By Not Sure
I’m not a parent and I am, numerically speaking, an adult, so I reflexively stand in opposition to any initiative that looks to slap a big honkin label on the package of nearly all video games due to violent content. Now, this isn’t some diatribe about how violent games are completely benign; I agree with studies that say exposure to these games can desensitize kids and others to violence — in a world where we are already desensitized to so much, we really should be careful to avoid deepening the gash with the press of yet another dull blade. No, this isn’t that — this is a “diatribe” against government intervention for the sake of government intervention and pandering to family groups.
Before I go on with my opinion, let’s go over the facts: Congressmen Joe Baca (D-Cal) and Frank Wolf (R-VA) are proposing a bill, H.R. 4204 aka The Violence in Video Games Labeling Act. If passed, this legislation would require video game publishers to put a warning label on all games with a rating above the Early Childhood rating, so basically, nearly all games.
According to the Bill, the label would have to be “placed in a clear and conspicuous location on the packaging of the applicable video game.” This is what the label would read:
“WARNING: Exposure to violent video games has been linked to aggressive behavior.”
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