According to The BBC, parents are tending to ignore age warnings on video games.

A study commissioned by the UK games industry found that parents let children play games for adults, even though they knew they were 18-rated.

“Most parents think their child is mature enough so that these games will not influence them,” Modulum researcher Jurgen Freund told a games conference.

The report reflects concerns about children playing violent video games.

The report goes on to point out that the average age of gamers is rising and to quote various industry figures discussing how to ensure parents aware of the age ratings of games.

On the other hand…

Maybe most parents are confident that their children do understand the difference between reality and fantasy.

Maybe they’re right.

Maybe the current concern about violent video games is no more than the latest manifestation of a desire to blame whatever is new for the downfall of civilisation - as has been the case for videos, television, comics… going right back to the printing press, if not further.

Maybe the powers that be would find their time more productively used if they actually tried to address social problems - and the perception of social problems - rather than simply looking for the next available scapegoat.

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