West Virginia Senator Jay Rockefeller recently introduced a bill to congress which aims to study the impact of violent video games on children, The Huffington Post reports. Likely, this is a response to the claims that Adam Lanza played video games, and that video games might've negatively influenced Lanza.
"This week, we are all focused on protecting our children. At times like this, we need to take a comprehensive look at all the ways we can keep our kids safe. I have long expressed concern about the impact of the violent content our kids see and interact with every day," Rockefeller stated.
Though some evidence implies that video games do not cause violence, hopefully this action—should the bill go through—would result in a greater understanding of where video games fit into the violent parts of our society, if at all.
Rockefeller's statements, however, make it seem as if he thinks that those who don't believe that games can have a negative impact on children are being naive.
"[People] believe that violent video games are no more dangerous to young minds than classic literature or Saturday morning cartoons. Parents, pediatricians, and psychologists know better. These court decisions show we need to do more and explore ways Congress can lay additional groundwork on this issue. This report will be a critical resource in this process. I call on my colleagues to join to me in passing this important legislation quickly," Rockefeller stated.
Rockefeller argues that since video game companies aren't taking responsibility to protect our children, it falls on the government and agencies like the FTC and FCC to stand up.
It'll be interesting to see what the research concludes, should it happen.
UPDATE: Rockefeller's full statement can be read on his press release, here.
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Video Games Targeted By Senate In Wake Of Sandy Hook Shooting [Huffington Post]