In its continued efforts to educate parents about its video game ratings system, the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) has announced a partnership with the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) to launch a new national campaign that will see an educational ratings booklet distributed to all 26,000 PTAs in the U.S. The booklet will also be available at PTA.org.
According to the ESRB, "The campaign enables and encourages PTAs to educate their community’s parents about the ESRB rating system and parental control technology available on the various game systems, as well as the concerns that exist when games are played over an Internet connection and what parents can do to mitigate those concerns."
Additionally, ESRB president Patricia Vance, PTA national president Jan Harp Domene and Andrew S. Bub of GamerDad.com will host a free webcast at 7:00 PM EDT on April 23 to explain the rating system, provide information on setting up parental controls on consoles, PSP, and Windows Vista, as well as offer a live text Q&A session with the experts.
"Three in four parents use the ESRB ratings regularly when selecting games for their children, and the parental control features available in all the newest game systems give parents more control over the games their children play than ever before," said Vance. "But it’s important for parents to fully appreciate what the experience of playing games today encompasses. Many online-enabled games allow players to interact in new ways, including online competitions or chatting with one another via text, audio or video. Parents should understand what type of content their child might be exposed to when playing games online, and what steps they can take to shield their children from content they deem inappropriate."
"Video games continue to be a popular source of learning and entertainment for children, but today’s games provide players with new abilities to interact with one another via online play. Just as with the Internet, that kind of interaction carries with it some risks," said Domene. "Using the ESRB ratings and setting up parental controls are important, proactive steps that parents can take to make sure their kids are playing games they deem appropriate. And being aware of the risks posed by online-enabled games and what can be done to keep their kids safe when playing online is crucial information for parents. We’re very pleased to be offering them this guidance with the help of ESRB."
Prev: 
Next: 
