Schoolwise Author Tackles Violent Games

Author, teacher, and all around frenetic Carol Josel pens a rather lengthy blog post about Schwarzenegger v. Entertainment Merchants Association. As you can guess her words are not kind to the video game industry, the EMA, or the ESA's ESRB ratings system.  

Pointing out that the law's author Leland Yee is a child psychologist, and that the American Academy of Pediatrics believes there is a link between gaming and aggressive behavior in children, The "Schoolwise" series writer hits the ground running with a blistering attack on the game industry.

Interestingly enough an unattributed quote from the AAP claims that there is "over 30 years of research" showing that "viewing entertainment violence can lead to increases in aggressive attitudes, values and behavior, particularly in children." It is interesting because this "research" never came up while the State of California argued its case before the Supreme Court.

Josel goes on to point out the labeling system and fines that would be put in place should the law be upheld by the Supreme Court, and then follows it up with tips that "every parent should know." She also questions the usefulness of the ESRB ratings system.

You can read the whole thing here.

Commentary: In Josel's view, games are evil because they are interactive… Dungeons & Dragons and Pokémon used to be the secret sauce that made our youth go crazy or be obsessive... because they were interactive. Those whipping boys have been forgotten for loftier targets like social media, cell phone use, and video games.

On a positive closing note, check out Josel's books if your child needs help with becoming a better student. She is an expert in that field - she has been a teacher since 1966.