- The majority agree that there is no difference between playing a violent video game and watching a violent movie (56%);
Whose Problem Is It?
When asked about the regulation of video games, nearly three-fourths (73%) strongly agree, and 9 in 10 (90%) either somewhat or strongly agree, that parents should be the chief regulators when it comes to what video games children are allowed to play.
While parents are clearly seen as the primary party that should be charged with this type of oversight, there are mixed feelings on the role other parties should play:
- More than half (56%) agree that the government should not interfere when it comes to who can and cannot buy video games, but 47% agree that there should be government regulations on violent video games to ensure limited access to them.
- Additionally, roughly half of Americans (52%) agree that industry self-regulation, including ratings and retailer enforcement, is the best way to regulate which video games children are allowed to play.
- Women are more likely than men to agree that parents should be the chief regulators (92%-87%) and that there is a link between playing violent games and teens exhibiting violent behavior (62%-53%), while men are more likely to strongly agree that the government should not interfere when it comes to who can and can not buy video games (33%-24%).