National PTA Statement on Video Game Report Card

CHICAGO (November 30, 2006) – The 11th Annual MediaWise Video and Computer Game Report Card, released yesterday by the National Institute on Media and the Family (NIMF), reinforces the need for parents to be informed and involved in their children’s use of video games. Reading game reviews, talking with other parents, and playing the games with children are good ways to learn about the games children are playing and be involved in their gaming experience.

Parent involvement received an "Incomplete" on the NIMF report card. Surveys showed too few parents following the Entertainment Software Research Board's (ESRB) ratings. That’s why PTA has teamed up with the ESRB to educate parents nationwide about the video game rating system. More than one million brochures on the computer and video game rating system were sent earlier this month to 26,000 PTAs nationwide. This holiday season, PTA and ESRB are making sure that parents have access to educational materials on the video ratings system, how it works, and encouraging parents to take the time to use the ratings before they purchase games.

Read the news release online with complete information about the joint effort.