by A2 Media class
Are the nation’s children at risk from dangerous video games? What effect do video games have on children’s behaviour? How are video games currently regulated? How could this be improved? These are some of the questions that the Byron Report (2008) tried to address. The report was an independent, government commissioned review of the risks children face from video games (and the internet).
Dr Tanya Byron discovered firstly how integral these new technologies have become to the lives of young people and second, how important it is that we educate ourselves about the benefits and dangers they bring. This article will focus on Byron’s findings and recommendations in regard to video games.
Byron’s key findings:
- Video games are very popular with children and young people and offer a range of opportunities for fun, learning and development.
- There are concerns, however over potentially inappropriate material (e.g. violence) and debates and research into this issue can be highly polarised and charged with emotion. Criticism includes violent games leading to violent behaviour and that excessive use can be at the expense of other activities and social interaction. (Although finding a direct cause and effect in terms of violence is far too simplistic-other factors come into play like the child’s socio-economic context and psychology).
- Negative effects of violent content in games only become ‘harmful’ when children present other risk factors. Arousal brought on by some games can produce stress like symptoms in some children. Younger children may have affected perceptions and expectations of the real world as a result of games. We should, therefore, change the nature of our approach and interventions in the video game world with children’s growing competencies and changing vulnerabilities.
- There is a ‘digital generational divide’ with parents not confident about helping children manage risks in the online world.
Byron recommends:
- Moving away from a discussion around the media ‘causing’ harm, to looking at what children bring to technology and how we can empower them to manage risks safely.
- Developing a ‘shared culture of responsibility’ with families, the industry and the government working together to make the digital world safer.
- Pooling the efforts of the games industry, retailers, advertisers, console manufacturers and online gaming providers to raise awareness of what is in games and enable better enforcement. There is no single solution to the problem of children playing games too old for them.
- Reforming the classification system and improving the systems already in place to help parents restrict children’s access to games not suitable for their age.
- The statutory requirement to age classify games be extended to include those receiving 12+ ratings.
- Introducing a hybrid classification system in which BBFC logos (i.e. 18, 15, 12, PG, U) and PEGI ratings (3+, 7+ etc) are on the front of all games. Also The BBFC and PEGI work together to develop a joint approach to rating online games and driving up safety standards for children and young people in the games, under the auspices of the UK council for child internet safety.
- Sustained high profile and targeted efforts by industry to increase parents’ understanding and use of age ratings, content and controls on consoles.
- Better in store information for parents/children/young people.
- More effort to monitor enforcement of the statutory age ratings where games are sold/rented.
- Advertising and video games industry should unite to improve the guidance on the appropriate targeting and content of video games adverts in line with age classifications.
- That console manufacturer’s work together to raise standards in parental controls on consoles, delivering clear and easy to use prompts and better information for parents on where console controls meet agreed standards.
Byron concludes that everyone has a role to play in empowering children to stay safe while they enjoy these new technologies, just as it’s everyone’s responsibilities to keep children safe in the non-digital world.
Are Byron’s recommendations sensible? Will they work? Is there anything else that needs to be done? Who is mostly responsible for ensuring that children do not access material inappropriate for their age? Is playing a violent video game really dangerous?
Please help our research by joining the discussion below.
I play games like Call of Duty which is rated 15 (i’m 13). I think on the matter of playing a game and it making you violent, depends on how you treat it as a game. You have to constantly remind yourself that what is happening in the game does happen in the real world but when you’re playing a game you’re not actually killing people. It doesn’t mean you want to kill people just because you’re doing it in the game! Teenagers know what’s real and what is just a game. Watching a film is slightly different to playing a game because although its alot like it you can tell its not the same as actually being in a war. If teenagers are violent its because of other reasons not games. The media over address knife crime and other matters too much which i think makes teenagers pressured to do it themselves.
