Nepal bans PUBG at the request of schools and parents

[mongeese]

Facepalm: If you’re in Nepal and switched to a VPN when PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds stopped working last Thursday, then we’ve got some bad news: you’re liable for prosecution. Nepal has officially banned PUBG to stop addiction and to prevent violence.

Senior Superintendent of Police Dhiraj Pratap Singh received eight letters from schools and twenty-five letters from parents complaining about the violent and addictive nature of PUBG last month, and that was the final straw. The game simply had to be banned to protect youth.

After discussing the issue with psychiatrists that agreed PUBG was just too dangerous, Singh went to the Kathmandu District Court on Wednesday and requested approval to ban the game. After hearing facts like ‘lots of other countries have banned the game’ and ‘violent games cause violent behavior’ that can be disproved with a Google search or a peruse through TechSpot’s articles on the topic, the court agreed.

On Thursday the court sent a letter to the National Telecommunications Authority requesting that PUBG is immediately banned, and the NTA distributed the message to all ISPs, mobile operators and network providers in the country. They all blocked the game. As of Thursday, playing PUBG in Nepal became a punishable offense.

While PUBG can be dangerously addictive, even causing two reported suicides in India, there are much more effective solutions, like general support or therapy. Because let’s be real, getting around a ban like this is a piece of cake, just download a free VPN. And the idea that PUBG could potentially cause real violence is preposterous, it’s barely violent on the scale of violent videogames and even the worst of the worst have been proven to have no perceptible impact on behavior.

This isn’t a protection of youth, it’s a demonstration of scientific and technological illiteracy.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/79641-nepal-bans-pubg-request-schools-parents.html

 

[MasterMace]

Article should be edited to say addiction is deadly, not the video game

 

[brucek]

So 25 letters from parents is enough to get any given activity / object <x> banned?

Under this standard it's amazing that rock and roll, t-shirts with lettering or symbols, and Justin Bieber aren't all illegal.

In other news, should we take a guess at what percentage of Nepal's former PUBG players are now Fortnite players?

 

[Nero7]

Blame the parents when their kids play games that have an age rating for adults.

Anyway, arguably competitive shooter no matter the violence are not suitable for minors. Those games put you constantly on edge, the thrill is higher than with any other sort of game.

Battle Royale then goes many steps further with dropping you without stuff into an open field with dangers everywhere and a circle of doom closing in on you.

The amount and variety of thrills and excitement is much more highly concentrated than with any other genre. They managed to create games that are too good/effective at what they're doing for our own good.

As for violence having no effects. Dude, you seriously think watching extreme gore and violence on a daily basis for multiple hours would have no effect on you?

 

[pythonNoB]

Let's be real violent games cause violent behaviour , those who likes those games will not accept this fact , that' proven . Obviously banning a game will not resolve the problem , parent must pay close attention to their kids do on the phone . This something serious and we need to protect our youth ,not matter what it takes .

 

[Nero7]

Let's be real violent games cause violent behaviour

Hold your horses there mate, you forgot to add a "can". They can, but they don't have to. Violence is all around us and a part of nature. As such, we can deal with it. Its the amount.

Its also a regional thing. In some places life is harder than in others. So people are more on edge there than they are in others. So the amount they can handle vary.

 

[QuantumPhysics]

UNLIKE American schools where the students are FAILING, underperforming and committing varying grotesqueries to themselves and others...foreign countries have decided they don't want the toxicity of American culture infecting their schools or their communities.

Asian schools are not arguing with you.

They are not "debating" this.

They sense a problem, they act immediately, and they reduce the impact of the threat.

These are sovereign nations with cultures and traditions that they will not have undermined, marginalized or underestimated by "Americans".

These countries are well within their sovereign rights to disallow certain access to media they deem disrespectful or dangerous.

They could care less what it costs the game developers.

They could care less what American media has to say about it.

 

[Carljames]

Let's be real violent games cause violent behaviour , those who likes those games will not accept this fact , that' proven . Obviously banning a game will not resolve the problem , parent must pay close attention to their kids do on the phone . This something serious and we need to protect our youth ,not matter what it takes .

I agree, inherently violent people are searching for encouragement. These violent games provide a staple that fuels internal rage. We simply cannot say video games don't contribute to violent behaviour because people are different, and what applies to A might not apply to B.

 

[EClyde]

Well, I'll tell ya. They said Elvis's hips were going to ruin they country. Were they wrong?

 

[brucek]

There are tens if not hundreds of millions of people who are much more exposed to video violence today than there were a generation ago. Video games are much more prevalent, and much more detailed, while videos are empowered with more special effects, more titles, and more distribution via streaming.

Yet with that huge, huge jump in video violence exposure, can we point to any remotely commensurate change in violence? No, there's not anything close. Hence, the stats do not exist to back any x => y linkage, and they easily should given the vast multiples of x that have occurred.

