Revenues for the video game industry were at $58 billion in 2013—and that doesn’t even include games on smart phones and tablets. That’s six times more than the movie industry made. Video games are a force.
A whopping 60 percent of Americans play video games, with gender percentages almost equal, according to the Entertainment Software Association.
So how do we deal with this force in our lives? It’s never been more important. Music is influential, but kids are only listening. Movies are influential, but kids are only watching. But with video games, they’re doing. And that can affect them more than the other forms of entertainment.
Let’s be diligent with the entertainment our kids take in. Here are resources to turn to next time you’re not sure whether a video game is appropriate.
ESRB.org—Every game has to have an ESRB rating. This site gives the rating for a game and the broad reasons for that rating.
commonsensemedia.org—This site gives detailed descriptions of the content in movies, books, and video games. The site isn’t religious; they’re merely reporting.
pluggedin.com—This site provides details about game play and reviews the games from a biblical standpoint.
Let’s stay strong—and pay attention to what our kids are paying attention to.
