China’s latest policy regarding the use of video games created great restrictions for minors. Anyone who is under the age of 18 is now forbidden to play on weekdays and can only enjoy this form of entertainment for three hours on weekends.
Starting this week, the playing hours will be between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. on Friday, weekends, and public holidays. This new rule tightens the previous restriction set in 2019, which limited the use of video games to 90 minutes on weekdays and three hours on weekends.
According to the national authorities, the aim of the restrictions is to prevent video game addictions in youth. The National Press and Publication Administration commented the rules were being issued “at the beginning of the new [school] semester, putting specific requirements for preventing the addiction to online games, and protecting the healthy growth of minors.”
In order to regulate compliance with the rules, gaming companies will restrict access services outside the set hours. This will be achieved through a name verification system that requires a user’s official ID to log in.
China is going to increase the frequency and intensity of inspection of online gaming companies to ensure the policy is respected. With recent strict laws on data handling in the private sector, the country hopes that the online community will become more transparent.
“Many parents said that teenagers’ addiction to online games seriously affected their studies, and physical and mental health, leading to a series of social problems, making many parents suffer,” said a spokesperson for the NPPA.
This issue quickly reached Chinese social media and forums, as many users complained about the overly strict limitations. Pointing out the drawbacks of such a general ban, some suggested that the same rules do not apply to all ages and video games.
Others expressed their concern about what this would mean for competitive gaming. As the youth dominates the field of e-sports, users were worried that this policy would end the country’s future in competitions.
Bibliography
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