I think parents are responsible for what their children play. They should watch you play games and if they think it’s inappropriate they should say ‘no youre not playing it’. In the shops they should have games on screens so parents have some idea of what they’re like. I don’t think playing games makes you violent. Its just a game and it obviously doesn’t look as real as in real life. If you were in a real war you’d be terrified. You know its only a game. Really young kids might get scared but everyones different and parents should know their kids and what theyre like. I don’t think anything like games or music can make you violent. Nothing can force you. You control yourself.
Parents, parents, parents. These are the people who buy your first games console and games to accompany it when you’re a child. Speaking from experience, my parents bought me my first playstation with games that suited all ages under the age of twelve. Therefore, it was the influence of my parents that allowed me to play games suited to my age and not of those above the suggested age limit with contents of a more graphic nature.
In today’s modern and technological society, our expectations of gaming industries are forever increasing, and with each new console, game or other technology introduced, parents are so overwhelmed by the staggering choices that they sometimes find it difficult to decide which would benefit their child most. Sometimes they choose a game without considering the long term effects it may have on the mind of their children. Unfortunately, some parents just perchase the games of the latest trend, of whatever nature it may be, and let their child get on with it.
However, as much as every parent is only human, and despite being thrown back by the rise of the gaming empire, parents must still have a controling influence over what input and messages that children gain from on-screen games.
i think its up to the children what games they play but their parents must make sure they are aware of what their children are playing and that they are not getting the wrong ideas about what is good behaviour. the children must be taught what is right and wrong from the video games. i think the age limit should be stuck to on games as children that are older may understand that the games are not to be repeated in real life whereas younger children may not understand.
it may be up to the parent to choose what games their kids play, but not all parents have the same set of morals. kids can just go round their friends house and play the games. theres not a lot parents can do to stop their children from being exposed to violence, as it is covered in all aspects by the media these days
ultimately the responsibility lies with the parents they are the ones who buy the games which should be age appropriate to their child/children. If the parent puts into place boundaries and ensures their child is not exposed to inappropriate material and encourages other activities in their childs life then i do not see any major problem. As long as they are just playing for fun, learning and development.
Any danger from video games I feel would depend on the child emotional well being. I do not think that a violent video game could be the whole reason for violence in the real world.
i think that parents should control what games there children play. if they are worried about games that are on sale the should just not buy them for their children. that way they know at their children are playing. i also think that children can understand that a game is not real life and they can understand the difference between the two.
I believe it is all about balance. Children need a good balance of reality and also imagination. So long as they have a good base grounding and can distinguish between the two then a limited amount of video games should not cause any long term harmful effects. Communication is key and guidance important yet a child will drink however much you persuade them not to. A child will smoke however much you educate them of the dangers. They do need to learn their own way and as parents we can only guide, and offer help and support.
The higher the barriers are set, the further the child has to reach and the greater the heights from which they fall. There are no hard and fast answers to good parenting – we just all do the best we can. Its never quite good enough but the balance is key.
I have two younger brothers, one of which is absolutely obsessed with his xbox, from a young age I’ve seen him play a wide variety of games, starting small with more child friendly content to now where he plays games with more explicit storylines and violence etc… he is 14. Now I personally see no harm in playing Saint’s Row or COD at length because he is quite alert and switched on to his surroundings, I know he would never and has never caused harm to another individual or performed any of these violent acts like he does in game play, this is because my parents were quite strict about what was right and wrong and he knew that what happens on screen doesn’t neccessarily mean he can become that character. Plus he can only play his xbox downstairs (its actually all of ours) so my parents can regulate the amount of time spent playing, its still a lot, but he is still interacting with the rest of us and not locking himself away playing these violent video games.
This is when I fear for the children whose parents don’t take action in their child’s activities, who leave their children to their own devices and not educating them on the moral of the game and what is right. I don’t believe that playing video games can directly cause a child to undertake a violent life of crime, but excessive game play locked indoors away from the world and away from other people can cause social issues that could contribute towards this.
So to round up, I think parents should create a healthy balance between game play and other activities so their children are experiencing life! Not becoming anti social and possibly dangerous later on in life. It’s for the best!
