1st Amendment Panel
Game Over: Violent Video Games and Juvenile Crimes.
When children commit violent acts, video games are often the first influence to receive blame. The Grand Theft Auto series of games has been cited as the cause of everything from aggravated assault to robbery to its namesake crime. The first-person shooter game Doom is commonly associated with the Columbine tragedy of 1999. The US Army's game series, America's Army has succeeded as a commercial endeavor and recruiting tool. But is there a causal connection between games and these effects?
The WIPI First Amendment Panel seeks to facilitate an open discussion about video games' potential effects on childhood violence, while also balancing manufacturers' First Amendment rights to sell them. This will be set against the backdrop of Schwarzenegger v. Entertainment Merchants Association, a case on appeal from the 9th Circuit which challenges the constitutionality of a California law prohibiting the sale of violent video games to minors. This panel will explore the sometimes conflicting interests in First Amendment protections and decreasing childhood violence.