Minors in China can now play online games for just one hour on Fridays, weekends, and...

[midian182]

A hot potato: China has taken another step in its war against online gaming by cutting the amount of time under 18s can spend on the activity to just one hour on Fridays, weekends, and holidays. Previously, minors could access online games for one and a half hours on weekdays and three hours on holidays and weekends.

State-run press agency Xinhua (via The Guardian) reports that the rules, announced through China's national Press and Publication Administration, mean those under 18 will now only be allowed to play online games between 8 pm and 9 pm local time on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays. Online gaming companies will be prohibited from allowing access outside of these days and hours, which means no access from Monday through Thursday unless it's a holiday.

Companies behind the games will need to enforce the policy by ensuring they implement real-name registrations and logins, said the gaming regulator. Xinhua writes that the National Press and Publication Administration also warned that firms would face an increase in the intensity and frequency of inspections to ensure they are adhering to the rules on time limits for minors. Any failure to do so will be severely punished.

The China government has long held a dim view of video games, particularly those of the online variety. It was only a few weeks ago that Xinhua branded them "electronic drugs." The comment sent Tencent and NetEase shares falling more than 10%, wiping almost $60 billion from the former's market cap, which could explain why the state later said this was not an official stance.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/91014-minors-china-can-now-play-online-games-one.html

 

[Sausagemeat]

China’s government is disgusting.

 

[Theinsanegamer]

Good. Kids need to play outside IRL with other people, not stare at a screen all day. And I mena if people are OK with china banning crypto because "muh gaming GPU" then they should be OK with this too, after all it's to stop a wasteful practice that leads to societal issues.

 

[yRaz]

Good. Kids need to play outside IRL with other people, not stare at a screen all day. And I mena if people are OK with china banning crypto because "muh gaming GPU" then they should be OK with this too, after all it's to stop a wasteful practice that leads to societal issues.

While I agree kids need to play outside more I don't agree with totalitarianism

 

[Dimitriid]

I'm sure most of the reaction will be just how heavy handed the Chinese government can be and of course that should be a very important point to consider.

However, just for your consideration remember how pretatory gacha mechanics and loot boxes can be on kids, *ALL* kids not just Chinese kids by the way. This isn't the way to go about it but companies trying to get kids addicted to gambling mechanics inside videogames should be a concern for anyone.

 

[Theinsanegamer]

I'm sure most of the reaction will be just how heavy handed the Chinese government can be and of course that should be a very important point to consider.

However, just for your consideration remember how pretatory gacha mechanics and loot boxes can be on kids, *ALL* kids not just Chinese kids by the way. This isn't the way to go about it but companies trying to get kids addicted to gambling mechanics inside videogames should be a concern for anyone.

The argument you have presented here is known as "whataboutism". Regardless of the gacha mechanics and teaching kids to gamble, it does not change the fact that china is acting in a heavy handed totalitarianistic manner. Many find such tactics disgraceful regardless of the reason they are used.

 

[QuantumPhysics]

Excellent work.

Don’t let the west change your people and ruin them like Americans

美国死定了

 

[Mjswooosh]

China’s government is disgusting.

I find little flaw with China's rationale here. And as far as terrible governments are concerned, the Fascist oligarchy in the US is at least as bad and perhaps worse in certain ways.

 

[McMurdeR]

Good. Kids need to play outside IRL with other people, not stare at a screen all day. And I mena if people are OK with china banning crypto because "muh gaming GPU" then they should be OK with this too, after all it's to stop a wasteful practice that leads to societal issues.

You think a society where the government believes it has a role in moderating you or your children's casual behavior doesn't have bigger issues?

 

[Mjswooosh]

You think a society where the government believes it has a role in moderating you or your children's casual behavior doesn't have bigger issues?

The government does this in just about every country, including the US. The difference is in the US the government is usually acting on behalf of corporate control.

 

[Theinsanegamer]

You think a society where the government believes it has a role in moderating you or your children's casual behavior doesn't have bigger issues?

Name me one society that DOESNT do that these days. They all do it, just under the veneer of it being public opinion rather then government overreach. Instead of it being the government it's twitter that tries to utterly derail your life for saying a naughty or refusing to bow to St. Floyd at the holy hour, or in europe you getting arrest for posting a naughty tweet.

Also apparently one cant play devils advocate without causing an uproar. Is there a version of poe's law for autism?

I find little flaw with China's rationale here. And as far as terrible governments are concerned, the Fascist oligarchy in the US is at least as bad and perhaps worse in certain ways.

At least the chinese will openly tell yout he rules. In the US you have to know the rules without asking or learning, and if you make a mistake you are tainted by original sin forever. Oh and the rules change on the whim of whomever happened to walk into the building that day.

 

[Sausagemeat]

I find little flaw with China's rationale here. And as far as terrible governments are concerned, the Fascist oligarchy in the US is at least as bad and perhaps worse in certain ways.

The USAs government are a bag of dicks. But I’d take them over this Chinese tyranny every single day of the week.

 

[Sausagemeat]

I'm sure most of the reaction will be just how heavy handed the Chinese government can be and of course that should be a very important point to consider.

However, just for your consideration remember how pretatory gacha mechanics and loot boxes can be on kids, *ALL* kids not just Chinese kids by the way. This isn't the way to go about it but companies trying to get kids addicted to gambling mechanics inside videogames should be a concern for anyone.

Authorities messing around with peoples lives is far more sinister than loot boxes. Parents can protect their kids from loot boxes. But who protects you when the state decides to something that harms you for the “benefit of the state”. Communism is a cancer on this planet and needs to be eradicated.

 

[pildorman321]

Mmm. politics. what about democracies like France that force experimental treatments "so called vaccines" on their population?

