Stop blaming games, says Byron

Following the publication of her report investigating the effect of violence in the media on children, Dr Tanya Byron has warned against holding games accountable for society's problems.

Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz Byron said, "Let's stop blaming industry for things industry isn't responsible for, that's number one.

"Number two, the industry has worked really positively with me. I do believe this industry does not intend to corrupt young people. Number three, I think there's a positive that adult games are created with adult content for adults to play."

Byron reiterated that she plays games with her own children, observing, "There are a lot of really good videogames." She continued, "I think games are very positive for children. They engage with them through thinking as well as playing.

"We need to stop panicking, get a grip, move on in the debate and just be sensible about who plays what at what age, and what's appropriate."

According to Byron, "We can't just isolate videogames as being responsible for the ills of society. I am really clear from the child development literature that there are some games that kids shouldn't play and it could have a really, really negative impact on them if they do play them.

"But my instinct is that the videogames industry is completely next to me on that one, because again, yes there are adult games and adult material that people can read and look at."

To read the full interview with Byron, visit GamesIndustry.biz. You might also like to check out our roundup of news related to her report.