Banned books week is the last week of September, and libraries across the nation use this time to highlight the importance of open access to resources and information for all.
Censorship and restriction to materials is antithetical to the values of libraries and educational institutions everywhere, but historically, books are not the only media targeted for censorship.
History of Video Games and Censorship
As highlighted in our recent Using Our Library Voices, opens a new window episode, video games have a reputation for being dangerous and corruptive. Shortly after the first video game was created in 1971, it didn’t take long for a game to become an object of censorship. The game, Death Race, was very simple and had the player drive a car over goblins who then turned into gravestones, something which proved too violent for the sensibilities of the 70s.
However, it wouldn’t take long for video games to become more advanced, intricate, and explicit. The 90’s brought a boom of video game classics like Doom and Mortal Kombat, the first to use realistic violence and gore. These games and others were the subject of congressional scrutiny during hearings in 1993 that threatened the video games industry with formal government regulation if something was not done to regulate access to these violent games.
Fearing strict government regulation, the gaming industry took a note from comic book publishers and created the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), a self-regulatory rating system that is still used today. While this rating system is voluntary, it’s nearly impossible for game creators to sell their products unrated.
This satisfied lawmakers and the public, but since then there have still been games challenged for graphic, violent, and sexual content. Australia and China are some of the biggest censors of video games with one or both banning or heavily editing games like Grand Theft Auto, Postal, and Manhunt, though most have updated ratings that now allow them to be sold to adults.
The Growing Issue in Modern Gaming: Gambling
While video games receive the most scrutiny for adult content, there is a more sinister, addictive habit being nurtured in players: gambling.
Game developers, like all businesses, seek to capture an audience and keep their attention and patronage, and one new way that some developers are doing this is with loot boxes, a type of microtransaction that players must pay for with real money that have a chance of giving the player in-game rewards.
Since the rewards are typically random, it incentivizes players to buy more and more until they finally get the prize they want. This model makes the game companies millions of dollars to the detriment of its player base, especially younger players. These microtransactions are becoming associated with mental and monetary issues resembling those associated with gambling, and countries like Belgium, Japan, China, and others have taken steps to regulate, change, or outright ban certain types of microtransactions to curb this addictive practice.
While not as sensational, this is a growing issue that anyone who cares about games or the people who play them should keep an eye on.
Does Violence in Video Games Make Players More Violent?
Both books and video games have been blamed for inspiring horrific tragedies. Critics argue that violent games make people violent, but these accusations are largely unfounded, just like the ones that books about queer people make children gay or books about sex and gender entice or corrupt adolescents.
While results from studies done by the American Psychological Association and other organizations have been able to find some correlation between violent video game use and increased aggression and problem behaviors in users, there has not been enough evidence to prove an increase or cause of criminal behavior. Furthermore, statistics have shown a decrease in violent crimes committed by juveniles while video game purchases and use have continued to increase exponentially.
There has always been and will always be art and media for a range of audiences. That means there are books and games that can cover mature content for adults and others that can cover similar content in a way appropriate for younger audiences. While yes, there are many video games about conflict and violence, those games are largely rated for mature audiences, and it is the parents' responsibility to monitor their children’s activity.
It's important not to denounce entire artistic expressions for content, as that leads to a slippery slope of denying freedom of expression. The ESRB and book ratings exist to help guide players and readers to what is appropriate for them, and guardians of children and teens, if they don’t want their children exposed to mature content, should follow these ratings and monitor their dependents' access. However, we shouldn’t try to police the media that others want to access.
Tips for Parents and Caregivers
Some helpful advice from Tatiana Schlote-Bonne, author of “Such Lovely Skin, opens a new window” on what parents can do to help their kids traverse the gaming world:
- Communicate the dangers of sharing personal information or meeting people online
- Teach about the possible consequences of the internet rather than outright banning use
- Monitor their activity in a respectful, transparent way
Books about different people and cultures foster empathy and critical thinking, and the same can be said for video games in which you literally are put in someone or something else’s shoes. There are hundreds of thousands of games that are rated for younger audiences that they can enjoy just as there are millions of books for them that can teach them about other people, their bodies, and the world.
Our society is rapidly changing, and new media is constantly being pushed on us to consume. It’s important to slow down and think about our opinions, why we have them, and who they can affect. Ask yourself why a book or game makes you uncomfortable and make an effort to understand what its message is.
Check out our books on video games and their history, and make sure to listen to our library podcast for an amazing interview with author Tatiana Schlote-Bonne!
The Comic Book Story of Video Games
What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy
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