Parental Advisory: Check Kids' Video Game Magazines
by AFA Journal
May 5, 2005
(AgapePress) - Video games are one of the most popular pastimes for children and teens. But if parents are tempted to assume that the magazines that promote these games are harmless, they are mistaken.
Because of some parental complaints received by the American Family Association, the AFA Journal -- a monthly publication of the pro-family group -- made random purchases of some popular video game magazines to see what's inside the covers. The magazines -- GamePro, Electronic Gaming, GameStar and Surge -- were eye-opening, to say the least.
Here are some things for parents to be aware of when it comes to the magazines promoting the video gaming industry:
Inappropriate Advertising
Sometimes game magazines contain advertisements -- apart from ads for the games themselves -- that are highly sexualized. Electronic Gaming, for example, carried an ad for a website that allows visitors to download computer "wallpaper" with nude women.
Inappropriate Demo Discs
Some magazines contain a free demo CD-ROM inside, with demonstrations of (usually) new or upcoming video game releases. The intent, of course, is to encourage interested gamers to spend money on the real thing.
The current issue of GameStar provided such a demo, but some of its content would certainly be problematic for many parents.
A child or teen playing the demo would have been exposed to female characters kissing, pulling their panties off, and groping themselves ("Outlaw Golf"); scantily-clad women -- dressed as a naughty nurse, a cowgirl in bikini and leather chaps, an S&M devil, and other sexualized clichés -- wrestling each other ("Rumble Roses"); and a fighting game where each blow causes blood to spew ("Mortal Kombat").
A parent should no more allow their child to preview a free demo than they would allow them to watch a PG-13 movie without supervision.
Inappropriate Artwork
All of the game magazines reviewed by AFA Journal contained artwork that was inappropriate -- although some magazines were worse than others. (GameStar contained photos that were pornographic.)
Images and text were sometimes sexual in nature, gory, demonic or occultic, or just downright weird. Parents should at least leaf through any magazines that their child wants to purchase, to check the artwork.
Inappropriate Advice
GamePro gave readers tips on how to search the Internet and find free pornography. While it is not all that difficult to find porn by accident, one wonders why a magazine devoted to playing video games is giving hints on a much more dangerous game.
Complaining to the magazines that carry such things, or to the store that carries the magazines themselves, certainly has its place. But putting the "genie" of explicit content back into the bottle will take time -- or may not happen, period.
That means parents who want to protect their children will have to be alert to the spiritual poisons found on movie screens, television, and magazine shelves.
This article appeared in the May 2005 issue of AFA Journal.
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