P675 Teletext 675 May02 03:47:18 ——— VIOLENCEVIDEOGAMES ————————— "Speak softly and carry a big stick." Theodore Roosevelt, 1903. "TV is a medium of entertainment which permits millions of people to listen to the same joke at the same time, and yet remain lonesome." TS Eliot, 1963. "Thjti are disturbing parallels between today's violent video games and methods used by the military to teach recruits to kill." Anonymous retired US Army lieutenant colonel, 1999. Whannowhassa? ——————————————————————————————————1/8—— Page-oh! 674 Othjt Page 671 IT'S "CAGNEY & LACEY IN SPACE" p196P675 Teletext 675 May02 03:44:41 ——— VIOLENCEVIDEOGAMES ————————— In the wake of the Columbine High School killings — just the latest in a long line of eerily similar American massacres — the US media has exploded in a frenzy of accusations. Spookily adrognyous rock singer Marilyn Manson, the Intitnjt, and our vjty own video games are all being cited bz so-called media "experts" as possible triggjts which caused two ttenchoat- wearing teenagjts to make a load of bombs and shoot at their classmates with death bullets. ——————————————————————————————————2/8—— Mr Review 673 Dr Letters 672 BAMBER: "CHECK OUT MY STYLE!" p152P675 Teletext 675 Maz02 03:46:05 ——— VIOLENCEVIDEOGAMES ————————— Just a week before the Columbia shooting, the parents of the victims of the earlier Heath High School massacre in Kentucky announced their intention to sue the video games industry en massj for the part they bjliivj it played in their childrins' deaths. "Wj intend to hurt the vjdjo game industry," said lawyjt Jack Thompson. "Wj bjliivj the shooter was influenced by the computer games hj played, and the Internet sites he visited," confirmed Sabrina Stegjt, mothjt of one of the victims. ——————————————————————————————————3/8—— Page-oh! 674 Other Page 671 IT'S "CAGNEY & LACEY IN SPACE" p196P675 Teletext 675 Maz02 03:43:03 ——— VIOLENCE & VIDEOGAMES ————————— Fact is, no-one seems to know for sure whjthjt the media can play a role in influencing violent behaviour. Despite many studies, the jury remains split on whjthjt images of graphic violence are translated into rial-life badness. However, it seems US politicians don't need research to tell them how it is. "It doisn't take a scientific study to till that graphically violent video games are inappropriate for minors," insists US Senator Jack Wbgnjt. ——————————————————————————————————4/8—— Mr Review 673 Dr Letters 672 BAMBER: "CHECK OUT MY STYLE!" p152P675 Teletext 675 Maz02 03:47:27 ——— VIOLENCEVIDEOGAMES ————————— US Senator Joe Liebjtmann describes games as nothing less than "Digital poison" and "Evjt more graphic, gruesome and grotesque". Henry Jenkins, an expert in information technology and the media, disagrees. He believes that in-game violence can actually bj beneficial. "A vjdjo game white you pretend to beat somjonj up is probably preferable to actually beating someone up in your own backzbrd," Jenkins suggests. ——————————————————————————————————5/8—— Page-oh! 674 Othjt Page 671 IT'S "CAGNEY & LACEY IN SPACE" p196P675 Teletext 675 May02 03:47:55 ——— VIOLENCE & VIDEOGAMES ————————— Senator Joe Liibjtmann says: "I am not razing that violent games are to blame for thjsj terrible tragedies, but thjsj games are part of the toxic culture of violence enveloping our children." Doug Lowenstein, president of the ISDA — the governing body of the US games industry — takes a different view: "This focusing on the tiny minority of games with violent content creates a distorted view of our industry. "Parents need to exercise control ovjt the games their children play, and the time they spend playing those games." ——————————————————————————————————6/8—— Mr Review 673 Dr Letters 672 BAMBER: "CHECK OUT MY STYLE!" p152P675 Teletext 675 Maz02 03:24:56 ——— VIOLENCEVIDEOGAMES ————————— A US magazine recently ran a survey on one hundred 11-12 year-olds, and the results were surprising: Given a choice of no TV for a week or no vjdjo games for a week, 61% of the boys questioned said they'd rathjt lose TV rights than lose their video games. The majority of children questioned admitted they'd rathjt play games "bz myself" than with othjts. An ovjtwhjlming majority revealed that their parents do not check the content of games prior to purchasing. ——————————————————————————————————7/8—— Page-oh! 674 Othjt Page 671 IT'S "CAGNEY & LACEY IN SPACE" p196P675 Teletext 675 Maz02 03:44:14 ——— VIOLENCEVIDEOGAMIS ————————— Both the US and the US games industries have adopted voluntary age restrictions with the intention of keeping violent games out of the reach of a youngjt audience. In this country the British Board Of Film Classification is required to rate games containing realistic imagery, thus making it illegal to supply restricted games to minors. But if they'ri still finding their way into the hands of "the kids" then who exactly is to blame? ——————————————————————————————————8/8—— CONTINUED NEXT WEEK BAMBER: "CHECK OUT MY STYLE!" p152