To prevent minors from locking themselves in their homes in front of a screen, a new rule prohibits video game servers from operating regularly, as they have been doing until now. The measures limit the use of these digital platforms to only 3 hours a week.
Game Over?
Under the new regulations unveiled by China’s National Press and Publication Administration. Children under 18 will not be allowed to play video games from Monday to Thursday and only between 8pm and 9pm on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday: A maximum of three hours a week.
To evade these new provisions, thousands of Chinese children began using fake adult IDs. However, according to The Guardian, the new measures will increase the frequency and intensity of inspections of video game companies. All this effort is taken to combat addiction to digital platforms and regulate consumption among the youngest.
Although China is one of the countries with the most industry in digital platforms, the State prefers “to effectively protect the physical and mental health of minors, ” according to the regulatory body. To do this, despite the pandemic, they are promoting outdoor activities. Subject to observing the necessary sanitary measures, the government considers it healthier for children to interact in person, rather than in front of a screen.
It aims to improve the well-being of young people beyond digital interactions.