I believe it’s simply a case of taking these forms of media (i.e. films and gaming) with a pinch of salt. The right wing media often construe “violent” video games as being a form of education for children, they believe that children learn and adapt their behaviour through what they have experienced within video games. There are few recorded violent actions that have ever been induced through playing video games, so I think we can say that children aren’t being that heavily influenced by video games. Sure, the game producers may glorify and even revel in the violent moments that they have created within their game, but we have to remember that it is – effectively – an alternate reality. As a gamer myself, I know that you detatch yourself from your surroundings when playing a game. You engross yourself within this world, but it finishes when you turn the console off. The vast majority of people who play games realise this, so why can’t the media? Surely this kind of gaming follows a similar pattern to toy soldiers and is a preferrable alternative to the violent riots that have occured in the past, as most mods and rockers will testify?
My personal view is that its dependent on the mindset that an individual has. If you know that your child is susceptible to this kind of violence and reenact what he sees, then surely you have a responsibility to regulate what they play. If you have an addictive personality, then don’t play this genre of game. People forget that the gaming industry is just an entity which provides a product, you don’t have to buy it. If you buy the product, then the responsibility lies solely with the individual that bought it.
Honestly, I can’t see the attraction of gaming, but if people are happy doing that’s up to them. As long as you have a solid moral grounding and you do have a life outside your computer I don’t think it does any harm.
For young children, I think it could be dangerous if they played violent games, not only for the safety of others but for the children themselves – if they keep getting new lives on the game they may think they are invinvicble in real life.
I believe that the responsibility lies mainly with the parents, as they will be the person most likely to be purchasing the game(if 18 certificate) therefore they should be the ones who know what is in the game and its explicit content.
However personally i think that video games have a very small effect on someones personality, the only way i think it could change somebody is if it as smaller child such as someone under 12, hearing swear words in a game as this can make them think that the word is appropriate which can therefore get them in trouble and influence their personality.
Also in the media the people who criticise games for being too violent and that they are the influence to actions such as the Columbine High School murders have not actually played the games themselves therefore they have an unvalid opinion and are simply choosing the easy option on what to blame.
The idea of total blame being placed upon one person or company can be a too simplistic answer. Parents have a responsibility to control young children’s gaming, however as children grow older they will always find a way to play a game that has been forbidden by their parents. Whether it be by other children owning the game who’s parents are far more lenient on the idea of violent gaming and inviting their friends to play the game, it is always accessible to play. Therefore it is a joint effort by parents and the gaming companies to advise parents of the age restrictions of games.
Having said that, children have not changed in their mannerisms much in a number of years, there have always been problems with the youth, and using violent gaming as an excuse can be too easy. The problems may run deeper socially, to a lack of discipline in education, towards the public and even towards each other. Byron has unearthed a possibility, however I feel that the problem, if it is apparent, is far deeper than the digital age.
Surely it is impossible to solely blame one company for children under age playing video games. Studies on effects of video games on young persons is too derterministic as the parents are the comsumers of the game, it is their responsiblity to restrict their child from ‘Gaming’. The Government have done their job by investing in companies such as PEGI to rate games acceptable for certain age groups, However the fact of which people soley blame the game creators is a simplistic, very narrow minded approach.
I myself play and have played games rated 18 since i was 11, whereby i have only be effected by one game, which was Fifa. Fifa is rated 3+ and the only it affected me was by i had the urge to go out and play football after.
The affect it had on me didnt cause any harm to other or myself, and in a post modern society we all have our own Norms whereby we know ‘Right’ from ‘Wrong’ therefore when looking at the effects on video games on young persons, their psychological state needs to be taken into account alongside their social background. Furthermore economical factors come into play which i think is the main reasons for outbursts, therefore it can not be associated with the game creators.
I believe that the blame can not be solely placed in the shoulder of parents nor the game makers, but i do believe that they have both played their part. Parents should have some control on what the children do. Parents should be setting an example, and in this they should not let the kids be playing certain video games. At the same time, the parents could just use the excuse that ‘its just a game.’ Video makers can be blamed for creating games where you run round as killing people, but when their is a market for a product, their is always going to be someone their to produce the product. The makers can argue they are just doing their job.
