Beijing gets tough about keeping kids off ‘e-drugs’
China and SA have different views when it comes to computer games. China has enforced time limits whereas SA tries to control content
The world’s strictest regulation of video games came into effect in China last week.Children younger than 18 may not play video games, regardless of platform, for more than three hours a week. And they may play only at certain times, on certain days: 8pm-9pm on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and public holidays. The weekly total may not exceed three hours. This came in the same week that a subject called "Xi Jinping Thought" was added to the national school curriculum.Chinese state media has called video games "electronic drugs", comparing them to "spiritual opium".The rules focus on digital wellbeing. "Gaming addiction has affected studies and normal life … and many parents have become miserable," says China’s National Press & Publication Administration (NPPA). The intervention is meant to help free children from this "digital opium".The new rules, reports Reuters, "are part of a major shift by Beijing to strengthen control over its society and key sectors of its economy, including tech...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
This article is free to read if you sign up or sign in.
If you have already registered or subscribed, please sign in to continue.
Questions or problems? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00.