New clearer videogame classifications/labelling and warnings on explicit online videos: your thoughts?

[HelenMumsnet]

Hello.

We thought you might be interested to see that, as trailed in the Mail yesterday (you need to scroll right down to the blue box at the bottom of the article), the Prime Minister is "pledging to turn the dial back on the creeping sexualisation and commercialisation of childhood with new restrictions on explicit music videos, violent computer games and internet porn".

The Government is planning to introduce, by July, a new system of clearer age classifications and labelling for video games, and clear warnings on explicit videos shown online (YouTube etc). They also plan to limit advertising near schools and look at a clamp down on "advergaming".

Much of this was recommended in the Let Children Be Children report by Reg Bailey - who, you might remember, did a webchat on MN last year following our Let Girls Be Girls campaign.

So... we'd be very interested to hear your thoughts on the Government's plans. Good stuff or not? And, if good, does it go far enough?

Also, if you've seen or heard anything unsuitable for children on TV (pre-watershed), radio, online or in an ad, do feel free to report it to the UK media regulators through Parentport and/or start a thread about it in our dedicated Parentport topic.

captain I'd be pissed off if I was only allowed 25 mins of Xbox! That study is flawed and relies on supposition rather than any real neurological evidence.
No repeat tests?
Tested directly after a high adrenaline game?
No look at lasting/long term effects?

Not saying I agree with it, feck my gaming sessions are more like 4 hours than 25 minutes :o Thought it was quite an interesting read, though.

Sorry, I just get a bit annoyed with these "studies". I'm a gamer (as you've probably guessed) and I've been playing a selection of games that could be classed as violent this month. So far I have NOT:
Become an assassin
Killed any dragons
Started the apocalypse
Dragged anyone behind my horse

Probably because I played for longer than 25 mins

I've been tempted to shout 'fus ro dah' at the people who seem to enjoy congregating in the vegetable aisle at Tesco, though...

I'd absolutely support "9pm watershed"-style restrictions on misogynistic and overly sexualised music videos.

Regarding the effects of violent video games, note that the FBI reports that the homicide rate in the US has dropped by roughly 50% in the last 20 years and there have been substantial falls in the rates of other violent crimes as well - source

I can't put my finger on a simple view of the statistics for the UK right now but I seem to recall that we have had a similarly significant drop in the rate of violent crime over the last couple of decades.

I agree that young children should not be exposed to the more gory games in the same way they should be protected from films. In both cases, though, the rating system is clear enough and obvious enough to follow if you can be bothered. It ain't rocket science.

Finally, one can only assume that David Cameron has never gone on YouTube if he hasn't noticed that explicit videos are blocked by default.

Pegi classification is voluntary at the moment, not currently law.

It hardly matters if parents don't pay attention to age ratings though.

UKIE is planning an awareness campaign so hopefully some of the more ignorant parents will understand a bit better what is and is not suitable for children.

The Digital Economy Act 2010 enshrines it in law this year due to amendments made to existing classification laws.

"I'd absolutely support "9pm watershed"-style restrictions on misogynistic and overly sexualised music videos."

That would be really good!

Totally agree on music videos and actually some song lyrics in general... My 10 year old sister was singing along to a Rihanna song on the radio the other day. 'Whips and chains excite me', indeed.

Music videos to be age rated - definitely agree. If only to make the people who create them think twice about what they put in them. I bought a pink glittery music DVD for my 8 year old and it was all women gyrating in bikinis, yet the packaging showed it was aimed at her age group. A Katy Perry CD I bought for her was bubblegum scented yet the lyrics were not exactly what you'd want her singing along to in some cases.

They know the main market for this type of music is kids this age (i.e. 8 to 12 I'd guess) and the packaging reflects this, yet the content doesn't.

Video games are all ready clearly marked, website all ready do all that they can.

If the parents don't give a crap it's their fault.

My boyfriend worked at GAME and I used to work for SEGA Europe, his shop endlessly had parents walk in the door and buy 18 rated games for their kids and took offence when it was pointed out to them what the age rating is, you can't refuse a sale to an adult all they have to do is say they are going to play it not the kid. if you do refuse to sell it they start shouting and swearing in the shop or come back later with the father to kick up crap about why they will not sell that game to their boy.

Educate the useless parents, we have a generation of spoiled brats who expect the moon on a stick, walking around with mini computers with a continues internet connection (otherwise known as Smart Phones) all ways getting what they want because the parents will never say no and blame everything on someone else.

I mean hello how much more clear does it have to be?
EU Ratings system

Not to mention the BBFC mark some games and parents should clearly be aware of what a BBFC 18 rating looks like, besides they even make the symbols bigger on games then they are on DVD to try and make sure you can't claim you missed them.

