Senate panel votes to study video game violence

The Senate Commerce Committee unanimously advanced legislation to study the impact of violent video games and other media on children. Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) introduced the bill last year after the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown (CT).

He argued that studying violent media can be a first step toward more aggressive regulation. The bill would require the National Academy of Sciences to examine whether violent video games and programming cause children to act aggressively or otherwise hurt their well-being. The academy would look at whether the interactive nature of video games has a unique impact on children. In a joint statement, the lobbying groups for the movie and cable TV industries said they "welcome further academic examination of the reasons behind societal violence." "Our industries have a longstanding commitment to providing parents with the resources, education and tools they need to make appropriate family viewing and entertainment decisions," the National Cable & Telecommunications Association and the Motion Picture Association of America said.