Congress moves forward with study of violent video games

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Congress moves forward with study of violent video games

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Congress moves forward with study of violent video games
Aug 1, 2013, 10:41am PDT
Gina Hall

Congress is finally responding to the violence of Newton last December, not by any kind of gun control legislation, but by studying violent video games. The cable, film and television lobbies are supporting the Senate Commerce Committee's proposal for a comprehensive study of questionable content in games.

A vote on Tuesday assured that legislation will move forward that will see the National Academy of Sciences inquire into childhood exposure to violent video games. The study will actually delve further into media than just video games, and will likely include TV shows and streaming Internet content. While no correlation has previously been found to exist through numerous studies, don't expect that to stop Congress from spending your tax dollars to prove it once again.

“We welcome further academic examination of the reasons behind societal violence, as proposed by Senator Rockefeller, and will continue to be productive partners in the conversation about culture in America,” the MPAA and the National Cable and Telecommunications Assn. said in a statement on Tuesday.

The industry trade associations have certainly been just as effective in fighting violence after launching a series of public service announcements and new online guides instructing parents on content ratings -- because nothing fights violence like a well-designed, informative website.

The Entertainment Software Association noted that they've “always supported objective scientific research and appreciates the opportunity for an ongoing dialogue with Chairman Rockefeller and members of the Committee.” However the association has always called attention to the notion that none these studies have yielded any significant findings.

Gina Hall is a Los Angeles-based writer and producer with more than 10 years experience in television, documentary and feature film production. She is a graduate of USC’s School of Cinematic Arts and blogs for the Huffington Post at huffingtonpost.com/gina-hall

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