Gamertell

A recent Radio Iowa article on Iowa State University researcher and assistant Psychology professor Douglas Gentile confirms the need for parental guidance and supervision when it comes to video games. Gentile has stated that he believes parents and guardians should pay closer attention to the ratings on game boxes when buying video games for children based on his research at the Media Research Lab at Iowa State. His most recent research looking at the correlation between video games and violent behavior in adolescents has shown that aggressive behavior in even E-rated games can cause children to become more hostile. Through looking at the different games, he has determined that, at times, the amount of bloodshed is what determines a rating rather than interactions between characters.

Gentile also states that the ratings system as it is isn’t completely accurate, and that instead of six categories, there are really four. According to his research, he has found that the four real ratings categories for games are Everyone, Everyone 10+, Teen, and Mature. The official Entertainment Software Rating Board’s ratings for video games offers six categories, the four that Gentile suggests are most telling, Early Childhood and Adults Only.

The whole article is designed to act as a reminder to parents to keep an eye on their kids. Get involved in your kid’s lives if they play games. Play the games with them. Read about the game before you buy it for them. At the very least, ask a store clerk if it is appropriate for a child. All of this should be obvious though. Of course the ratings are there for a reason, they aren’t just a decorative accent. It is sad to think that parents would need to read another article like this to remind them to be active in their children’s lives.

Read [Radio Iowa] Also Read [Canadian Centres for Teaching Peace] Via [globeandmail.com] Site [Douglas A. Gentile]