GamerDad Interviewed by EGM Brazil!
A very polite young journalist contacted me recently. Seems Electronic Gaming Monthly (Brazil
Edition) wanted to write about GamerDad.com and “gaming with children.” So we did a little interview and they said I could post it for you. Enjoy!
Renata Honorato: Do you believe that children can be influenced (by) violent games?
GamerDad: I believe that a child who is immature, abused, or already violent can be made more violent by a game, yes. But history shows that kids like that can be influenced by anything. For most children, no, I don’t believe that they will become violent people just because they play violent games. Being a child usually means that the world is a scary place – or at least a place where they have no power. Games give kids a sense of accomplishment. And since games are very hard, kids feel empowered by beating a challenge.
RH: In Brazil, who decides about games rating is the Government, not an especial organization. What do you think about it?
GD: I prefer how the United States does this because I think a special organization is likely to be more fair – or at least they won’t have a special agenda. For example: In the United States we can have a game that makes our President or government the villain. I’m not sure, but a government controlled rating system might have a problem with that. (I apologize if I’m wrong here!)
RH: In your opinion, the actual games rating model is correct? Are you pleased with the ESRB’s job?
GD: I think they do a good job overall. GamerDad.com exists to go beyond what they do. They can say the game is M-Mature for Violence. But some parents want to know more. GamerDad.com gives them more information, so parents can make the final decision.
RH: Have you played (video games) with your children?
GD: Yes! Right now they are 7 and 4 years old, so we don’t play all the games I’d like to play but I plan to play with them as much as they’ll let me. I still love games and I’m looking forward to sharing the good ones with them.
RH: How can we use games for education?
GD: All games teach things, but some games teach better things. A game like Civilization IV can teach a lot about world history. We can use games better by picking the games that teach what we want kids to learn. Not all games are violent or bloody, some are simulations (like flying airplanes) or adventure games. But overall, I think games should be fun. Let kids learn in the classroom, games are for having fun, challenging each other, and playing together.
October 3rd, 2007 at 3:54 pm
If you read some of the literature out there on brain development you’ll find a common phrase: “What fires together, wires together.” What that means is that when you experience something, watching your parents hug for example, it creates a link in the brain that could say something like “people like hugs”. The more you see your parents hug, the stronger that association becomes in the child’s brain. The more normal and common place the child will associate hugging. That’s why modeling as a parent is SO important. It’s how kids learn to say “Please” and “Thank you”, or even how they learn to swear.
Now change the example to a child who witnesses dead bodies, people hitting each other, threatening with guns, and sexual promiscuity by watching “Prime Time TV”. The more you experience something the more normal it becomes in a developing brain. Same thing can be said for violent video games. The more times you kill people/aliens, rip out their hearts, drive over hookers, punch, kick, and kill, the more normal it becomes. (the bigger those connections in the brain become)
That is why I fundamentally disagree with your first response about if “kids are influenced by violent video games”. I’m not saying they will inherently become more violent, but video games influence their attitudes about the world around them. I DO agree with the fact that any child with a mental condition will have that exacerbated by violent games.
Anyway, it’s something to discuss, research, and think about when someone asks if violent video games (or any other media in general) affect children.
October 4th, 2007 at 8:19 am
The disconnect is that you think viewing – and becoming desenistized to – virtual or fake violence, dead bodies, etc., in a story context is equal or the same as viewing real dead bodies, actual violence etc.,
Most psychologists split right here. With the side opposite the one you’re on agreeing with me that I can kick a virtual dog, and I can view a virtual corpse, but I can’t handle the real thing. I’ve played all the most violent games made from 1990 on and I still have a relatively hard time with my heart surgery scar.
FWIW GamerDad.com has always argued that the WORST thing for kids to see isn’t a dead body. It’s a dead body with no story context to explain it. I’m much more concerned with my kids seeing war footage at their age, then CSI Miami or whatever other show I don’t watch anyway….
October 4th, 2007 at 9:25 pm
Personally, I have been told CSI is bad because it desensitizes kids into believing the world is violence. Well, it is. Death happens, and murders happen. But CSI shows that when you do something bad, you get punished. its that simple. They use evidence, and catch you, or try their best, and it gives a feeling of justice. But in some games, it is just needless violence, and I would not let my kids see needless violence. As said, it just is not needed. But in some games, it is justified. And that is where I allow it, that simple. Like in Metal Gear or something similar, the enemies know that they are on different means, and they understand so. Both think they are fighting for the right thing, and they both do what they can to let what they think is good prevail. But in some other games, it is just needless, crude violence.