Iceland launches computer games campaign 1 December 2005 A survey on children´s computer game use, a new brochure for parents on games and ratings and a media campaign highlighting the PEGI rating system were launched by SAFT, the Icelandic awareness project on 24 November 2005.

As in other countries, computer game use among children and teenagers has been an area of concern in Iceland, particularly young children´s use of violent and/or disturbing games that are rated for much older age groups.

A survey of computer game use has been done for SAFT among children age 9-16.  The survey was done by the Icelandic Centre for Social Research and Analysis and supported by the Ministry of Education.  It shows that many parents know very little about the computer games their children play.

Among other conclusions  is that a fifth of  children age 9-12 said that they usually bought their own games  and a third of the children had bought games that were rated for older age groups.

A new brochure for parents on computer games and the PEGI rating system was published by SAFT in cooperation with  SMÁÍS (The Association of Film Rights Holders in Iceland) and with the support of Microsoft Iceland.  The brochure was distributed through elementary schools for every school child in Iceland to take home for their parents.

At the same time advertising banners appeared on buses driving around Iceland´s capital, Reykjavík and animation advertisments started to be shown in film theaters.  The timing is excellent as new films for children and families, such as the new Harry Potter film are being premiered at this time of year.