The popularity of games has raised concerns among many parents, mostly due to the large amount of time their children spend gaming.  Some are also concerned about the perceived violent content of many games.

In addition to the Swedish Media Council study, one of the more ardent lobby organisations on computer games, Fair Play, have presented a study of their own in which they declare that 44 % of Swedish parents think that computer games pose a problem in their family. The main concern was that games take time from other activities such as doing homework and playing with friends. 6 % of the parents stated that computer games were a major problem because the children became irritated or angry when they were not allowed to play.

Violence is a minor concern

The violent or sexual content of computer games is not perceived as a major problem by Swedish parents. One possible explanation for this could be the extensive adherence to the PEGI-rating by all major retailers in Sweden. None of their stores sell games to children that are younger than the recommended age set by PEGI. 

Recommendations for parents

The Swedish Media Council has worked together with MDTS, the association for game developers and distributors, to give guidelines to parents. The result is a brochure called “Information for parents with gaming kids”. The brochure suggests parents take more interest in the games their children are playing and play together.  It also advises that parents set rules about the amount of time to spend playing games together with their children.