Video games marketed at young children: Too much, too soon?

Yes

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by Zachary Heil

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I'm running close to thirty now, and I've played through the ever transforming realm of video games. I've seen the robotic stick figures evolve to almost replicas of humans. I've played the games that were as simple as reading a golden rule books. I've also played some that were themselves like movies, very complex and in my opinion better than most films.

As I've grown up through out the years, it's become abundantly clear that we're a nation of mass consumerism. All of our forms of communication are littered with ads trying to sell a product of some sort. We've got newspapers, television, telephone, internet, billboards, magazines and so on, that are constantly badgering us to buy buy BUY! And so it's come to the point, that most of us just deal with it. We've forgotten how to live off the land, we've forgotten how to use our hands to produce and create things on our own. For the most part we're a nation that no longer relies on the family, and instead relies on the corporations.

So are video games marketed at young children too much, too soon? Yes, of course they are, but what isn't? It goes much deeper than just video games though. How much marketing do we expose to our children anyway? Does it matter if it's a video game, McDonalds, Toys 'R' Us, movies, cars, coffee, or basically anything else you can think of that's marketed nation or world wide? The more important question is, what can you do about ANY of it? Parents can blame McDonalds for making their kids fat, or movies for exposing their children to violence and sex, or maybe video game companies making their children lethargic and unmotivated? But truthfully, it's just a cop out of parental responsibilities.

It's up to the parents to decide how they're going to let things like; entertainment, foods, movies, video games and so forth, affect their child's growth. Are you going to let a child sit in a room and play a video game for 5 hours straight? If not, why then? Is it because you think it will rot their brains? If so, then I ask you to consider the possibility that the games might in fact promote hand and eye coordination, analytical and problem solving skills, and especially inspiring imagination that can help with creativity. Maybe it's a double-edged sword?

Truthfully, I can't imagine a world without video games, it's just not going to happen. Misinformed politicians and parents, can blame video games all they want for violence, bad behavior, cussing, and the like from children. It doesn't change the fact that without the video games, those things are still going to occur. In a world where mass media so heavily influences our children, it is prime directive number one for parents to help differentiate between fact and fiction, and teach the child to understand the differences as well.

Video games are a multi-billion dollar a year industry. They've surpassed movies as the most desirable form of entertainment. They're inexpensive, they're almost ever lasting, they're inspirational, they're educational at times, but most importantly they're fun. An interesting thing to note is that video games carry a mandatory rating system, where the game companies recommend which age groups should be playing it. It's very similar to the MPAA's movie rating system and my opinion is another step in helping parents discover what's right for their child.

Now unless capitalism becomes outlawed, you know with strong certainty that video games will invade the homes of all, children or no children. The marketing is always going to be there in some form. It can get regulated just like alcohol and tobacco, but it's never going to escape the eyes of the consumer and their children. The best thing to do is strive as a parent to educate our children about the many joys of growing up. Sports, reading, writing, drawing, playing games, building tree houses, playing with animals, going to the park, going to the movies, going fishing, going swimming, anon anon. There's so much out there for the child to do, but it's up to the parents to regulate their children's lives, not the corporations.

Frivolous law suits abound, pointing fingers, covering one's ears, and so on are sure signs that way too many Americans aren't accepting responsibility in their own life. It's become almost second nature for many in America to blame something on someone else. Education and awareness is the key factor here. The more you know as an adult, the more you'll be able to teach your child. Together we can grow as a whole, or we can all go our separate ways, pointing our fingers at everyone else, saying "He did it". The choice is yours my friends, and remember that the choice doesn't just affect you, it affects the little ones too.

Learn more about this author, Zachary Heil.
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