There are certain items in this world that absolutely require health warnings: cigarettes should warn of the potential dangers of smoking, Drano should list that it’s not meant to be swallowed, and it’s crucial that hair dryers bear the message ‘not to be used in the bath or shower’ (although the Darwin Awards might beg to differ). But when it comes to violent games, should they require a label listing the following; “WARNING: Excessive exposure to violent video games and other violent media has been linked to aggressive behaviour”? A Californian congressman certainly thinks so.
According to this news release, congressman Joe Baca is pushing for legislation that will make it mandatory for games fetching a rating of T (teen) or above to feature the aforementioned warning label. Baca had the following to say in the release; “The video game industry has a responsibility to parents, families, and to consumers – to inform them of the potentially damaging content that is often found in their products. They have repeatedly failed to live up to this responsibility. Meanwhile research continues to show a proven link between playing violent games and increased aggression in young people. American families deserve to know the truth about these potentially dangerous products.”
The problem with Baca’s stance is that he’s pulled the old “research continues to show” card without acknowledging that for every study that proves a link between violent games and aggressive behaviour, there is another one that finds the opposite. It’ll be interesting to see if the legislation is passed though, as we’re willing to bet that if it does, sooner or later we’ll be seeing similar stickers in our MA15+ capped gaming land.
Further reading:
Are Gamers Scared of Sex?
How to Kill a Franchise
