Proposed Legislation in Venezuela Could Ban 'Violent' Games

Monday, October 5, 2009 at 6:52 pm
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​Venezuela is currently considering a ban on violent video games and toys to combat a growing crime problem in the South American country. The Venezulan National Assembly is expected to vote on the legislation in the coming weeks. 

The theory behind the proposed law is that games like "Counter-Strike" and "Grand Theft Auto IV" will cause kids who play them to commit the violence they see on their screens in real life. This idea is based on the notion of the "magic bullet" theory of the media, where people accept media messages whole and without question.

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​But real research into how people interpret messages reveals that how people respond to media, including games, varies from person to person. How kids react to video game violence will depend on a variety of factors, including the emotional and psychological health of the child. Blowing away bad guys could simply be a cathartic way of working off frustrations rather than training for a real-life massacre. Venezuela's crime wave might have been going on before the kids encountered these violent games. 

But the proposed law does raise concerns from parents over the level of violence in the games their kids play and whether it may affect them negatively. I think the best thing to do in this case is for parents to be parents.

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Look at and play the games that they're playing to see if there's anything you don't want them to see. The ratings on the box are there for a reason. Talk to your kids to see what they actually think about what's going on in the games. And be willing to be firm if they start to blur the lines between reality and fantasy. This is a better solution than trying to pass dubious laws.
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