Whose Job is it to Control Violent Video Games?

Written By: Jim Swanson  |  Posted: Monday, September 13th, 2010

A recent item came to my attention entitled, "State Attorneys General and Violent Video Games." (http://www.creators.com/conservative/phyllis-schlafly.html) The article was written by Phyllis Schlafly, a respected voice in conservative issues for several decades. She states, "Extremely violent and addictive video games are polluting the minds of an entire generation of children, and most parents are clueless. Young players earn game points based on how many murders they commit, with increasingly realistic bloodshed splattered around for teenagers and pre-teens to learn to enjoy. These highly disturbing video games encourage players to shoot innocent bystanders to win points and to commit acts like using shovels to decapitate people so dogs can then fetch their chopped-off heads. If you find that shocking to read, just imagine how much more shocking it is for a 7-year-old to see it acted out in gory graphics and to win points for committing such crimes. Other scenes include having sex with prostitutes and then killing them or committing heinous acts of terrorism. These deadly role-playing games not only desensitize and reward players for acts of extreme violence, but are highly addictive." Did you know that video games had come to this? Are such scenes acted out in video games your children play?

She goes on to say, "Virtually every school massacre can be traced to the young killers' addiction to violent video games. The video game industry reaps tens of billions of dollars in revenue and now even surpasses Hollywood in profits, revenues and influence." This does not surprise us, does it? She rightly states, "Children don't necessarily know the difference between fantasy and reality. Brain research indicates that teenagers' brains, as well as children's brains, are still developing and may store violent images as real memories."

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