7 Reasons We Should Be Worried About Video Game Violence

5. Children Playing Adult Games

With many video games now marketed exclusively for adults, the content can be unapologetically violent and graphic... but this isn't necessarily a bad thing. With many games now seemingly more like interactive films, you'd be rather disappointed if when you shot the game's villain, blue glitter poured out and a care bare gave you a hug. For example, in the recent GTA V, the torture scene with Trevor is incredibly detailed and forces the player to engage in order to continue the game. Apart from being uncomfortable - which was the point - it reminds you that you're in a very adult world. Yes, you can have sex with a prostitute then beat her to death with a baseball bat to recoup your money, but you can also take your character for a jog around the block, or play a round of golf. The point is - it's your choice. You are essentially controlling a character in a godfather sandbox. As an adult who understands that this is a game, the implications of game violence are minimal. Otherwise, as stated earlier with around 13 million people buying the recent Call Of Duty, we would all need to know effective covering fire when leaving the house. The danger comes when you imagine children playing adult games. Aside from the point of desensitisation, a child's mind is still developing and their view and understanding of the world is still being shaped. Therefore they are far more susceptive to influence, which is why film and television is so carefully scrutinised. In 1994, the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) was put together to give age and content advisories on games. However this was only in Canada and the US and was not enforced by law. Fast forward to 2012 and the Pan European Game Information (PEGI) system becomes legislated, meaning anyone selling a game to an individual under-age faces a possible 6 months in prison and a £5,000 fine. Of course, how well enforced the ratings are is debatable, with most games still fairly easily bought online by teens. What's interesting about the PEGI system is that violence can be present in games for ages as young as 12. For 12 year olds, it has to be in a fantasy setting such as Lord Of The Rings. For 16 year olds it can be explicit and once you get to 18 you can engage in graphic violence towards defenceless people including multiple, motiveless killings - hooray. The point is that whilst there are now more stringent controls on violent games, it's only recently becoming enforced with any vigour. This in itself brings with it another reason to be worried about violence in video games....