Video Game Controversy

2049 Words5 Pages

Tommy is a nine year old avid video game player. After coming home, doing his homework and eating dinner, Tommy spends the rest of his evening, at the permission of his parents, playing video games. As excited as he gets about the idea of a new release, Tommy begs his parents to buy him Bioshock, a game that is rated "M for Mature." His parents, knowing just how badly he wants the title, buy it for him without a second thought. Tommy is elated and spends the entire evening, well into the wee hours of Friday night, shooting, slamming, and slaughtering his way through the overtly violent and morally grey title. As the days pass, Tommy continues to play, and starts missing dinner. Eventually, his grades start to ease down from A's and B's into B's and C's, then subsequently further as the months begin to pass. His parents, sensing something troubling, begin to ask Tommy what the problem is. After sitting down and discussing things with him, he becomes defensive, rude, and disrespectful. Lashing out, he pushes his mother and runs outside. Over the coming months, Tommy's parents continue to buy him video games, hoping it'll keep him happy, and affording them a chance to escape from his increasingly violent outbursts. His parents notice a sharper downturn in his school performance and his desire to eat in his room instead of with them at the dinner table. His attitude takes a sharp downward spiral, his respect for both his parents and others fraying and causing both concern from his parents and trouble from friends and classmates. Tommy's struggles with school and friends causes emotional depression, leading them to a counselor in town. The counselor, asking of Tommy's home life and habits, discovers that his parents are allowing him... ... middle of paper ... ...r in today's youth. The Entertainment Software Ratings Board was designed to combat the potential for the wrong materials to fall into the wrong hands. Parents have a moral obligation to follow these warnings and suggestions and police the content their children are allowed to see. With enough negative influence in their lives as it is, children could do worse than to have parents that restrict what they are allowed to participate in. Instead of being their "friends," parents need to be "parents" and provide a sound, intelligent, morally upright home in which to raise their children. Controlling the content their children are allowed to view is just one such means to raise their kids to be productive, respectful and outstanding members of today's society. Works Cited Gross, Doug. "The 10 biggest violent video-game controversies." 29 Jun. 2011. Web. 22 Sep. 2011.

Open Document