My friend Leia is writing some sort of a school paper about video games and violence, and has a questionnaire posted here. If you want to help her out, you should fill that thing out! I filled it out, and here are my answers:
What is your opinion on videogames? Are they good? Bad? Why?
Are books good? Bad? Are movies good? Bad? Are TV shows good? Bad? I can't single out video games as being different from any other immersive entertainment medium. Some games are good; some games are bad, just like books, movies, and TV shows.
Do you play games with mature content (or would you if you played games)? What do you like about them? If not, why not?
I've been known to; I tend not to like them as much just as a personal preference. I tend to like fun, cartoony games (like the Mario games) rather than gritty, dirty, "adult" games (like the Halo games). I think I like the more childish games because they generally don't try to be as "awesome" as the more adult-oriented games.
What do you think about violence or sexual content in videogames as opposed to the same content in movies?
I see absolutely no difference.
Whose responsibility is it to monitor the content of videogames? Why? What about movies?
Video games: Parents/guardians
Movies: Parents/guardians
I don't mind rating systems so much; they're a good general guidline if you don't have time to personally judge the content of a film or video game, but they should not be the ultimate word on the subject.
How would/do you manage the videogames a child plays? What about the movies they watch?
By being educated on what content the video games and/or movies contain, and discussing with the child what the contents of the video game and/or movie mean, their context, their real-world consequences, etc. Just like you have to tell a kid that if a coyote fell off a cliff in real life it wouldn't be able to get back up and dust itself off, you have to tell kids the real-world consequences of actions in video games. If you're able to instill the difference between reality and fiction in a kid at a young enough age, they'll be better able to distance video games and/or movies from real life as they get older.
How do you determine if a game is appropriate for a child? A movie?
First of all, I would have to know the emotional maturity of the child in question, and then balance that against the "questionable" content of whatever entertainment is in question. THERE IS NO blanket level of appropriate-ness that applies to every child. For example, my sister watched the movie "Aliens" (starring Sigourney Weaver, rated R) when she was six years old with absolutley no negative reprocussions. Other children might not have been able to handle it. All kids are different, and it is up to the parent/guardian to judge what the kid can handle.
Do you think that games that are rated Adults Only should be prohibited? Explain.
No. What if adults want to play them? Are adults not allowed to make up their own mind as to what is acceptible to them?
What consequence should there be if a retailer sells an “underage” person a game that is rated above their age group? What about allowing an “underage” person into a movie rated above their age group? (Example: a store sells a 12-year-old a Mature rated game. There are currently no laws in place concerning either of these, but some companies have policies that disallow it.)
Honestly, I don't think that the "law" should have anything to do with this. This should be purely an internal matter within whatever company the offending employee works. Each company can make up whatever policy they want.
Do you feel that videogames are bad for a person’s health? Why or why not?
As with EVERYTHING, video games are only bad for a person's health if played excessively; eyestrain and arthritis (as well as hearing problems if a handheld is played with earphones) can result if video games are played excessively. Also a lack of exercise (excluding such exercise-oriented games as DDR and its ripoffs). But if that is the case, I absolutely believe it is the video game player's own damned fault; nobody can FORCE you to play video games to the point of health damage.
Do you feel there is a connection between violent behavior and videogames? What makes you feel that way?
Absolutely not. I am at times obnoxiously pacifist and I grew up playing all manner of violent video games. I also watched violent cartoons and TV shows and movies! Gasp! I believe there is a connection only when poor/neglectful parenting is involved, and the child ends up being unable to distinguish between what is allowed in a violent video game and what is allowed in real life. And even if that child never played a single video game in his/her life, he/she would likely be influenced by some other entertainment medium.
Do you think violent videogames can be used to “let off” aggression, to allow people a safe outlet for these feelings? Explain.
If a punching bag can be used to "let off" aggression, why can't a video game? Certain video games (the Mario Kart series) have a very relaxing effect for me (and my wife).
And here are my final words on the subject:
"People have been trying to blame entertainment for violence for as long as there has been entertainment. People thought swing would cause violent behavior; people thought that seeing a woman's belly button on TV would cause rampant sexual aggression; I honsetly believe that the only things that causes children to become violent are entirely environmental (poor parenting, bad social circles, abuse, etc.). I am also a fierce believer that ANY for of government censorship is just about the single worst thing that can happen in a society. I also do not believe in age-based laws (example, drinking at age 21, voting at age 18, driving at 16, etc.). Who is the goverment to tell me that my 12-year old kid is not emotionally mature enough to handle an NC17-rated movie or an AO-rated game? As a (hypothetical) parent, I am the only one who should be allowed to restrict my child's life experiences."
This is Chris dot com
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
Video Game Violence Questionnaire
posted by Christopher at 8:11 PM 
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1 Comments:
I think some people take video games violence way to serious...
http://gamersunitedreviews.blogspot.com/
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Alpha|Male, at
5/30/06 9:59 PM
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