Minors with Learning and Psychological disorders have often been associated with the computer games that kids play. Whether it’s some war game or something as innocent looking as Candy Crunch, children are getting addicted to the challenges and sit for long hours on their computers playing them. One would think that the parents would be aware of how much time their child or children spend with their little faces merged into the computer screen and what type of games the kids are playing but obviously not which is why China has decided to step in. The Chinese government is now limiting the amount of time a minor can spend playing games with the hopes of stepping up the scholastic performance and curing some of the psychological disorders kids are displaying. Since it has been admitted by just about every technologically advanced country that kids spend too much screen time on games, will the Western world governments pick up the idea and do the same as China? What might be the ramifications if a government such as ours or Australia’s or the UK do the same and limit screen time for minors? https://www.engadget.com/2019-11-07-china-gaming-addiction-regulations.html#:~:text=As reported by the New York Times, the,playing games between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m.
This is an interesting question, and something that is not easy to answer. Since I never play online games, I have just been ignoring this thread, and just now reading it. I definitely think that it would be better if people (kids especially) do not get hooked on playing games for hours and hours of every day. The games eventually become their reality, and real life fades into the background, almost like someone doing drugs. They have been telling us ever since the first Pac-Man game came out that games do not cause violence, no matter how violent the game is; but we have seen violence increasing ever since gaming started, and more people are doing things because it was fine in the game. The other side of that, is that I already think that big government controls enough of people’s lives, and even more in countries like China. I am afraid that this is just the edge of the slippery slope, and once screen time is limited for gaming, how long before it is limited altogether, and content completely controlled for everyone ? This is another one of those things that the parents need to assume responsibility for, and not the government. We all grew up with restrictions in our lives as kids, and I remember telling my kids that there was no TV until all of the outside chores were done, and we only turned it on after dinner. With everyone having personal handheld devices, it is much harder than controlling the television set; but parents can still have control of device usage.
I read an article at least 10 years ago about how Chinese kids were so addicted to online games they wer actually dying sitting at laptop from dehydration and starvation!
There are a lot of implications to the new Chinese laws and one of them is a direct shot at the tech companies which make the games. A multi-party game is the most popular and is a game that can be played over the internet by 2 or more people who might be on opposing sides of the planet. In order to make sure the multi-player games are kept interesting the Chinese company who made the game hires a bunch of young teens who do nothing all day long except to sit and compete with other players across the world. Some work 8-12 hour shifts and sleep in cots near their gaming station. They’re given food and water and as far as pay, they are nothing more than slave labor wages. A gaming sweat shop so to speak. When you think about it, the Western World is not far behind that. Young people play games for hours on end to become proficient at it and maybe eventually have the distinction of being a professional gamer and either / or win money in competition and be picked up by a gaming company as a game tester. Some make it but most do not. The argument a young person addicted to gaming will have with a parent goes in the direction of the professional gamer. John Doe is making $200K a year and all he does is play games. Alice Wonderland won a $500K competition and I want to get that good and win one. The caveat is simple: Years ago, Dungeons and Dragons had to be banned because so many players were addicted to it and were actually committing suicide because of their interactions with the game. War games do indeed carry with them a sort of desensitization effect in that they’re so real looking that the sight of people being shot or blown up is common place and can be easily mentally transferred as a state of normalcy. I dunno. Maybe the Chinese are onto something but I’m not at all sure if it’s the right way to curb the use of games by our young ones.
This is true and to some extent us seniors too.I know when power is out like it has been off and on from storms last couple of days I feel lost without service. I can't evn talk to a grandkids for past 10 or 15 yearswithout them chrcking their IPhones. One was helping me in the garden about 10 yr ago.She had her phone in one hand shovel in other.I took away the phone told her it takes two hands to shovel!
Syncronicity !! Happens to me all the time these days. I'm on ths thread about web for past few minutes about web addictions and what do I get a few minutes ago? AN ADDICTIONS TROPHY for 1000 messages from the forum..
China has over 30,000,000 more young men than women thanks to its One Child policy and abortion of girls in favor of boys. Some villages have a stark imbalance. It might be better (and safer) to just allow them their video games to occupy their time. I had neighbors who home-schooled their 2 sons. They were allowed one hour of "screen time" per day. They got to decide how to spend it: television shows, video games, computer, whatever. One hour, that was it. They were damn smart kids. The 5 year old played chess...not like an expert, but he knew how to move the pieces and he knew the rules.
Funny but my Mexican friend / neighbor and I were talking about it last night and he does the same thing in reference to computer time. The boy just turned 5 and the girl is around 12. The boy can play on the tablet for a short while before bed otherwise when he comes home from kindergarten he’s outside playing. The girl comes home and does her homework then goes outside also and she’s allowed to play on her phone or tablet for a short bit before bed. Those kids would rather play in the rain than be stuck inside the house and as I told my wife a few times, I’ve rarely seen happier, healthier and all around good kids. The girl is bi lingual and the boy is getting there slowly but he’s willing to learn and they both call me abuelo.
I agree with previous replies. But I hold, it is not the gov't's place to restrict the kids. Unfortunately many parents don't parent in this area.
It used to be when kids got quiet the parents knew something was wrong. Now, it seems that if a kid has his or her nose stuck in front of a phone or computer 24/7, at least they’re being “good”.
And there's the challenge to limiting screen time. Screens are today's baby sitters. Without screens, what are kids gonna do and who's gonna do it with them?