I do not believe that the blame for someones actions can really be laid on a video game and its producers. Millions of people play games such as call of duty and other games involving violence, however the majority will never go on to reproduce any of the actions they have seen or played out in the game. The blame rests solely with the individual. Of course there are some people who are more easily influenced and some may see what they can do in the game as cool so I can see how a very few amount of people would think about going out and doing something violent, however thinking about doing it and actually doing it are two very different things and if the person went out and did this then it cannot be blamed on anyone but themselves.
I’ve played video games for as long as I can remember and I can honestly say they have not affected who I am today. I think it all depends on how immersed the child gets into the game and how sane they are.
I have played videogames for all my life and have shared the experience with my older brother who has like me in no way been affected in a way described in the report. I think that it is up to the children who play the games to decide for them selves whether or not they are mature enough to play, they should know what is real and what is not and if they choose to play game that exceeds their age limit it shouldnt effect their judgement of its content. I think that the age limits are worth having because it is a way for parents to understand the content on offer but they should not be held responsible for how their children react.
The effects of children playing video games and not will always differ depending on the environment they are in. Video games can have adverse effects on children but at the same time carefully observed gaming of a more serious nature can be, and often is healthy for younger children. Grand Theft Auto has especially been on the end of criticism showing the game to be a terrible influence on younger gamers as they are exposed to violence and sex, however there is an argument to suggest the slapstick humour in Grand Theft Auto shows the ridiculous nature of street violence and in many ways shows the adverse effects of street violence and drug culture. Similarly other violent games such as Call of Duty can show the horrific nature of war and potentially warn young gamers of the shocking results of mass violence.
To conclude, the responsibility of enforcing game age restrictions should not be placed fully on the parent, the parent should advise and make decision on suitability as part of a learning curve for younger gamers. As Byron suggests, the risks and effects of games on children are only usually set off depending on the stressful, harmful environment they are in. So maybe instead of using gaming as a scapegoat there should be more focus upon the way children play video games, if anything the taboo effect on games such as Grand Theft Auto and Call of Duty can produce an element of rebellion between children, far worse than any on screen violence.
I believe the recommendations regarding gaming regulations are appropriate. Young children should not be subjected to violent material- more so in video games where they are the ones controlling the characters. The parents should be held responsible, what they believe to be acceptable for their child depends on their own views of gaming.
From an early age i have played video games. From childrens games and family fun quizzes to games such as Grand Theft Auto and Call of Duty! Although there are violent acts within these games, my parents still allowed me to play them from an age of 10. My mum brought me GTA for my birthday as she knows that i will not go out the next day after playing this game and kill someome like i did within the game.
My mum believes that if i pay for a game then i can have that game, as she does not see me playing them and therefore she doesnt mind what is in them. Although she doesn’t like war games or violence but she knows i can control myself and will not turn into the character from the game.
Trust is the Key! If the parent trusts the child to behave and not become obsessed then nothing will go wrong, many people that cause harm to others after playing video games have problems within their family life and therefore playing video games helps them get away from this. However this does not necessarily mean that the game was to blame!
Therefore i believe that the children should be allowed to play games that have an older age certificate at their parents discretion as their parents are legally responsible for them. As a parent, they should know what their child is like and will know whether a violent video game will set them on a muderous rampage or not! They can then decide which games are appropriate for them to play and which ones are not. If the parents educate their children on what is morally right and what is morally wrong then there will not be a problem.
I don’t believe that video games effect how violent a child is/turns out to be. However if a child grows up in a poor environment while playing the more violent video games with higher certificates then the combination of those two factors could influence a childs behaviour. Parents are responsible for making sure their child isn’t playing anything too explicit,at the end of the day it is the parents who buy the games so they should know what material they are playing with.
i think that responsibility partly lies with the manufacturers to recommend an approproiate classification. However the final say must lie with parents as they have mosty authority over their own children and give guidance in order for the children to inherit the appropriate norms and values sort after in morden society.
