GamerDad on NIMF Video Game Report Card

The National Institute on Media & the Family issued its annual Video Game Report Card last month with a stern reprimand to the video game industry alleging that it had suffered “an ominous backslide on multiple fronts.”

While some politicians such as Minnesota Congresswoman Betty McCollum have thrown their support behind NIMF’s conclusions, the sentiment is definitely not shared by all. Not only has the ESRB and the Entertainment Merchants Association taken issue with the report, some in the know parents aren’t too thrilled with it either.

Mother of four and GamerDad columnist Colleen Hannon has taken a critical look at the NIMF report and shared her perspective on it.

In response to NIMF charging that parents need to become better educated about and enforce the ESRB ratings, Hannon had this to say:

Yes, parents should be more educated and involved. But I’m sorry, you can’t dictate what media content parents allow into their homes. Parents don’t agree on most of the details of raising children… Even among the Gamerdad staff you’ll find each person has their own unique approach.

Hannon also has issues with some of the game recommended for children and teens:

One of [NIMF’s] main concerns with games in general is exposing kids to a “culture of disrespect”. Online situations definately fit that definition in my book, and with Madden’s increasing emphasis on the XboxLive aspects I don’t understand why [NIMF] suggested it. And speaking of that culture, Need for Speed Pro Street is all about gangs and street racing…

Every year we read through this report and shake our heads. There is so much misinformation here it’s hard to get any real good out of it. But if it makes even one parent start looking at the covers of the games coming into their home and thinking, then I guess it’s worth something. But there needs to be more. Parents need to be involved.

As a parent of four myself, I share these issues with Hannon. It is every parent’s right and duty to decide what is or isn’t appropriate for their children. What may be fine for one child may be completely off base for a sibling even in the same age group.

Also I tend to wonder if the NIMF team has even played some of the games they’ve condemned or recommended. They certainly seem to have not taken into account that some games change dramatically from single-player to multi-player. Until they start considering such issues, the NIMF is wasting our time.

via GamerDad and GamePolitics