EDITORIAL – Parents should be video game regulators

Last week, the state of California approved a bill that prohibits the selling of video games… Last week, the state of California approved a bill that prohibits the selling of video games that have violent or sexually explicit material to minors. Similar to the consequences that liquor stores face if they sell alcohol to those under 21, video rental stores can now also be fined thousands of dollars. In addition, the legislature calls for all heinously violent video games to be properly labeled and rated.

Thus far, mum is the word for California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Critics speculate that his former life as an actor in predominantly violent movies that produced violent video games has played a role in his silence. But considering that his unavoidable past is tied to the issue at hand, perhaps this is a tasteful way of handling this unnecessary legislation.

Though a few hurdles remain before the legislation can take effect, Americans still have just cause to be concerned. Besides the fact that the bill was passed in California, which is otherwise known as the liberal capital of the western United States, similar measures are being taken at the federal level, and something has to be done.

Leaving it up to video rental stores to regulate video games is another example of how the government often goes after the symptom and not the root. It seems the video game industry is a little more complex than local retailers that rent games out to America’s youth.

Perhaps the first thing parents consider is how their unsuspecting pre-teens are lured into the underworld of video games. Advertising isn’t as demonic as parents think. Video gamers are getting older and it is now the 30somethings who can’t wait to get their hands on the latest “Grand Theft Auto.”

Companies have caught on to this and their advertising follows suit. Take, for example, what was depicted as the most controversial video game of our time, “Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.”

The song playing throughout the commercial isn’t composed of the latest pop songs that blare in a pre-teen’s stereo. It’s “Welcome to the Jungle” setting the scene with a tune that the college generation or a 30something would only be able to recognize. Similarly, the game’s soundtrack predominantly features artist’s that were popular in the early 90s.

Furthermore, the rating is not that complex. Video games with explicit sexual or violent material is rated M for mature, similar to the R rating in movies.

In summary, advertising isn’t the problem, and the rating on video games educates consumers on what they should expect. Keeping these things in mind, video retailers aren’t going to be catalytic in persuading youth not to buy violent games; parents are, and they need to start taking a more vocal stance.

Parents are sometimes naive about the content of games. If parents took an active role in monitoring what their kids are playing, the government wouldn’t necessitate these regulations.

Once again, money is being wasted in the passing of another frivolous bill. In the past, the government has also spent money on commercials urging parents to talk to their kids about drugs, alcohol and cigarettes. Perhaps they should consider adding something else to this list of things parents should discuss with their children.

Commercials urging parents to know what video games their kids are into might be a better way for the government to spend their money. Ignorance is the root of the problem, not retailers.