Contact: Stacey Holliday, Concerned Women for America, 202-488-7000 ext. 126
WASHINGTON, Dec. 4 /Christian Newswire/ -- Concerned Women for America’s (CWA) Dr. Janice Shaw Crouse, Director and Senior Fellow of CWA’s think tank, The Beverly LaHaye Institute, warns, “With marketers bombarding parents with glossy ads and reduced prices for video games, iPods, DVD players and CDs for children’s Christmas gifts, it would be easy to latch onto these attractive products for teens and pre-teens. Of course, the kids are begging for these latest fads, but parents need to be diligent in avoiding gifts that are culture carriers. It is much healthier to buy gifts that encourage children to more active lifestyles and avoid connecting them with a culture that undermines values, morals and a Biblical worldview.”
Crouse said, “There are plenty of video games that are great fun, music that is enriching and enjoyable, and movies to provide entertainment as well as character building messages. There are also toys and games that are more interactive and encourage creativity. Parents need to ensure that their kids enjoy alternatives to games that are solitary endeavors.
“Parents need to be especially careful about reading the labels on video games and monitoring the music and movies that they buy,” Crouse added. “It is so easy for these entertainment mediums to slip in things that contradict the parents’ teachings and undermine those things that the parents consistently nurture in their children’s lives.”
A new report from the National Institute of Media and the Family notes that the video game industry is working to keep violent games out of children’s hands. CWA applauds those efforts and encourages other industries to adopt similar efforts to enhance children’s well-being. Industries have the responsibility to ensure that all their games contain only wholesome, quality material. At the same time, “Parents, ultimately, must be diligent in their responsibility for ensuring that their home is a safe place for children –– a place where the corrupting aspects of contemporary culture are unwelcome and kept out,” said Crouse.
Concerned Women for America (CWA) is the nation’s largest public policy women’s organization.
