Last week, Congressman Joe Baca (D-Rialto, CA) introduced a bill that will force computer games to carry a health warning label. This is the second time in two years that Baca has introduced such a bill; it didn't pass the first time around. He calls his bill "The Video Game Health Labeling Act of 2011" and, if it passes, all video games rated "Teen" and above must include the following verbiage: "WARNING: Excessive exposure to violent video games and other violent media has been linked to aggressive behavior." Congressman Baca explains, "The video game industry has a responsibility to parents, families, and to consumers - to inform them of the potentially damaging content that is often found in their products. They have repeatedly failed to live up to this responsibility. Meanwhile research continues to show a proven link between playing violent games and increased aggression in young people. American families deserve to know the truth about these potentially dangerous products." Baca's co-signer, Congressman Frank Wolf (R-VA) adds, "Just as we warn smokers of the health consequences of tobacco, we should warn parents - and children - about the growing scientific evidence demonstrating a relationship between violent video games and violent behavior."

Hold on there, a second, Congressmen. With all due respect, don't you think your bill is a bit short-sighted and hasty? Do you really think a written label is necessary - on top of the ESRB Rating bug? Think about it. If parents are going to ignore the rating bug and buy their kids a game that's age-inappropriate, do you think they'll stop and read a written label?

More importantly, let's look at the facts of the issue. Rep. Wolf likens this health warning label to that which is placed on packages of tobacco. But consider this: a definite link has been proven between tobacco usage and health problems. The same cannot be said of violent video games creating violence in children. If you search for the effects of violent video games on children, which I have, you will find a cross-section of results: roughly half prove the link while the other half disprove it. In other words, there is no definitive link between violent video games causing violent children!

To be fair, a recent article in the Washington Post reported on new research that added "another layer of evidence to the continuing debate over the video-game habits" of children by proving that children and teenagers who play violent video games show "increased physical aggression months afterward." The research was published in an issue of Pediatrics and brought together three "longitudinal studies" from the United States and Japan, looking at video game usage among children and teens and the increase of aggressive behavior months later. The study proved an "increased likelihood" of a child becoming more aggressive (i.e., "getting into a fight at school or being identified by a teacher or peer as being physically aggressive five to six months later in the same school year."). Craig A. Anderson, the director of the Iowa State University Center for the Study of Violence and the lead researcher of the study, states, "We now have conclusive evidence that playing violent video games has harmful effects on children and adolescents." In fact, The American Academy of Pediatrics, which publishes the journal, now recognizes violence in the media as a "significant health risk to children and adolescents and recommends limiting screen time including television, computers and video games to one to two hours a day." But, even Anderson admits that his study must be understood in the "larger context of a child's life." He explains, "A healthy, normal, nonviolent child or adolescent who has no other risk factors for high aggression or violence is not going to become a school shooter simply because [he plays] five hours or 10 hours a week of these violent video games." He adds, "Extreme forms of violence almost always occur when there is a convergence of multiple risk factors."

On the other hand, the American Psychological Association reports that research by its members proves that the link between violent children and violent video games is not definitive. In fact, research shows that, if there is a link, it is dependent upon specific personality traits. Patrick Markey, PhD, performed research proving that a "certain combination of personality traits can help predict which young people will be more adversely affected by violent video games." For example, Markey says that personality traits like "psychoticism" and aggressiveness "intensify the negative effects of violent video games." In addition, Christopher J. Ferguson , PhD, who was the guest editor of the journal edition that reported these research studies, said, "Recent research has shown that as video games have become more popular, children in the United States and Europe are having fewer behavior problems, are less violent and score better on standardized tests. Violent video games have not created the generation of problem youth so often feared." The APA also reminds its readers that video games can have a positive effect on children, helping them develop emotional, social and intellectual capabilities in addition to visual and spatial skills. Video games have also been used to help children suffering from serious illnesses (see Helping Children with Serious Illnesses) and learn more effectively in the classroom (see Video Games in the Classroom).

There's one more thing that annoys me about this bill: government intervention where none is required. Our elected officials don't trust us - the parents - to make decisions that affect our own children. I'm a parent of two children, a daughter and a son, and it is my responsibility to keep them safe, help them learn and grow and watch them develop into fully-functioning members of society who know the difference between right and wrong. To that end, I took an active interest in what they were doing and used every teachable moment that came along. When they were younger, I made sure they were watching appropriate television and didn't go to R-rated movies. I didn't buy my son video games until I knew the ESRB rating. This is what responsible parents do. And now that they're older, I can say with great pride that my children are smart, mature, loving young adults who live responsible lives and are indeed fully-functioning members of society. I'm not patting myself on the back or asking for applause...I did what every responsible parent does. So, when Rep. Baca says, "We must...do everything in our power to ensure parents are aware of the detrimental effects that violent video games can have before making decision on which games are appropriate for their children to play," I have to stop him right there and remind him that he is not parenting my children...my husband and I are. And, what if I weren't a responsible parent? Do you think a silly warning label on a package would stop me from doing the wrong thing?

So, for the record, I think this is yet another example of a busybody government employee trying to justify his job. He introduced a bill that should (probably will) die, just like the one he introduced two years ago. What a waste of time! Well, readers, what do you think of this new bill introduced by Congressmen Baca and Wolf? Am I wrong to think this is just completely unnecessary? Post your comments below.