In the wake of the Parkland, Fla., shooting, many -- including President Trump -- are pointing the finger at violent video games for potentially shaping player behaviors. But the industry is just “a very convenient scapegoat for a lot of politicians,” according to Ashley Jenkins, Host of Rooster Teeth’s “The Know.”
There have been several studies looking into the impact of video games, and none have found any causal links with behavioral issues, Jenkins told Cheddar.
She pointed out that the games in question are often played around the world, and those countries “don’t have the same level of gun violence, so it’s unlikely that the correlation there has anything to do with actual video games.”
President Trump has said he’ll meet with video game executives at some point this week to discuss the violent content in their products.
But it seems like the industry, including companies such as Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft, is unaware of this meeting.
“At this point no one in the industry has any idea who Trump plans on meeting with,” said Jenkins.
This debate around the impact of video games isn’t new and tends to resurface after every violent tragedy.
For example, there were similar calls for restraints after the Columbine shooting in 1999. But that movement didn’t really go anywhere.
Instead, the video game industry set up the Entertainment Software Association, which functions as “an independent regulatory body to avoid government interference,” much like the Motion Picture Association of America self-regulates for movies, said Jenkins.
Trump, though, doesn’t seem aware that the body exists, suggesting at a meeting with shooting survivors last month that video games should be subject to a “ratings system.”
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/trump-planning-to-meet-with-video-game-makers).
Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Jerry Greenfield is leaving the ice cream brand after 47 years. He says the freedom the company used to have to speak up on social issues has been stifled
The Federal Reserve cut its key interest rate by a quarter-point Wednesday and projected it would do so twice more this year as concern grows at the central bank about the health of the nation’s labor market. The move is the Fed’s first cut since December and lowered its short-term rate to about 4.1%, down from 4.3%. Fed officials, led by Chair Jerome Powell, had kept their rate unchanged this year as they evaluated the impact of tariffs, tighter immigration enforcement, and other Trump administration policies on inflation and the economy. The only dissenter was Stephen Miran, the recent Trump-appointee.
After a late-night vote and last-minute ruling, the Federal Reserve began a key meeting on interest rate policy Tuesday with both a new Trump administration appointee and an official the White House has targeted for removal.
The Trump administration has issued its first warnings to online services that offer unofficial versions of popular drugs like the blockbuster obesity treatment Wegovy.
Albania's Prime Minister Edi Rama says his new Cabinet will include an artificial intelligence “minister” in charge of fighting corruption. The AI, named Diella, will oversee public funding projects and combat corruption in public tenders. Diella was launched earlier this year as a virtual assistant on the government's public service platform. Corruption has been a persistent issue in Albania since 1990. Rama's Socialist Party won a fourth consecutive term in May. It aims to deliver EU membership for Albania in five years, but the opposition Democratic Party remains skeptical.
The Trump administration has asked an appeals court to remove Lisa Cook from the Federal Reserve’s board of governors by Monday, before the central bank’s next vote on interest rates. Trump sought to fire Cook Aug. 25, but a federal judge ruled late Tuesday that the removal was illegal and reinstated her to the Fed’s board.
Load More