As for the Representatives’ claims that numerous studies link games to aggressive behavior, there are an equal number of studies that say the opposite. One example is this report done by the Pew Research Center, stating that playing age appropriate games actually yield some benefits for young people. While the scientific community is divided on the issue, our legal system doesn’t have any answers either. Brown v. EMA showed that United States Supreme Court couldn’t find conclusive proof either way that such a link exists. The thing is kids, science experiments only work when there’s a conclusion. That conclusion can be turned into fact, but until then it’s just guesses – especially when it comes to the mind and behavior.
I agree with the Entertainment Consumers Association that this bill will be harmful to not only the industry, but parents and consumers due to misinformation and its undermining the ESRB. Keep going with a system that works, and understand that anything in excess can have side effects. Christopher Ferguson, a psychologist at Texas A&M put it best in an interview with Reuters when the American Psychological Association first released a warning in 2000: "Violent video games are like peanut butter. They are harmless for the vast majority of kids but are harmful to a small minority with pre-existing personality or mental health problems."
So please Congressmen, let’s focus on something more pressing shall we?
Article comments
1 - Dr Dreadful
Some of our elected representatives are incapable of grasping the idea that Congress is not the place for promoting their personal lines of bee-flavored bonnets.