More Fun, More Risk? Digital Games as a Challenge for the Protection of Minors

Interdisciplinary European Symposium 16/17 October 2008 in Berlin

• Online documentation of the conference with presentations and recordings
• Conference results
• Programme

Background

The public debate over current data on usage and developments in it, over results from the research into effects and regulatory as well as media-pedagogical concepts for the protection of minors in the area of video and computer games is not something restricted to individual states. Various EU member states are discussing what they call "violent games" through debates conducted politically and publicly. In January and again in June 2007, the EU Council of Ministers also took up the question of possible measures for restricting violent games and videos.

Such was the background for this symposium, that took place in Berlin on 16 and 17 October 2008. It aimed to bring together scholars, practitioners and regulators from all over Europe so that they could exchange views on the current research agenda as regards the use and effects of the media, on innovative media-pedagogical concepts and on regulatory frameworks. By looking beyond the particular national and thematic "backyards", the paricipants could profit from the variety of modern approaches and research results distinctly different countries have to offer. Accordingly, the symposium looked to lay down a wide avenue for scholars, specialists, politicians and the general public to engage with its themes in future. In addition, this event aimed at bringing researchers and others involved in the protection of minors into contact with their European colleagues and to get participants talking constructively with each other on collaborative, international projects and exchanging knowledge and experience more consistently.

To this end, the conference brought together not only various people active in scholarship and practice, but also various scholarly disciplines. Alongside experts from the social and communications sciences, the invitation included researchers from the areas of jurisprudence, political science, media pedagogy and cultural studies. PPractitioners taking part came from state agencies for the protection of minors and from institutions for self-regulation as well as from business associations and non-governmental organisations.

Conference Structure

The conference ran over two full days; overall more than 140 participants and some 30 speakers took part. As individual perspectives encompass both multiple and specific interests, the mid-section of the conference ran two parallel streams with differing foci: "Usage, Effects & Literacy" as well as "Law & Regulation".

A comprehensive conference report is available online. The Institute is currently preparing a conference publication.