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Violent video games may receive warning labels
By Staff Writer
 Cigarettes are notorious for their warning labels, but now video games may be getting a similar treatment. Recently, state representative Joe Baca proposed a bill that would require all violent video games to include warnings, similar to the Surgeon General labels found on cigarettes, Forbes reports. The Video Game Health Labeling Act is geared toward informing parents of the dangers of gaming over extended periods of time, according to Forbes. Although the American Psychological Association (APA) does not recognize video game addiction as a diagnosable condition, experts speculate that engaging in violent gaming may cause negative side effects over time. The labels that would be included on video games would display phrases such as, "Warning: Excessive exposure to violent video games and other violent media has been linked to aggressive behavior." Games that are rated Teen and above would receive the labels. Baca refers to data published by the Pediatrics Journal, University of Indiana, University of Missouri and Michigan State University that exhibit a neurological link between gaming and aggressive behavior. Currently, video game addiction is on the table to become a defined condition by the APA in the new Diagnostic and Statistic Manual of Mental Disorders, which is set to debut in 2012.
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