The Byron Review, a couple of months back, outlined that children were being exposed to material that was inappropriate for them and that there were concerns with the rating system for games. The report didn’t only cover videogames, but also what youngsters were exposed to on the internet and how vulnerable they were in a digital and virtual world.

The aftermath of the report confused an already confusing topic, with blame being passed from retailers, to parents to websites, with no conclusive end other than children were being exposed to inappropriate material.

We at IncGamers read through the report, did our relevant news stories, but decided that we should speak to an expert asking how exactly videogames specifically change a childs psychological development.

Professor Karen J Pine, PhD CSci, is a research leader at the University of Hertfordshire, and we put some questions to her about videogames specifically.

Do you think that video games really do have as much influence on children as the media is making out?

Anything that children are exposed to for lengthy periods will have an influence on them and video games are no exception.

What evidence, if any, is there to suggest that games are to blame?

The evidence is always controversial because it's difficult to prove outright cause and effect. Violent crime, however, is likely to have a number of influencing factors. Children watch more television, for example, and there is more pre-watershed violence. Video games are just part of a myriad of experiences and influences that make up the world of the child.

Games are hailed for raising observational skills and reaction times. Is this fair to say?

Games can be designed in a way that raised these skills. Many however are not designed with this is mind and are aimed purely at entertainment. So any benefits are by-products and may be accompanied by negative effects too.

If so, does this mean that video games actually help with child development?

As I said, they could help if they targeted particular abilities.

Not all video games are violent, and those that are, are classified with ratings. Surely all children that play video games don't just play violent ones?

Children play a range of games, not all of them are violent.