I Love Statistics: Parents Love the ESRB
Sixty percent of parents with children under 18 never allow those kids to play M rated games, while 34 percent only do sometimes, according to a recent study commissioned by the Entertainment Software Rating Board.
The study also shows that parents of children under the age of 13 are twice as likely as those with children 13 and older to "never" allow them to play M-rated games.
The study was conducted by Peter D. Hart Research Associates in early April, and surveyed over 500 parents who have purchased a computer or video game in the last six months and have children age 3 to 17 that play video games.
It's interesting to see that 64 percent of parents seem to agree with the mature rating. While I appreciate the work of the ESRB, I can say that I find the T rating a bit too broad. Of course, as parents we all have to make our own decisions based on good information.
Hit the jump for more findings from the study.
Among the study's other findings:
87% of parents find it "very important" to be able to monitor and regulate what their children watch, read and play
90% of parents surveyed said that the ratings are "very" (55%) to "somewhat" (35%) helpful in helping them buy and rent games they deem appropriate for their children
91% say the ESRB ratings are the "most important" (17%), a "very important" (52%), or a "somewhat important" (22%) consideration when selecting games
Other than ESRB ratings, parents turn to packaging (31%), other parents (29%), or their children (21%) as the top three sources of information about games
83% said that they would consider parental control settings to be "very" (53%) to "somewhat" (30%) helpful in allowing them to control the games their kids play.
"It's extremely encouraging that the vast majority of parents are involved and informed when it comes to choosing which games are appropriate for their families," said ESRB president Patricia Vance. "The ratings continue to be a very important, if not the most important tool to help parents make an informed decision, and it's clear that parents are using and relying on them in growing numbers.""Awareness and use of the ratings is clearly continuing to rise to considerably high levels, still showing steady growth from where they were just a few years ago," said Jay Campbell of Peter D. Hart Research Associates. "What is quite telling is that the number of parents who say they 'never' allow their children to play M-rated games rose as those who 'sometimes' do declined. This suggests that parents are becoming more assertive in using the ratings to set and enforce restrictions with respect to the games they allow their children to play."
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