Can Blocking the Problem of 'Dangerous Games' for Children Can Be Solved?

It has been a long time since the Ministry of Education and Culture announced a list of 15 video games that are considered dangerous for children. But the news is in the spotlight when KPAI responded to this by revealing the blocking plan. It turned out that this step received strong criticism from netizens. Many people vent it on social media, some even take it dramatic action.

Looking from the perspective of ordinary people, there is nothing wrong with the Government's intention to protect the younger generation. The development of entertainment technology is so rapid, and with it also increases the demand for state agencies to filter content. But regarding the blocking agenda, why is the public response so negative? In this article, I try to explore it.

Dangerous games

By page Family Friends According to the Ministry of Education and Culture, a list of dangerous games has actually been published since March 15, 2016. There, the author, Yohan Rubiyantoro, quoted the results of a research conducted by Iowa State University which stated that 'playing game with elements of violence can numb the taste'.

Furthermore, the director of the Indonesia Heritage Foundation, Wahyu Farrah Dina, also said that, because video gameChildren are prone to violence and lose empathy.

These games include:

1. World of Warcraft
2. Grand Theft Auto
3. Call of Duty
4. PointBlank
5. Crossfire
6. was rock
7. Counter-Strike
8. Mortal Kombat
9. Future Cop
10. Carmageddon
11. Shellshock
12. Raising Force
13. Atlantic
14. Conflict: Vietnam
15. bully

Parents may immediately mark these names, or immediately check the contents of their child's PC. However gamer will immediately notice the problem: list above is not .

Shellshock and Conflict Vietnam (2004) were not popular games even when they were released years ago, and I doubt anyone still plays War Rock (2007). World of Warcraft (2004)? Gamer young we definitely prefer free-to-play games instead of having to spend tens of dollars per month for a subscription. What's more, titles like Future Cop (1998) and Carmageddon (1997) were released nearly two decades ago.

I agree with Grand Theft Auto, Bully, Mortal Kombat and games violence themed should not be touched by children; but so do hundreds of other games. Many people think that this explanation shows the lack of understanding of the Ministry of Education and Culture and KPAI regarding what they are discussing.

Understand the video game rating system

Not only now video game cause controversy. In his time, Doom received criticism from various parties because apart from being sadistic, the game carried 'symbols of the devil'. But this problem has found a solution since a dozen years ago. In fact, Doom was one of the first games to get rating M by ESRB. And it is the functions of institutions such as the Entertainment Software Rating Board and the like that we need to understand.

There are at least two giant global organizations tasked with giving rating pada entertainment: the ESRB covers the United States, Canada and Mexico; and PEGI or Pan European Game Information in Europe. How to find out who the game is aimed at is very easy, you just have to glance at it badgeher - both in the physical box and in the platform digital distribution (Steam doesn't forget to ask for your date of birth).

There are seven ratingESRB, marked with the letters:

• RP (Rating): no final certification yet, appears when game still advertised
• EC (Early childhood): for ages three and over or the pre-school period
• E (Everyone): anyone can enjoy it other than EC category
• E 10+ (Everyone10+): age 10 years and over
• T (Teen): at least 13 years old, usually starting to contain mid-level violence and rude jokes
• M (Mature): 17 years and over, displays violence and sex elements more clearly
• AO (AdultsOnly): 18 years and over, even taller than Mature

Certification PEGI even easier to understand because it shows the age number: 3, 7, 12, 16 to 18. Function number icon You also need to know, indicating elements of gambling, racial discrimination, drug use and swear words, and so on.

Please visit Steam, and you will immediately see that Grand Theft Auto and Mortal Kombat fall into the PEGI 18 category. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive itself is a Mature game. They are not child food at all.

What if you haven't received a rating yet?

Some games are not yet PEGI or ESRB certified, generally games from publishers eastern country. And unfortunately, they fulfill gamecenter and internet cafes unstoppably. And this is where the important role of parents, families and teachers to always know what is consumed by our young generation.

For me, knowing who the children meet personally online no less important than knowing what games they often play.

Block?

Blocking does seem like a simple solution, and it's easy to blame something you don't really understand. But it does not provide a fundamental solution to this problem: there is still a lack of knowledge of many people, including generations of educators and government agencies, about industry Gaming. After all, isn't it video game join make Indonesia proud on the global scene?

The first step to overcome the bad effects video game towards the younger generation: really understand how the system works rating, then convey the knowledge to all circles. It's time for everyone to understand the potential Gaming in a country with a population gamer active more than 28 million souls this.

Then what if found game without rating? This is the homework for the Government: creating a standard or certification system, especially for games that have not been screened by the ESRB and PEGI. Update: As quoted from my world.net, late last year discussion concerning the draft Regulation of the Minister of Communication and Information Technology concerning the Classification of Electronic Interactive Games or Indonesian Game Rating System has rolled.