The world’s most famous horror author cum BoSox fan, Stephen King, moonlights as a pop culture columnist for Entertainment Weekly. His latest post rails on a proposed Massachusetts legislation that would ban “violent video game” sales to anyone under the age of 18.
According to the proposed bill, violent videogames are pornographic and have no redeeming social merit. The vid-critics claim they exist for one reason and one reason only, so kids can experience the vicarious thrill of killing. Now, what does and doesn’t have social merit is always an interesting question, one I can discuss for hours. But what makes me crazy is when politicians take it upon themselves to play surrogate parents. The results of that are usually disastrous. Not to mention undemocratic.
King later brings up the example of the similar uproar in the 60’s over “unwholesome” comic books. The comics code authority was established as a censor board to keep “inappropriate material” away from children.
Did censoring comics produce an entire generation of cherubic humans? Does anyone give a shit about the CCA nowadays?
There’s simply no substitute for good parenting. You can argue over the moral value or even artistic merit of video game content, but the fact remains that games are only one form of entertainment in our society. Just like movies or comics or television, there are rating systems to help you, as a parent, determine what your kids should be consuming.
Of course, the optimal solution is to have a good knowledge of pop culture and to know your child’s interests and susceptibilities. If you’ve done your job right, little 16 year old Timmy can play Grand Theft Auto IV and still grow up to be a doctor.
Trusting and expecting septuagenarian politicians to do your parenting for you is a sure-fire way to not win that daddy of the year award.
Read Stephen King on video games [ew.com]