Video games & real life

Another news story makes the headlines... 6 yr old steals car and claims racing video games taught him how to drive.

When I was growing up, heavy metal music was believed to be the source of all evil regarding teenager behavior. Interestingly, I listened to that evil music, and I didn't become a psychotic killer.

Can it be that some kids are easily influenced and don't know what's wrong and right? Perhaps. But this headline begs the same question when stories like these make the press. Where were the parents? In this case, asleep.

Being a racing game fan, I'm bombarded with freedom and law-breaking abilities. I'm able to ram cops, speed, drift, and race all from the comfort of my own home. But, it's been eons since I've received any traffic citation for my driving habits. Could it be my parents did a great job bringing me up? Most likely.

Today, that seems to be an exception rather than the rule. Yes, times are different now, but that still doesn't negate parental responsibility. What's a 6 yr old kid doing near a car alone or better yet ... how did he manage to get the keys?

The press, lawyers and videogames-are-bad-for kids pundits have a field day with these kind of situations as the controversy of video games influencing individuals is inviting - and in the case of lawyers, a potential profit windfall.

But, one observation... If what the kid says is true, what's a 6yr old doing playing a M(ature) rated game? Game developers are rating their games fairly and ESRB ratings are hard to miss, so these two entities are doing their job.

It's time parents did theirs.