I myself play and have played games rated 18 since i was 10, whereby i have only be effected by one game, which was pro evolution soccer which is rated 3+ and the only it affected me was by i had the urge to go out and play football after.
i wrote this for Kye and Dovestep x
I don’t believe video games actually make children be violent, but it may be a contributing factor. Other factors are how they have been bought up, family life etc. If the child already has problems and are already angry, playing a violent video game could cause them to want to be violent aswell, however, I think this is very rare.
I think the parents should decide whether their children are allowed to play the video game or not. I still think all video games should be regulated and when they are bought from a shop, the parent should be informed on exactly what the game contains. Once they are aware, they should then have the decision on whether to allow their children to play it.
Byron suggests that its is difficult to establish cause and effect between playing the video games and this causing aggression which leads to violence in the real world, something that is supported by Gauntlett. We can then argue that regulation does not need to be as strong and we do not need to focus on this as a main topic of debate. In fact we should consider relaxing the classification system as children are able to identify what is fiction and what is real and they understand that what is being played in the games for example shooting people and running them over in grand theft auto is purely fiction and for the gaming world only.
I dont think that you can blame video games entirely on violence in children. it is the parents main prority to make sure that their child is not exposed to anything that can persuade them to be violent towards anything or anyone.
Many young boys play video games that are certificated older than what they are, such as Grand Theft Auto is an 18 but it is very unlikely that children under this age do not play it because of this. If the parents know that they are not being affected by what they are playing then i dont think there is a problem. It is the parents who will buy the vidoe games for there children so it is up to them to decide whether they think their child can or cannot play it.
Following this report into video games and what affect they have on our children, I believe that it is not entirely the games themselves that make our children behave more aggressively and unsociably. Instead, I strongly believe that not enough is being done by the parents to provide our children with the best possible entertainment and variety of choice. Many parents believe that keeping their children inside the safety and comfort of their own homes (where they can be seen and monitored) is appropriate and will benefit their well being, as well as driving them away from anti-social aspects such as gangs and knife crime (which is always a stereotypical approach to anti-social issues).
However, as a result of this sense of security, many children are becoming isolated and not being given the opportunity to communicate directly and develop fluently with children of a similar or same age. So when children are introduced to socialising with friends they panic because they have not being interacting with other children in the open air and do not know how to approach the situation, resulting in arguments and misunderstanding. So instead we find that they have been shooting an obsessive Chinese man who can’t leave his computer for two minutes, especially when you are referring to a game like Call of Duty.
I remember when I was a youngster and from what I have noticed from monitoring young children today and realising how I acted as a child myself is that children get very easily bored. So to tackle this we must dedicate our strength and knowledge into providing the best variety of choice for our children instead of letting our children do whatever they please just because we cannot be bothered to take action.
They talk about the obesity crisis, well; you do not need to be a genius to figure out why. What we need is simply, effective activities that will be available to all ages. This covers a massive range of topics such as sport, art, music, drama, dance, scouts, guides and many more. These amazing activities will provide entertainment and skills for our children and bring children together to communicate in peace and harmony, while still remaining active at the same time.
But let’s not start throwing questions around and making contradictions, because it is not getting us anywhere. Team work must prevail, but it up to us to make it happen.
In today’s society, parents only want the best for their children, well all they have to do is find as many activities as possible and then encourage their children to participate, this will show children the reality of the world we live in and that video games are not the main source of entertainment in modern society.
Finally, I would like to conclude by asking you to visualise a bird. Well, the bird cannot stay in the nest forever, it needs to learn to fly and eventually it will grow into a gallant flyer, brewing with confidence and freedom. Now compare this with children and you will see what point I am trying to make.
Parents must enable the responsibility of taking care of their children because it is how they commit themselves to their children that will make the big difference. Also, with everything else in life, everything should be done in moderation, so we do not literally have to lock the Playstation or X-Box in the cupboard forever. But instead we have to balance out children daily routine and from this we will create happier, polite and enthusiastic children that will be willing and able to try something new. This will prepare our children for the road ahead and help them make new friends who will hopefully support each other when needed most.