“Video games are an easy excuse whenever there is violence in schools,” Senator Bam Aquino remarked. He made the statement on Monday amidst calls to prohibit violent video games following tragic shooting and stabbing incidents in three different schools throughout the country.
Aquino, chairman of the Senate committees on basic education and science and technology, said studies reveal no obvious connection between video games and school shootings. “Video games have been around for 50 years but they’re always an easy scapegoat whenever there’s an incident of violence,” he remarked.
The senator rejected the concept of a blanket ban on violent video games even as Malacañang stated President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is sympathetic to the measure. Aquino said video games are a “art form and entertainment medium” that do not cause aggressive behaviour. He stated the answer is not a blanket prohibition.
Instead, Aquino called for tighter limits on kids’ access to adult games. The same sort of age restrictions that apply to films and other media should be imposed in video game retailers and internet platforms, he said. “We should have a little bit tougher standards on children and their access to mature video games,” he remarked.
The senator also called on game producers to make online gaming settings safer for young users. Those who make games for children should be vigilant and remove players who may seek to influence youngsters through violence, including predators and extremist groups, he warned.
