad for kids. Beware blanket statements, as they don't necessarily represent the entire truth. I believe that video games offer benefits to kids that surpass their negative effects (such as they might be). It's time to examine what games can do for us, instead of just what they do to us.

The recent post on the National Institute on Media and the Family by our own John Callaham brought to mind this well-trod subject. Let's lay out the particulars. Video games sometimes feature violent and/or sexual content. Children who are too young to access such material should be prevented from doing so. The Entertainment Software Ratings Board exists to assess the content of video games and provide a label for parents to use in determining which games are safe for their children to play. However, the NIMF has been at odds with the ESRB for years, claiming that they're either not doing their job properly, or that their system isn't enough of a deterrent to prevent the sale of non-kid friendly games from being sold to minors.

This begs the question: when it comes to the safety of children, who's responsible? The parents, or society? Can any organization, well-meaning though it might be, have a reasonable expectation of adherence to its own standards? Shouldn't it be up to the parents alone to determine what's okay for their kids to experience? Do children really need protecting?

Microsoft and AMD are participating in and providing funding to the fifth annual Games for Change festival next week. Both companies are funding the development of games that promote peace and green living. They'll also be training youth in game development so they can make their own alternative games. AMD is funding its initiative through its newly-formed AMD Foundation.

The video game industry is filled with extremely violent games. While there's nothing wrong with that so long as parents, publishers, and retailers are responsible about who they encourage to play those titles, it's always pleasing to see the industry branch out to other motifs. PC gaming in particular has a long history of excellent non-violent releases, such as Myst, Railroad Tyccon, and The Sims.