Intuitively, that should not be a surprise. The actual act of playing one of these competitive games has nothing in common with physical violence and everything to do with focus, fast twitch keyboard and mouse, and a variety of other non-violent skills. It is also requires time at the computer -- time which is then not available for real world crime. I'd be shocked if these games weren't preventing actual real world crime simply by soaking up the time available to commit it.

 

[brucek]

UNLIKE American schools where the students are FAILING, underperforming and committing varying grotesqueries to themselves and others...foreign countries have decided they don't want the toxicity of American culture infecting their schools or their communities.

Asian schools are not arguing with you.

They are not "debating" this.

They sense a problem, they act immediately, and they reduce the impact of the threat.

These are sovereign nations with cultures and traditions that they will not have undermined, marginalized or underestimated by "Americans".

These countries are well within their sovereign rights to disallow certain access to media they deem disrespectful or dangerous.

They could care less what it costs the game developers.

They could care less what American media has to say about it.

Correct that none of this has anything to do with Nepal vs. USA or Nepal vs. game developers.

The issue I see is more Nepal resident vs. Nepal resident. Every parent there already had the right to parent their children. And if they all agreed their children shouldn't be playing PUBG, then they wouldn't be. Just like every school there already could prohibit or supervise computer use on school grounds.

What raised my eyebrows was the idea that 25 parents could write a letter and make the decision for everyone else there, including not just children but adults too. I'm glad my country doesn't work that way, because we have at least 25 wackos for any ludicrous theory imaginable. I don't want to live in a place where my neighbors get to be so intrusive on what shouldn't be any of their business.

 

[QuantumPhysics]

Correct that none of this has anything to do with Nepal vs. USA or Nepal vs. game developers.

The issue I see is more Nepal resident vs. Nepal resident. Every parent there already had the right to parent their children. And if they all agreed their children shouldn't be playing PUBG, then they wouldn't be. Just like every school there already could prohibit or supervise computer use on school grounds.

What raised my eyebrows was the idea that 25 parents could write a letter and make the decision for everyone else there, including not just children but adults too. I'm glad my country doesn't work that way, because we have at least 25 wackos for any ludicrous theory imaginable. I don't want to live in a place where my neighbors get to be so intrusive on what shouldn't be any of their business.

99% of parents who give their children internet-capable devices and game systems have no idea what their kids are doing on the internet.

1% have kids too young to actually play PUBG.

 

[Suprim Koirala]

If 25 letters can bring change in technologies literacy. I request Nepal government to even ban Facebook twitter etc. Even Facebook is also causing addiction and crimes.

 

[Nobina]

Blame the parents when their kids play games that have an age rating for adults.

Anyway, arguably competitive shooter no matter the violence are not suitable for minors. Those games put you constantly on edge, the thrill is higher than with any other sort of game.

Battle Royale then goes many steps further with dropping you without stuff into an open field with dangers everywhere and a circle of doom closing in on you.

The amount and variety of thrills and excitement is much more highly concentrated than with any other genre. They managed to create games that are too good/effective at what they're doing for our own good.

As for violence having no effects. Dude, you seriously think watching extreme gore and violence on a daily basis for multiple hours would have no effect on you?

How much thrill do you get by playing competitive shooters as opposed to other games? I've never heard of that one before. And what games would those be and how do even you measure thrill. Did you just compare videos games and watching extreme gore? This one's gonna be good.

Let's be real violent games cause violent behaviour , those who likes those games will not accept this fact , that' proven . Obviously banning a game will not resolve the problem , parent must pay close attention to their kids do on the phone . This something serious and we need to protect our youth ,not matter what it takes .

So if it's proven where is the proof? It's ok to have a dumb opinion but if you're gonna say it's proven at least have something to back that up.

"Games cause violence" is a narrative media pushed in early 00s because they needed a scapegoat for all your shootings and whatnot. It's not real. But rememer, smoking weed WILL kill you. People who peddle this garbage probably don't play games but they're all experts on games and violence.

 

[Mouldy CPU]

Do violent video games make people violent or is it violent people love violent video games?

How do you prove that one causation is true but not the other?

 

[RZ321]

UNLIKE American schools where the students are FAILING, underperforming and committing varying grotesqueries to themselves and others...foreign countries have decided they don't want the toxicity of American culture infecting their schools or their communities.

Asian schools are not arguing with you.

They are not "debating" this.

They sense a problem, they act immediately, and they reduce the impact of the threat.

These are sovereign nations with cultures and traditions that they will not have undermined, marginalized or underestimated by "Americans".

These countries are well within their sovereign rights to disallow certain access to media they deem disrespectful or dangerous.

They could care less what it costs the game developers.

They could care less what American media has to say about it.

Well PUBG Mobile is from China, china is in asia, LMAO? Damn SJWs

 

[RZ321]

Let's be real violent games cause violent behaviour , those who likes those games will not accept this fact , that' proven . Obviously banning a game will not resolve the problem , parent must pay close attention to their kids do on the phone . This something serious and we need to protect our youth ,not matter what it takes .

