Media & Social Change

History has a funny way of repeating itself, especially when it comes to concerns over the cultural and psychological impact of video games on children.

In 1993, the Senate's hearings on video game violence gave birth to the Entertainment Software Rating Board and the industry's current rating system: E for everyone, M for mature,17 and older.

What gaming insiders find most surprising isn't that such arguments remain at the top of the arguments. It's after 30 years of video games becoming a popular form of mainstream entertainment, we're still liable to hear less about games' positive impact on kids' lives than sensationalist accounts of their hidden dangers.

"Games are an amazing invention that entertain and inform in ways different than traditional media," says Joseph Olin, president of the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. "But many critics have little or any experience with them and therefore don't understand where there could be artistic or educational value. No different than with film and TV, media sensationalism and ignorance can contribute to the fear that games are harmful to children."

"There's absolutely no scientific evidence showing a positive correlation between violence in individuals and the games they play," continues Olin, who points to studies from the Harvard Medical School Center for Mental Health.

Researchers like David Thomas, who teach critical video game theory at the University of Colorado, say the most curious misconception about the field is that games are strictly for juveniles. Such arguments ignore the fact that the average player is 35 years old, and more adult women play than teenage boys, according to the Entertainment Software Association.

Furthermore, according to the software association, 63 percent of parents believe that games positively impact their children's lives. Games are simply a tool, like any other implement, can be used for good or ill, and require reasonable balance and oversight.

There are games that are now being used in the classroom as instruction tools that engage young children into topics they may not have been interested in. Take Minecraft, instructors use Minecraft to teach everything from coding and math, to history, geography and civil engineering. Students can work on assignments inside and outside of the classroom. The game is one example of how schools are testing more personalized forms of teaching through tech.