I have asked myself whether or not game critics will get the message about what truly ails the youth of this country many times over the years.  With the recent “I got the idea from GTA IV” crimes (a repeat of several other instances) and the spouting of certain pundits about the proof this provides to their arguments I have to ask myself again; will they get the message?

The message of hundreds of studies done by various psychology study groups who say that “yes… violent games do cause increased aggression and a numbness to the violence they see in the world.”  But is it really the game industry’s sole responsibility that we have youth crime in this country?

http://www.gamepolitics.com/2008/07/02/games-not-major-factor-newsweek039s-depth-report-violence

I have to ask with all the violence in the media whether or not some of the other sectors of the entertainment industry bear some responsibility.  Surely the ESRB has been the most responsible in giving parents the tools they need to know which games are and are not appropriate for their children – at least compared to the horrid record of the movie industry.

And let us not forget that violent and very inappropriately dramatic television shows are on all hours of the day.

So who is really to blame for the desensitized state of our nation’s children?  Is it the people and corporations that supply violent entertainment?  Or could it be something much closer to home?  I would argue that the responsibility ultimately rests with those supposedly ever present people called parents.  I say this with the caveat that it is most likely impossible for parents to prevent children from viewing violent and dramatic television; especially working parents.  However I think parents can sure well prevent their children from buying violent video games and to a limited extent from viewing “R” rated movies.

Some might ask “What if my boy Johnny goes over to Sam’s house and he has GTA IV and he plays it?”  I would say that it isn’t that difficult to call Sam’s parents and make sure that little Johnny isn’t playing GTA IV.

The responsibility lies not with the games industry, nor with the government, but with the parents, and that is where it should stay.  Until an irrefutable study finds a direct cause and effect relationship between violent media and violent behavior this is the way it will remain.