China says it will ban children from playing online video games at night and introduce laws to cut down screen time amid growing concerns about gaming addiction.
The Chinese government has released new rules aimed at curbing video game addiction among young people, a problem that top officials believe is to blame for a rise in nearsightedness and poor academic performance across a broad swath of society.
According to xinhuanet interview in recent years, China’s online game industry has developed rapidly. While satisfying the needs of the people for leisure and entertainment and enriching the people’s spiritual and cultural life, some minors are addicted to games and excessive consumption, which are worthy of high attention. These problems affect the physical and mental health and normal learning and life of minors. In order to respond positively to social concerns and solve outstanding problems in the development of the industry, we conducted relevant research, listened to opinions and formulated specific measures to form this Notice.
Earlier this week National Press and Publication Administration have announced to ban users younger than 18 from playing games between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m. They are not permitted to play more than 90 minutes on weekdays and three hours on weekends and holidays.
The limits are the government’s latest attempt to rein in China’s online gaming industry, one of the world’s largest, which generates more than $33 billion in annual revenue and draws hundreds of millions of users.