How to Pick Appropriate Video Games for Children

Knowledge is Your Best Weapon

With the popularity of video games forever growing, knowing how to pick appropriate games for children can be a daunting task. Gaining knowledge is one the best weapons in a parent’s arsenal for protecting children from video game violence and other inappropriate material. Researching and understanding the video game rating system and knowing what type of content the game contains before heading to the store can save a parent a lot of time, hassle and buyer’s regret.


Age Specific Guidelines for Video Games

Video game violence and it’s affects on children is continually being debated. Though there are age specific guidelines that are followed when rating video games, a parent must remember that these are usually based on one set standard. The individual child’s maturity level as well a family’s particular set of values may not fall within these guidelines. The rating system for video games is meant to be used as an informational step towards an informed decision, not the final answer as to it’s appropriateness for every child in that age group.


Understanding the Rating System Used For Video Games

As stated before, in answer to parental concern on video game violence and other video game affects on children, many games have age specific ratings listed on them that has been provided by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB). The standards of these ratings are as follows:

• “EC” or Early Childhood which usually means appropriate for ages 3 and up and doesn’t contain material that is unsuitable for young eyes

• “E” or Everyone which means it is appropriate for ages 6 and up and contains only what is called “comic mischief” that usually translates to the type of slapstick violence that is found in old cartoons.