US Congressmen Propose Cigarette-Style Warning Labels on Games

Computer games are just as harmful to your health as cigarettes. That's the argument of a couple of Republican congressmen in the US, who have called for the introduction of tabacco-style warning labels on game boxes.

"WARNING: Exposure to violent video games has been linked to aggressive behaviour," reads the suggested label as proposed by Joe Baca of California and Frank Wolf of Virginia. Although it has been linked, the problem here is that it hasn't been proven. At all.

Amazingly, the bill proposes that all games rated above Early Childhood (the equivalent of a BBFC Universal rating) carry the warning, regardless of whether the game inside the box is of a violent nature or not.

Baca said, "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."

Wolf added that, "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. As a parent and grandparent, I think it is important people know everything they can about the extremely violent nature of some of these games."

Source: The Hill