The holiday season is here and kids of all ages are adding new and favorite video games to their holiday wish lists. Whether you’re a parent, close relative, or a friend, purchasing video games can be complicated. While some video games might seem innocent, it’s not always easy to tell if the content is age-appropriate without checking the rating first.

The Oakland County Board of Commissioners encourages parents and other gift-givers to ensure they are purchasing age-appropriate games by looking at the back of video game packaging, or online, to view their ratings. Watch as Diana Lewis, veteran WXYZ news anchor, sheds more light on this important issue.

Fortunately, the Entertainment and Software Rating Board (ESRB) makes it easy for you to do your video game homework. Kids hear about all kinds of exciting and fun video games at school and may ask for a game that they know little or nothing about. Parents and other gift-givers, unfamiliar with the game or unaware of the potential harm violent content can have on children, may inadvertently make well-intentioned but uninformed purchases. You can check the ESRB’s ratings for guidance about video games and apps in order to make more informed choices about which games are suitable for your child and your family.

ESRB ratings have three parts:

• Rating Categories suggest age appropriateness
• Content Descriptors indicate content that may have triggered a particular rating and/or may be of interest or concern
• Interactive Elements inform about interactive aspects of a product, including the users’ ability to interact, the sharing of users’ location with others, if in-app purchases of digital goods are completed, and/or if unrestricted internet access is provided.