With the popularity of video games on the rise, many parents worry about the effects that violent video games might have on their children. Some parents, seeking ways to protect their children from the effects these games have, supported government regulation. This approach was rejected by US Supreme Court in 2011, which rules that video games were protected under the First Amendment. Self-regulation exists in the video game industry in the form of the Entertainment Software Rating Board, or ESRB, which is designed to provide information about potentially offensive content. Parents, however, do not always utilize ESRB ratings, and many parents are not even aware the ratings exist. Our study examines the trust parents have for ESRB ratings, parents’ existing knowledge of video games, and the source of that knowledge.
