Video game watchdog shuts down, victim of economy


The National Institute on Media and the Family is closing its doors, a victim of the poor economy, reports the Associated Press. Founder David Walsh said when he was assembling his first report card on video game violence 13 years ago, children were attacking on-screen monsters or aliens with imaginary chain saws and guns. "When I saw kids as young as 8, 9 years old literally doing facial contortions as they killed and dismembered people, it was pretty shocking. And I think what happened is a lot of other people got shocked as well," Walsh recalls. "I don’t think we want our kids’ culture defined by killing, mayhem, and dismemberment as entertainment." That first report card, which singled out bloody first-person shooter games "Doom" and "Duke Nukem," made an instant splash on Capitol Hill in 1996 and made the annual reports issued each holiday season by Walsh’s organization a news fixture. But there was no video game report card this year, and there won’t be any more. Walsh is packing his books as his staff of eight full-time employees prepares to shut down Dec. 23. "Fundraising has been more and more difficult," Walsh said. "It really wasn’t that we put ourselves out of business, because the technology is changing so quickly, the issues just won’t quit."

Click here for the full story

Sign up for our K-12 newsletter

Newsletter: Innovations in K12 Education
By submitting your information, you agree to our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.

Latest posts by eSchool News (see all)

Want to share a great resource? Let us know at submissions@eschoolmedia.com.

New AI Resource Center
Get the latest updates and insights on AI in education to keep you and your students current.
Get Free Access Today!

"*" indicates required fields

Hidden
Hidden
Hidden
Hidden
Hidden
Hidden
Hidden
Hidden
Hidden
Hidden
Email Newsletters:

By submitting your information, you agree to our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.

eSchool News uses cookies to improve your experience. Visit our Privacy Policy for more information.