Clinton Reiterates Need For Study On Effects Of Media

A report from Washington DC filed by CNET News has indicated that Democratic Senator Hillary Clinton reiterated the need for a study funded by the federal government on the adverse affects of electronic media on the development of children. Earlier this year, Clinton, backed by a group of Democrat U.S. senators led by well known video game critics Joseph Lieberman and Dick Durbin, as well as Republicans Rick Santorum and Sam Brownback proposed a bill that contained just such a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) into video game and other electronic media use. The bill received unanimous support from a Senate committee. The report indicated that during an event organized by the New America Foundation, Clinton dismissed those who have questioned the need for such a study. "We don't know the effects," Clinton said. "Never have children been raised in such a media-saturated environment. How do we get more research, better facts and evidence?" According to the report, on Wednesday Clinton's office released a downloadable "media guide" for parents that describes the ratings systems used by television and video games, and also describes “technological parental controls” currently available for game consoles, as well as for televisions and services like TiVo. CNET also reported that Clinton is hoping that Congress will pass S.2126, a bill that would impose fines to stores that sell or rent games rated “mature” or “adults only” to children under 17. Several similar bills focused on content-based suppression of video games have been signed over the past year by governors in California, Illinois and Michigan banning the sale of violent games to minors, and each has been struck down by federal courts.