14 DAY TRIAL // The gaming industry has always been blamed for many things. Violent games like the ones from the Grand Theft Auto series, despite being rated for a Mature audience, were accused of manipulating children and encouraging violent behavior in young people. But lately this trend has seen a depreciation, and people seem to finally see the positive sides of gaming.
But it looks like the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood (CCFC) thinks otherwise and has accused the Lego Batman game of having a negative influence on young children, nominating it for the organization's TOADY (Toys Oppressive And Destructive to Young Children) award. It seems that, because the game encompasses the Lego lineup of toys, which encourages creativity, with the somewhat violent Batman franchise, and given the recent The Dark Knight movie, it has a very dark influence on children, who learn how to construct weapons from virtual Lego pieces.
“How do you turn the ultimate creative toy into a symbol of commercialized childhood? Begin by partnering with media companies to sell that toy in branded kits designed for recreating movies like Star Wars, rather than creative construction. Then, dispense with hands-on building altogether by turning your toy into a video game so that instead of deciding what to build next, children choose which cyber weapons to use to beat up their opponent. Finally, ignore the fact [that] it was rated suitable for ages 10 & up and partner with McDonald’s for a Happy Meal toy giveaway to simultaneously promote the video game, junk food, and the violent Dark Knight movie series to preschoolers.”
This quote is from the website of the organization, which deems that such a game teaches wrong morals to children, and, alongside other toys, like a toy SUV or a Barbie cheerleader, corrupts the kids of today. While the protest is somewhat amusing, sadly, some people tend to blame society for what products it places on the market, instead of focusing on teaching their own children real morals and how to make the distinction between what is good to buy and what isn't.