Here

They have gone as far as they can without blaming the parents it's time to point the finger at the bad, lazy and those nagged into submission.

The average age of a gamer is 24 anyway, the average has been steadily increasing over the last 15 years since the introduction of Playstation and CD based games, the criteria is there and very strict for each age rating, a lot of Japanese titles have to be in QA for months getting rid of the risqué tongue in cheek language that get a 16+ cert slammed on them over here, a lot of work goes into getting them right for the age group they are aimed at and then you lot go and ruin it all by ignoring the big numbers written on the front of the box, irony of it all is if a bad word got left in a 7+ game the dev would get a massive fine from the licence owner (Nintendo, Sony etc) on your own heads be it you want to buy your kids 18 rated games go ahead but don't go moaning about it after.

Sorry Ryoko, I disagree massively. It's not that we don't give a crap, we made the decision based on what we think is ok, it is personal preference. My dss has a very balanced and active life and probably a couple of hours a week are spent playing 18 rated games such as COD.

If you've ever stood in GAME shouting and swearing at the staff like a loon because they don't want to see you an 18 rated game because they think you are going to give it to your kid then you are a..... well a cunt.

It happens time and time again it's ridicules, my personal view is I wouldn't even if I played it and thought it was OK I would not let my under age kid play an 18 rated game because where does it end? give them an inch and they want a mile, next up it's mummy can I watch that 18 rated film? why not you let me play that game and it was 18 rated etc.

I wouldn't even get into all that shit, no means no, you ain't old enough you ain't old enough end of.

Sell you not see you pffffft.

i agree ratbag...doesnt make us bad or lazy parents if we choose our children to play cod...

excus me ryoko....who says we stand there at shout at the GAME assts....and calling ppl c...this is a polite discussion but you are taking it to next level...calm down

Go to shops, go to GAME go to HMV CEX etc you see it, when my boyfriend worked there there was at least 2 a week.

Those people are coming from somewhere and theres a lot of them and the fathers who poo poo their childrens choices cos they look girly and pick up a more "manly" looking game box for their son.

Spend time in game shops being nosey paying attention to whats going on in the shop you will see them.

Ryoko While I agree those people who do that are idiots regarding poo pooing their childrens choice of game, I would also question why a shop assistant wouldn't sell me an 18 game, but not in an agressive manner, in fact if they didn't sell it me I would go buy it somewhere far cheaper than Game without someone being judgey pants at MY decision.

I'm not here jumping at up and down when you are accusing me of being a lazy and useless parent, I posted my views to say that not all people who let their children play those games are doing it because they don't understand the rating, we made a decision on what we knew about the game that it was acceptable.

And if my DSS was ever daft enough to use the argument that "I want GTA which is an 18 and you already let me play 18's so it must be fine" he would lose every 15 and 18 game he had got in his possession.

I have never seen that kind of behaviour in any of the stores I have been in (and with game mad DSS and DH it has been a few hours of my life wasted in those places) and it truely is awful if that does happen, but that doesn't mean we are all the same.

It's not "being judgy pants" to refuse to sell you a game in circumstances in which the law and/or your employers will not allow you.

To an adult?? Surely if I buy a game that is rated for me then they can sell it me?

If they suspect you are buying it for a child then they are totally reasonable to question you.

Many poor games crave an 18 rating (Duke Nukem) to hide their lack of content. The players see this immediately and ignore, yet the onlookers point to how Breivik used these games as some sort training manual for how to shoot and not feel emotion. I just hope the classification keeps a sensible control over when you can buy (this is different from "play" as we all know) violent games and stops being a publicity tool for lame games.

You do realise that it's an offence, punishable by the sack and a 5k fine to the shop to knowingly sell a game to someone under age or to knowingly sell one to someone buying on behalf of an under age person, don't you?

I know someone who got the sack for selling an 18 rated game to his own son without asking for ID first, rules are rules.

Breivik could have just gone on those paintball trips, probably would have made him a better marksmen. funny how the media all fell for his shit he says oh I played COD to train and they all fell into his attention seeking hands going on about it in the news (just like he wanted).

I ended up filling in a customer survey form in my local leisure centre, to complain about the screen, positioned at the queue to get in where we were stuck for 20 minutes. They showed pop videos with girls pole dancing semi-naked, followed by a video of more semi-naked girls downing shots, and driving round town. (They were very apologetic...)

If an 18 certificate will make the "communications manager" stop and think about what is being screened, instead of just putting on whatever is a current trendy tune, I'm all for it.

I screen my childrens input all the time at home (they are very small still - reception and pre-school) and I do not expect to be essentially forced to watch this stuff out and about.