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Violence, Video Games, etc
Posted by Paul Szynol on Friday, January 03 @ 17:35:29 EST News
I just want to summarize my position on this, since it is very clear to me that it is not clear to some of you.

* I'd like to see an effective ranking mechanism (e.g., a parallel to movie ratings). If the ESRB can't rise to the challenge, as this Harvard study suggests, then I'd like a third party to oversee the mechanism's creation and enforcement.

* Based on the ranking mechanism, I'd like to see distribution control so that minors don't get access to inappropriate material.

* I do believe exposure to some of the content of some video games is prima facie problematic. This seems to be the point where I part ways with most of the people who responded, but so it goes. I don't think video games are inherently "bad", but I do think some of them can exert a negative influence on some kids some of the time.

 
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"User Login" | Login/Create an Account | 8 comments | Search Discussion
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Re: Violence, Video Games, etc (Score: 0)
by Anonymous on Friday, January 03 @ 18:08:29 EST
Noone under 17 ever sees a rated R movie.


[ Reply to This ]

I got it to begin with (Score: 0)
by Anonymous on Friday, January 03 @ 19:35:29 EST
Paul,
Given that your worst fears about video games are true:
1. does that rise to the level of requiring federal interference? My answer to that is *NO*.
2. Would federal regulation be effective? Given current ATF regulations and the numbers of high school kids that get drunk occassionally, I would also have to answer this one *NO*.
3. Given the sort of regulation you are seeking, could a fair rating process be established? My belief is *NO*. The companies with the best lawyers would get the best ratings or at least the least restrictive.

So, finally, assuming you get the regulation you want (over my protest), where do you want the line drawn? 16? 18? 21? 14? Heck, in some of these backward southern states you can get married at 14, so why not buy video games? If you want to gain a little more understanding of my perspective, try and find "it's a sorry world" by Tim wilson. I consider the line "You can shoot up a bar in baghdad, but you can't order a rum and coke" to be a classic. I work with these guys daily and I feel it's sad that the government that may send them to die in Iraq (or anywhere else for that matter) feels it necessary to protect them from themselves.

Regards,

Cecil Whitley
cwhitley at ec rr com


[ Reply to This ]

Re: Violence, Video Games, etc (Score: 0)
by Anonymous on Friday, January 03 @ 19:44:36 EST
Paul et al,
My comment got a little lengthy why I posted it over at Greplaw. I hope it makes sense to you, even though English is not my mother tounge. Here is the introduction and a link to my comment:

"Over at Yale’s Lawmeme, editor Paul Szynol gives his opinion on violence in computer games. Szynol wants an effective ranking mechanism but conclude that computer games may exert a negative influence on kids. Excuse me, but who used the time machine? Computer games are art and should be dealt with accordingly, without any references to the prohibition tactics of the 1980:ies."

Read Regulating Computer Games [grep.law.harvard.edu].

Regards,

Mikael Pawlo


[ Reply to This ]

Harvard study (Score: 0)
by Anonymous on Friday, January 03 @ 20:43:10 EST
If my reading is correct, the harvard study would mark Mario and yoshi's island both as violent. So, given the proposed labeling, I guess mario would be noted (contains scenes of violence) and GTA: vice city would be (Contains scenes of nudity and violence). That would certainly be informative and helpfull. Okay, to make it clearer: Diablo and Yoshi's Island would carry the same notice of violence???

Don't get me wrong, I would welcome improvements in the rating systems currently in place. But not at the expense of government regulation.

Regards


[ Reply to This ]

Re: Violence, Video Games, etc (Score: 0)
by Anonymous on Saturday, January 04 @ 11:48:27 EST
anthrax write a sonh bout cencorship....u should listen to it.

ratings are a form of cencorship. buzz off


[ Reply to This ]

FYI - Media Scholar's Brief from FEPP (Score: 1)
by Seth_Finkelstein on Saturday, January 04 @ 16:45:21 EST
(User Info | Send a Message) http://sethf.com/
See, from Free Expression Policy Project (FEPP), the
Media Scholars' Brief In St. Louis Video Games Censorship Case [www.fepproject.org]
"The real puzzle is that anyone looking at the research evidence in this field could draw any conclusions about the pattern, let alone argue with such confidence and even passion that it demonstrates the harm of violence on television, in film and in video games. While tests of statistical significance are a vital tool of the social sciences, they seem to have been more often used in this field as instruments of torture on the data until it confesses something which could justify publication in a scientific journal. If one conclusion is possible, it is that the jury is not still out. It's never been in. Media violence has been subjected to lynch mob mentality with almost any evidence used to prove guilt."
Seth Finkelstein [sethf.com]


[ Reply to This ]

ratings are a form of cencorship. buzz off (Score: 0)
by Anonymous on Saturday, January 04 @ 18:17:18 EST
Ratings, if done on a voluntary basis with no force of law are also free expressions of those making them. Take or leave them, just don't make them law.
Regards


[ Reply to This ]

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