They want the latest, greatest video game. You want to make them happy. But do you ignore the label recommendations for age and content to make that Santa wish come true? According to a recent report by the The National Institute on Media and the Family (see their Video Game Guide HERE), most parents do. Violent and brutal games are extrememly popular, but studies show that violent games have an impact on our children's behavior. I'm lucky - we have a resident "insider" in our house. My daughter worked in the video game industry and was continually amazed at how easily parents would shrug off the age recommendation on the box and purchase a game with inappropriate content for the age of the child for which they were buying. Their choice, yes. But why not heed the label?
My son laments that he is not allowed to play the first-person shooter and brutal war games that some of his friends play, but too bad. Real life is violent enough. Do you let your children play video games labeled for older children?
