I keep hoping that the more I read articles like “Natural Born Regulators” the more people it is reaching. I know I bang the drum pretty loudly here, but I’m just background noise in the grand scheme of things. This article is another good look at the problem with politicians trying to protect the you-know-who.
From the article:
Indeed almost every important social indicator has been improving in recent years even as video-game use among youths has increased. Juvenile murder, rape, robbery, and assault are all down significantly over the past decade. Aggregate violent crime by juveniles fell 43 percent between 1995 and 2004. Meanwhile, fewer kids today are carrying weapons to school or are victims of violence in schools than in the past. Alcohol and drug abuse, teen birth rates, high-school dropout rates, and teenage suicide rates have all dropped dramatically as well. These results do not conclusively rule out a link between exposure to games and violent acts or promiscuous sexual behavior, but they should at least call into question the “world-is-going-to-hell” sort of generalizations made by proponents of increased regulation.
Heard that before, right? What about this one:
Finally, there might be some cathartic or educational benefits associated with many video games. From the Bible to Beowulf to Batman, depictions of violence have been used not only to teach lessons, but also to allow people — including children — to engage in a sort of escapism that can have a therapeutic effect on the human psyche. Kids know the difference between make-believe violence and the real thing. And many games today are remarkably sophisticated, offering players a “cognitive workout” that is far more stimulating, rewarding, and even educational than much of the other media fare that is available.
Yeah, heard that one before, too. Unfortunately, the one we hear the most is this:
In sum, the debate over video-game regulation is being driven by myths and misperceptions. Policymakers and critics should consider the facts before moving forward with efforts to regulate the gaming industry, especially since such rules could have profound First Amendment implications as well.
And that’s the problem. Those pesky facts keep getting in the way!
(thanks to my bud Rightank for the tip)
And this is why efforts like the voter’s network is so important. The only reason why this is a thumping point is because the politicians believe they can go unchallenged and that it’s not an issue that anyone will call out their lack of facts.
I wrote my Senator and told him straight out that he was supporting nothing short of a waste of government funds and curtailing freedom of speech. Enough voters informing them that they feel the same, and they’ll back off.
The Dems are using this to pump up their moral front. I don’t think using myths to support spending taxpayer money on useless and unnecessary legislation is terribly moral.
Perhaps all these juvenile crimes are down because they are so busy playing videogames? Hell, either way, we win!
What insults me the most is the constant assumption that we have to protect the children from these awful games. Uh, hello? I’m a gamer to, I’m 32 years old. Would it be alright if I made my own decisions about what I want to play? How about letting me decide for my kids as well?
I’m also tired of parental responsibility continuing to get a pass while game makers are pushed to carry an increasing burden of responsible behavior. That has got to be the dumbest part of this whole debate. I’ll decide for my kids, I’d just as soon leave Rockstar out of the decision-making process. Come to think of it, I’m sure they’d be happier that way to.