I agree, inherently violent people are searching for encouragement. These violent games provide a staple that fuels internal rage. We simply cannot say video games don't contribute to violent behaviour because people are different, and what applies to A might not apply to B.

Hundreds of years ago we can accuse someone of being a witch and the whole townspeople will burn people down, we have countless wars and murders before, now people blames this on videogames? Let's be real, we humans are in big denial

 

[RZ321]

Let's be real violent games cause violent behaviour , those who likes those games will not accept this fact , that' proven . Obviously banning a game will not resolve the problem , parent must pay close attention to their kids do on the phone . This something serious and we need to protect our youth ,not matter what it takes .

"That's proven" okay, where is the proof?

 

[QuantumPhysics]

Well PUBG Mobile is from China, china is in asia, LMAO? Damn SJWs

#1 I'm not an SJW

#2 Fentanyl comes from China too.

They EXECUTE drug dealers there while Drug dealers here keep piling up American bodies.

 

[Gmachine]

Why not ban Justin Bieber, obsession with sport, sex, reality tv(fake reality), make up in the work place, skirts and heels at work unless it's part of your work(modeling)....etc, and on and on. It seems they only ban what men/boys like, anything else it's OK. Addiction of any kind is bad, shouldn't they ban alcohol and tobacco, it's far more deadly.

 

[Lionvibez]

Blame the parents when their kids play games that have an age rating for adults.

Anyway, arguably competitive shooter no matter the violence are not suitable for minors. Those games put you constantly on edge, the thrill is higher than with any other sort of game.

Battle Royale then goes many steps further with dropping you without stuff into an open field with dangers everywhere and a circle of doom closing in on you.

The amount and variety of thrills and excitement is much more highly concentrated than with any other genre. They managed to create games that are too good/effective at what they're doing for our own good.

As for violence having no effects. Dude, you seriously think watching extreme gore and violence on a daily basis for multiple hours would have no effect on you?

Lol save the children.

Nepal is ridiculous and so are those parents the kids will still play.

The more you try to restrict something from children the more they will want it.

My parents would have lost this battle when I was a child. I'm was for more tech savy and creative than they ever will be with technology.

 

[Nobina]

Correct that none of this has anything to do with Nepal vs. USA or Nepal vs. game developers.

The issue I see is more Nepal resident vs. Nepal resident. Every parent there already had the right to parent their children. And if they all agreed their children shouldn't be playing PUBG, then they wouldn't be. Just like every school there already could prohibit or supervise computer use on school grounds.

What raised my eyebrows was the idea that 25 parents could write a letter and make the decision for everyone else there, including not just children but adults too. I'm glad my country doesn't work that way, because we have at least 25 wackos for any ludicrous theory imaginable. I don't want to live in a place where my neighbors get to be so intrusive on what shouldn't be any of their business.

99% of parents who give their children internet-capable devices and game systems have no idea what their kids are doing on the internet.

1% have kids too young to actually play PUBG.

I have some stats too. 100% of people who say 99% of people do something actually have no idea what the actual percentage is and are just pulling numbers out of their asses.

 

[QuantumPhysics]

Why not ban Justin Bieber, obsession with sport, sex, reality tv(fake reality), make up in the work place, skirts and heels at work unless it's part of your work(modeling)....etc, and on and on. It seems they only ban what men/boys like, anything else it's OK. Addiction of any kind is bad, shouldn't they ban alcohol and tobacco, it's far more deadly.

Bieber is forgotten - a non issue.

Sports are an extension of human health activity and will exist forerver.

Sex = babies and live births are the health of the state - any state.

Reality TV is what the government says it is.

Make up leads to sex and sex leads to live births.

Skirts and heels are already banned in some places.


Here's the thing: these governments aren't arguing.

They've watched American teens fall into madness and they aren't arguing with you about their own decisions.

And that as they say is that.

 

[JamesJamesJames]

Let's be real violent games cause violent behaviour , those who likes those games will not accept this fact , that' proven . Obviously banning a game will not resolve the problem , parent must pay close attention to their kids do on the phone . This something serious and we need to protect our youth ,not matter what it takes .

Perhaps in some rare cases.... In comparison, the same can be said about medication side effects causing death... Yet they don't go ahead banning everything they can...

 

[QuantumPhysics]

Perhaps in some rare cases.... In comparison, the same can be said about medication side effects causing death... Yet they don't go ahead banning everything they can...

#1 Violent video games DO NOT cause "violent behavior".

Violent Behavior has existed long before violent games or violent tv.

It's just the opposite: violent games are a result of violent behavior. The concept is given a form.

#2 Banning games won't stop violent behavior. HOWEVER, banning these games will result in few kids in Nepal playing them instead of accomplishing their school work.

Unlike the chaos in American public schools behind Fortnite and related network gaming on mobile devices.