Washington Examiner columnist Joe Concha said parents should decide which video games their children play, not the government, amid concerns about violence in the latest Grand Theft Auto release.
“In the end, parents, and this what we do in my household, my son is 11, my daughter is 13, we decide how these games are consumed, and how often,” Concha said Sunday on Fox and Friends. “Just like we should with movies, just like we do with streaming shows or books. We as parents should decide what is appropriate and what is not.”
Grand Theft Auto VI is scheduled to be released on Nov. 19, nearly 30 years after the first game was released in 1997. Fox and Friends host Griff Jenkins brought up concerns from some parents regarding whether the violent, hyper-realistic aspects of the game would negatively affect their child.
Concha responded by citing a study by the Entertainment Software Association, which shows 83% of children between ages 5 and 12 play video games weekly. The 2025 study pulled 5,000 respondents for a 20-minute survey.
“So I guess the question is can some kids tell the difference after a while between reality and what they’re doing on these games,” Concha said. “So, is it having an influence?”
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Concha said gaming has evolved since he was a child. Now, children can play games online with their friends in real time without having to be in the same room, and access has never been easier with devices such as phones and iPads, he added.
“But all that said, if we’re talking about intervention where, let’s say, a government entity is deciding who plays games like this, that’s just not right.”