The games kids play: are mature video games too violent for teens? - News Debate

Current Events, Feb 7, 2003

PRESS START and you become Tommy Vercetti, an ex-convict with nothing to lose. You race down the streets of Vice City, scoring points by stealing cars, robbing banks, dealing drugs, and killing women.

The deadly gun battles and wild car chases are all part of the action of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, one of the hottest video games around. But is the gory game harmless fun?

Some people aren't so sure.

Vice City and a few other popular video games have mature ratings, meaning they might contain violent content, strong language, and nudity. M-rated games are recommended for people 17 and up.

Even though M-rated games are meant for adults, their popularity often extends all the way down to elementary schools. And as kids and teens clamor to play the games, the debate is heating up over whether those kids are old enough to walk the violent streets of Vice City.

Real Life Vice?

Researchers say playing M-rated games could spark violent behavior. They say studies have shown that people who play violent video games are more aggressive. "It increases the likelihood youngsters are going to react to conflict with aggression instead of cooperation," Iowa State University professor Craig Anderson told the Star Tribune.

Experts point to Eric Harris as an example. Harris was one of two teens who opened fire in Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, in 1999, killing 13 people before shooting himself. Harris had a modified version of Doom, an M-rated video game, on his Web site. His version resembled the Columbine shootings--two shooters, unlimited ammunition, and victims who couldn't shoot back.

Some people say games like Vice City should be taken off the shelves because of the way they portray women. "I'm really offended that anybody would sell a [game] that has this kind of violence in it, that kicking a woman to death is a game, is fun," father Howard Winkler told The Olympian.

Just Fantasy

Many parents and teens argue that no normal kid would be transformed by a video game's violence. They say teens are smart enough to tell the difference between reality and fantasy.

"The guns, the weapons, blowing stuff up--it's just got something you can't do in real life," said 15-year-old Bryce Conley of Springfield, Missouri. "You might go shoot the cops in the game, but I'm not going to go out and shoot a cop in real life," he told newspapers.

The Interactive Digital Software association says there is no conclusive link between video games and violent behavior. They point out that as video games increase in popularity, youth violence in the United States declines.

What do you think? Should teens be allowed to play mature video games?