'Luddite' govt to put games and internet under microscope
UK psychologist Tanya Byron (pictured) has been tapped to head a new study on the risks children face when exposed to video game violence and internet porn -- or any relevant combination of either medium and a (un-)healthy dose of adult content. As promised by Prime Minister Gordon Brown, the government has delivered initial details of the review, which will use an east London school as its testbed. Stopping short of subjecting the school's youngsters to painfully slow dial-up downloads or redirecting gym class to the computer lab for mandatory deathmatch, Dr. Byron's team will focus on what the industry is doing and what more can be done to protect children from the perverse, but damn-entertaining diversions of the grown-up world.
Frontier games developer David Braben has blamed the government's "Luddite sentiment" for this new probe into the games industry. Thankfully, Dr. Byron does not seem to share this supposed paranoia of technology driven media, calling games and the internet "very positive and [an] important part of children's and young children's growing up and learning and development." Byron has even won the support of the ELSPA (UK games association), which is fed up with the industry's bad rep and has agreed to cooperate with the study -- you can too. The "Byron Review" is scheduled to conclude with a report next March. (Prediction: parents need to do better parenting.)
Frontier games developer David Braben has blamed the government's "Luddite sentiment" for this new probe into the games industry. Thankfully, Dr. Byron does not seem to share this supposed paranoia of technology driven media, calling games and the internet "very positive and [an] important part of children's and young children's growing up and learning and development." Byron has even won the support of the ELSPA (UK games association), which is fed up with the industry's bad rep and has agreed to cooperate with the study -- you can too. The "Byron Review" is scheduled to conclude with a report next March. (Prediction: parents need to do better parenting.)











Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
I'm On To You, Diaz @ Oct 9th 2007 4:04PM
Cameron Diaz may be able to hide from America with that fugly red wig, but she'll never fool the European game developers with her plot to ruin every media!
Fernando Rocker (NDF - Water Ring) @ Oct 9th 2007 4:04PM
She needs a teeth whitening session.
Jerk Face @ Oct 9th 2007 4:18PM
It'll take more than that. That is one ugly bird!
Airhab @ Oct 9th 2007 11:13PM
Brits really do got nasty ass grills?
Konny @ Oct 9th 2007 4:27PM
She's British, her teeth ARE considered white.
bean @ Oct 9th 2007 4:06PM
she needs to put her yellow ass teeth under a microscope....OH SNAP
Zertoss @ Oct 9th 2007 4:08PM
Man, I remember hearing this conversation at a Wal-Mart.
Employee: "So you wanted Halo 3?"
Mom (with her I'd estimate 10 year old or younger son): "That's the one!"
Employee: *confused and bewildered look*
Mom: "Well, that's the one he wants, so I guess we're getting it. :D"
Granted the mom SHOULD know better than me what their kid can handle, but we're talking an M-rated game for a preteen. And the above quote definitely highlights the problem with too many parents' attitudes.
I know when I was 17, I was still explaining to my mom why I would be fine playing Diablo 2 or Perfect Dark or whatever I was trying to buy at the time. Better safe than sorry, and I know I appreciated the attention my mom paid to what I played.
bean @ Oct 9th 2007 4:12PM
having the parents control what games their kids play is a bandade solution. It's like blaming a teacher for one kid not learning...most likely, the parent is doing something wrong on a very fundamental level.
g.Park @ Oct 9th 2007 4:29PM
I'd rather not child-proof the entire world because parents are too lazy to monitor their child's behavior and hobbies.
Asking parents to be parents is not a band-aid solution. A band-aid solution is expecting the government and their buddy big business to keep bad stuff out of your kid's hand, with some nonsense like legislated ratings or backdoor censorship.
bean @ Oct 9th 2007 4:44PM
what I'm saying is that telling them to control what games they play isn't telling them how to be parent, it's telling them that by doing so, they're kids are going to be ok, which is a bandaid solution. If they think that a video game will affect a kid, the problem lies more on how that kid is being raised than how that kid entertains himself. If a kid is raised properly, no amount of violence, porn, etc... will have a negative effect on him.
daniel @ Oct 9th 2007 4:14PM
is she even a real psychologist i swear she does some my kids are crazy so ill go on tv type show
mr nimblewick (SegaDF - Jogurt Ring) @ Oct 9th 2007 4:17PM
So instead of a useful study asking whether video games have any adverse effects on a kid's brain, they are starting from the assumption that they do and look for ways to ban them?
Ah, government.
Matt B @ Oct 9th 2007 4:19PM
I chalk this up to another huge waste of taxpayers money. Just like the war on drugs.
Word of the street(IDF-Digital Ruler). @ Oct 9th 2007 4:26PM
That study is a waste,here I have one ready.
The internet:Is for porn
Games:Doom teaches kids to kill Zomg!
Hazards:Pedophiles,Haxxors,spammers,Goatse.ce,Tubgirl,Ogrish.com,Rotten.com,steakcheese.com,meatspin,The original NEDM video(believe me you don't need to see that)..In other words avoid 4Chan and something awful.
mr nimblewick (SegaDF - Jogurt Ring) @ Oct 9th 2007 4:32PM
What is this "something awful" of which you speak? May I have some?
Word of the street(IDF-Digital Ruler). @ Oct 9th 2007 4:33PM
Serve yourself
http://www.somethingawful.com/
blooh (CDF - Ass Ring) @ Oct 9th 2007 6:22PM
at least SA is better than stile project
DarthDavid @ Oct 9th 2007 4:32PM
In the words of Duffman....."That's one mug I wouldn't want to chug......oh yeah!!!!"
NATO_Duke @ Oct 9th 2007 4:33PM
Its the C.H.U.D.!!!! Head for the hills.
Aaron @ Oct 9th 2007 4:36PM
I have seen the face of evil...
Hirsbrunner @ Oct 9th 2007 4:54PM
"Freshen your drink, Govenah?"
Kujel @ Oct 9th 2007 5:02PM
Hopfully Dr. Byron will make it clear to PM Brown (noise) that games are a good thing and that too many parents haven't a clue what they are doing. Else maybe she'll piss off Ludus and he'll unleash the full fury of the game monsters at his disposl. May we all walk the path Ludus laied out for us.
Diskoboy @ Oct 9th 2007 5:37PM
To quote Stewie Griffin:
"Too much tooth to gum, ratio"
T3H WICKERMAN (FDF) @ Oct 9th 2007 5:56PM
Welcome to Royston Vasey...
Rymix @ Oct 9th 2007 7:51PM
Sorry dudes. Tanya Byron is hot.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/science/media/tanya_byron247x165.jpg
fawazr @ Oct 9th 2007 8:00PM
My experience tells me that kids are most damaged by sex and violence when they aren't adequately prepared to deal with either. Such as when irresponsible parents shelter their kids to such a degree that any amount of unmoderated reality ends up being a traumatizing experience.