05-22-2003, 10:20 PM
I just want to clarify something from the beginning of this post.
The ESRB, which classifies video games to make it easier for parents to pick appropriate games for their kids to play, is NOT a government body. It is a board put together by members of the video game community to police themselves. There is no lawful requirement for these ratings to be put on games. The game industry is censoring itself in the hopes of avoiding laws being passed censoring games.
This is much like what happened in the comic industry in the 60s with the Comics Authority Code. It wasn't a law, it was the comic industry policing themselves with the help of distributors and retailers.
Another rating system that most people treat as law is the Motion Picture Association ratings. There is no federal law that says an 8 year old kid can't get into a PG13 or R rated movie. There may be local by-laws but I imagine those would be rare. It is the actual movie theaters that are enforcing the ratings on behalf of the MPA.
So we don't have to worry about the government squashing the 1st amendment. Each industry is doing it in their own. The music industry has made a few attempts at self regulation but the "Explicit Lyrics" warnings are still ignored by a number of major record labels. Imagine the book industry trying to regulate itself. What would happen to all those Harlequin romance books?
The best thing anyone can do for their kids is to be aware of what their kid is reading/watching/hearing/playing and talk with them about it. Help them understand what it is they like about a particular thing and talk with them about right and wrong. Just plugging a kid into a cartoon/video game/comic book is not good parenting.
The ESRB, which classifies video games to make it easier for parents to pick appropriate games for their kids to play, is NOT a government body. It is a board put together by members of the video game community to police themselves. There is no lawful requirement for these ratings to be put on games. The game industry is censoring itself in the hopes of avoiding laws being passed censoring games.
This is much like what happened in the comic industry in the 60s with the Comics Authority Code. It wasn't a law, it was the comic industry policing themselves with the help of distributors and retailers.
Another rating system that most people treat as law is the Motion Picture Association ratings. There is no federal law that says an 8 year old kid can't get into a PG13 or R rated movie. There may be local by-laws but I imagine those would be rare. It is the actual movie theaters that are enforcing the ratings on behalf of the MPA.
So we don't have to worry about the government squashing the 1st amendment. Each industry is doing it in their own. The music industry has made a few attempts at self regulation but the "Explicit Lyrics" warnings are still ignored by a number of major record labels. Imagine the book industry trying to regulate itself. What would happen to all those Harlequin romance books?
The best thing anyone can do for their kids is to be aware of what their kid is reading/watching/hearing/playing and talk with them about it. Help them understand what it is they like about a particular thing and talk with them about right and wrong. Just plugging a kid into a cartoon/video game/comic book is not good parenting.
Gullible isn't in the dictionary.