Children believe game characters are real

The Unterhaltungssoftware Selbstkontrolle (USK), the organisation responsible for game rating in Germany, has expressed that young children believe that the video game characters they control are actually real.

The organisation has said that children of preschool or elementary school age consider the heroes and villains of video games as living things, therefore feeling the pain and suffering that’s inflicted on them during the game.

While this may seem a bit strange, the USK explains that children experience violent content in very different ways to adults, and may not understand the extent of its fictitious nature.

The organisation suggests that parents speak to their children regarding their impressions of the game, and assure them that they understand what is being shown.