 

[Dimitriid]

Authorities messing around with peoples lives is far more sinister than loot boxes. Parents can protect their kids from loot boxes. But who protects you when the state decides to something that harms you for the “benefit of the state”. Communism is a cancer on this planet and needs to be eradicated.

"Communism is a cancer" you say while describing the pinnacle of State Capitalism (Hint: it's still capitalism) that is China.

Make no mistake: China needs no excuses to oppress and repress their citizenship, winnie pooh will see to that. So the only part we're left with is their justification which well, it's no justification sure, but it's still a problem in the west too: While regulated (a.k.a. State) Capitalism imposes heavy handed norms to correct it's mistakes in the east, in the west the Neoliberal Capitalism imposes no restrictions on companies trying to do predatory business practices on kids when a few years back, we wouldn't even let most Adults gamble in most cities and places around the world because how incredibly easy is to take advantage of people.

By the way this post is mostly for the benefit of everyone else even if you're quoted I don't expect any positive response tbh.

 

[Sausagemeat]

Make no mistake: China needs no excuses to oppress and repress their citizenship, winnie pooh will see to that. So the only part we're left with is their justification which well, it's no justification sure, but it's still a problem in the west too: While regulated (a.k.a. State) Capitalism imposes heavy handed norms to correct it's mistakes in the east, in the west the Neoliberal Capitalism imposes no restrictions on companies trying to do predatory business practices on kids when a few years back, we wouldn't even let most Adults gamble in most cities and places around the world because how incredibly easy is to take advantage of people.

By the way this post is mostly for the benefit of everyone else even if you're quoted I don't expect any positive response tbh.

I don’t want to get into a heavy political debate about communism with a random on the internet. Of course they aren’t true communists, there never has been true communism and there never will be as humans are by nature capitalist, they seek to own things and are mostly motivated by self gain. Capitalism by definition merely means to accumulate wealth. It doesn’t dictate social politics, being a capitalist doesn’t mean you are a libertarian at all. The Chinese government uses capitalism to further its communist ideology.

But any government that puts the needs of the state above the needs of the individual is disgusting. Communist, facist, socialist, whatever it’s called. Authoritarianism is bad.

 

[MasterMace]

Growing up playing video games, I can tell you this would not have affected me until the teen years.

 

[Kosmoz]

In about 5-7 years from now when China will dominate the world and Murica will be just a shadow of her former self, so many will ask themselves: how is this possible, how did we get here?

This is one of the many reasons. Their minds will be sharper, indoctrinated, but sharper while US/EU and others, their minds will be more like "mush".

 

[Sausagemeat]

In about 5-7 years from now when China will dominate the world and Murica will be just a shadow of her former self, so many will ask themselves: how is this possible, how did we get here?

This is one of the many reasons. Their minds will be sharper, indoctrinated, but sharper while US/EU and others, their minds will be more like "mush".

China may catch America in terms of wealth and influence. But they are decades behind in living quality, Liberty and responsibility. China may make more money but the American people will have a far better quality of life. Americans are far too smart to allow their government to order them around like a shepherd herds his sheep.

 

[mrvco]

Good. Kids need to play outside IRL with other people, not stare at a screen all day....

Well yeah, but that isn't what is going to happen. There are 'other'... let's say 'indoor activities' in which teenage boys sitting in front of a screen will gravitate towards.

 

[brucek]

So OK for the 16 year old (officially) to work say 9-9-6 in factory for low pay, but not OK to play 61 minutes of video games. Got it.

That said this is still probably a victory for sex, drugs and rock and roll so go China! (or sadly maybe just for watching state approved TV which seems like less of a good deal.)

 

[McMurdeR]

The government does this in just about every country, including the US. The difference is in the US the government is usually acting on behalf of corporate control.

Your point being what? If this kind of thing happened everywhere - and it doesn't - it doesn't mean that it is right or acceptable. And if I were looking very specifically (and conspicuously) for one country to compare to China with respect to the curtailment of the personal liberty of her citizens, the US wouldn't exactly be high on my list, if at all

 

[Adi6293]

In about 5-7 years from now when China will dominate the world and Murica will be just a shadow of her former self, so many will ask themselves: how is this possible, how did we get here?

This is one of the many reasons. Their minds will be sharper, indoctrinated, but sharper while US/EU and others, their minds will be more like "mush".

You are wrong, China will never beat USA mostly because they have declining population, they destroyed their water supply, and their economy soon that later will bust due to massive debt and on top of it nobody really likes their government....

 

[Sausagemeat]

So OK for the 16 year old (officially) to work say 9-9-6 in factory for low pay, but not OK to play 61 minutes of video games. Got it.

That said this is still probably a victory for sex, drugs and rock and roll so go China! (or sadly maybe just for watching state approved TV which seems like less of a good deal.)

Quite a few anthropologists believe that humans living in today’s China are living in the worst living conditions the human race has ever seen. The suicide rate amongst factory workers in China is very high. Now they can’t even escape and live an alternate reality when they aren’t constructing phones for rich westerners.

 

[McMurdeR]

Name me one society that DOESNT do that these days. They all do it, just under the veneer of it being public opinion rather then government overreach. Instead of it being the government it's twitter that tries to utterly derail your life for saying a naughty or refusing to bow to St. Floyd at the holy hour, or in europe you getting arrest for posting a naughty tweet.

Also apparently one cant play devils advocate without causing an uproar. Is there a version of poe's law for autism?

At least the chinese will openly tell yout he rules. In the US you have to know the rules without asking or learning, and if you make a mistake you are tainted by original sin forever. Oh and the rules change on the whim of whomever happened to walk into the building that day.

'But Europe and the US do it too!!' No they don't. What goes on in the US and Europe isn't remotely comparable to this.