The restrictions on violent video games signed into law this week is just another example of election-year legislation resulting in more wasted time and money by lawmakers who should be focusing on more important things.
The new law requires parental controls on game consoles and age-appropriate ratings prominently displayed on video games sold in New York. Merchants violating these rules would face a $100 fine.
It's unclear who would get to decide which games are suitable for which ages or how the rules would be enforced, but the biggest flaw is that the legislation essentially addresses a non-problem, because the video game industry already polices itself - on a voluntary basis - quite well.
All the major video game machines have built-in functions allowing parents to block certain types of games or to alternately lock and unlock them for play. And video games already come labeled with ratings like E (for everyone), T (for teen) or M (for mature) as well as descriptors of content like violence, sex or smoking.
At a time when public services are being slashed because the state can no longer afford them, the state has also set itself up for likely having to repay legal fees when the new law is challenged in court. States passing similar laws have seen them struck down because they don't stand up to First Amendment challenges, leaving state taxpayers to foot the bills.
Above and beyond these problems is having the state interfere where it doesn't belong.
The government has no more right to tell parents which video games their children may play than which books they may read.
It's up to the adults in a household to monitor the activities of the children and decide on a case-by-case what's appropriate and what's not.
It's unclear who would get to decide which games are suitable for which ages or how the rules would be enforced, but the biggest flaw is that the legislation essentially addresses a non-problem, because the video game industry already polices itself - on a voluntary basis - quite well.
All the major video game machines have built-in functions allowing parents to block certain types of games or to alternately lock and unlock them for play. And video games already come labeled with ratings like E (for everyone), T (for teen) or M (for mature) as well as descriptors of content like violence, sex or smoking.
At a time when public services are being slashed because the state can no longer afford them, the state has also set itself up for likely having to repay legal fees when the new law is challenged in court. States passing similar laws have seen them struck down because they don't stand up to First Amendment challenges, leaving state taxpayers to foot the bills.
Above and beyond these problems is having the state interfere where it doesn't belong.
The government has no more right to tell parents which video games their children may play than which books they may read.
It's up to the adults in a household to monitor the activities of the children and decide on a case-by-case what's appropriate and what's not.
The Citizens' Say
There are 2 comment(s)
horseradish wrote on Jul 25, 2008 8:23 AM:
horseradish wrote on Jul 25, 2008 8:22 AM:
You say that it is up to the adults to monitor what activities the children should be allowed to participate in. Well, in our society some adults believe that it is perfectly ok to show children pornography, or even worse, participate in such pornography. I guess you would think that is ok too? I mean, it is up to the adults. "