Pennsylvania completes study of things to buy me for Christmas

OK, the study isn’t on things to buy me for Christmas, but the Joint State Government Commission completed a study on Violent Interactive Video Games.  Some of the games mentioned on pages 27-29 sound really awesome, though, and the task force got the chance to preview some of them (hint: I know a researcher who would be interested in serving on the next task force).

Oh yeah, the study also tried to measure the effect of violent video games (VVGs), and concluded “it’s tough to say”:

At most, VVGs represent a minor factor in childhood aggression, and there is no substantial evidence linking them to real life violence. The evidence suggests that violent media are unlikely to affect “normal” children. Some researchers have voiced concern that some children may be vulnerable to ill effects, but there is no consensus about what children may be affected or what those ill effects might be.

Nonetheless, the task force was able to make recommendations:

• Taxpayers should be compelled to pay someone to educate them about video games.
• Censorship is a bad choice.
• More research is needed.