Violent Video Game Labels Actually Attract Kids

What This Means to You

Kids already see too much violence on TV: most will witness 200,000 violent acts on TV by age 18. Such violence sometimes begs for imitation because it's often promoted as a fun and effective way to get what you want; thus, kids may become desensitized to violence and more aggressive.

And M-rated video games often go farther in their depiction of violence. Geared toward ages 17 and up, the M rating means the game may contain not only heavy-duty violence, but also strong language and sexual content.

To help keep your kids from playing inappropriate video games, it's wise to:

• Put computers and video-game consoles in common areas — not in kids' rooms.
• Make sure younger kids aren't playing games meant for older siblings.
• Look at ratings, but also be sure to preview games before giving them to your kids. To try before you buy, check your local library or video store first.
• Talk to your kids about the games they're playing and monitor how games might be affecting them.

You can also reduce exposure to unacceptable online games by keeping tabs on your kids' Internet use with:

• parent-control options, offered by many Internet service providers (ISPs)
• software that can ban access to certain sites based on a "bad site" list
• filtering programs to keep certain sites from coming in
• programs to monitor and track your child's Internet activity

Just as you should be aware of which shows and movies your kids watch and the websites they frequent, make sure you know what kinds of games they're playing — and what types of messages they're sending.

Reviewed by: Steven Dowshen, MD Date reviewed: March 2009

Source: "Age and Violent-Content Labels Make Video Games Forbidden Fruits for Youth." Pediatrics, March 2009.