How Videogames Became the Bogeyman

Tom Leupold, writing for the Inside Bay Area site, explores why videogames have become an American bogeyman. Talking with prof. Dmitri Williams, he discusses the rise, fall, and resurrection of games as a part of mainstream society. From the article: "Today, as games have once again infiltrated the mainstream, a growing number of adults are again enjoying gaming and understand there are games that are appropriate for different age groups. But that hasn't stopped crusaders from trying to censor them in the name of 'saving' the children. Williams, 34, said those under 38 have a different view of games than their elders. Most have grown up with games and, like television for the previous generation, games are embedded in their culture. "

Comments

Re:Movie Ratings in America

[Anonymous Coward]

US has it rated "R", which means it is barred from anyone under 17.

No, it's not. You should probably familiarize yourself with the rating system before criticizing it. It means that it's barred to unattended children under 17. Parents can bring a child of any age they like to the film. Basically the rating says, "We think a significant amount of parents might find this inappropriate for their teenagers, so we'll let them make the call." Sorry but I can't find a single thing wrong with that. Children are subject to the control of their parents.

If they said "Under no circumstances should children be allowed to see this movie" it would be rated NC-17. Some of the other countries listed are actually more restrictive. The famously liberal (especially about sex and drugs) Netherlands rated it a 16, meaning no one under 16 is admitted at all. Germany also gave it the same rating. Many other countries set firm limits as well in their age ratings, overriding the parental authority. That's quite a bit more restrictive than the US, which merely requires the parent to approve.

Re:Some parent's don't like responsibility

[Stalyn]

Don't forget the role society plays as well.

Up until a certain age, we (society) pretty much assume that anytime a kid screws up it is the parents' fault. An being oblivious/ignorant does not give the parents a free pass for their kid's behavior.

Which translates to, until a child is able to determine social norms independently, society blames the person who is responsible for instructing a child on how to act within society when the child does not conform to social norms.

Re:Some parent's don't like responsibility

[tfinniga]

It's almost shocking to see a moderate argument. It seems that the average slashdot poster is an idiot, and half are below average. However, I think it's mostly because a balanced argument is much longer to type and less fun than firing out a quick one-liner, or shooting talking points back and forth.

Here's my take on the whole thing - raising kids is a tricky business. Many people take different approaches, and very few parents will agree on everything. Most parents that I know want their kids to grow up to be better people than they are. Most work quite a bit to reach that goal.

One argument that seems common is that anything that is banned or censored is controlled at the request of parents who don't want to take responsibility for their own kids. So, the argument goes, it is the fault of bad parenting that I can't watch saturday-morning porn on NBC - lazy parents that don't want to raise their own kids. However, the laziest parents I've known don't care about what their kids listen to, see, or do, certainly not enough to try to ban it.

On the other hand, it seems that there are a lot of parents that don't spend enough time with their children, but still act as if they did. It's easy to imagine parents like these being shocked that their kids are into bad things, and going ballistic. Legislating a solution, instead of trying to work one out with their kid. These are not always helpful.

Personally, I try to spend a lot of time with my kids, get a good relationship, teach values and social expectations. (Currently we're working on pooping in the potty.) However, I appreciate the fact that my kids don't have to grow up too fast. I'm glad that Nick Jr. doesn't have violent or racy ads inbetween shows, and I'm glad Dora the explorer doesn't swear. It's nice that there's entertainment that's age appropriate, and I appreciate the help. As kids get older, there's a delicate balance between letting them make their own mistakes and bad judgments, and cushioning their fall. At the end of the day, it's up to the kid to decide whather he wants to take what you taught him and try to be good, or ignore it and seek other pursuits.

So, you try to be a good parent, try to help your kids be good people, and appreciate any help you can get from society in general. Some people would like the world to be adults-only, but I really appreciate that there are some places that are safe for kids.

In relation to the perception of games, I personally hope that the Wii will help change people's perceptions. Unfortunately, the current crop seems to be more aimed at hardcore gamers, who expect adult-themed games to be an option. My 3-year-old probably couldn't handle a dual shock, but I bet she could have a lot of fun with a Wii. Hopefully there will be better content out there which will show a kid-friendly side to this medium as well. Heck, if the devkits are cheap, I'd be happy to make some.. :).