DIGITAL LIFE

Why China has imposed a 'curfew' on minors for online games

China is imposing a curfew for using online games for minors, the government has announced.
Players under the age of 18 will be prohibited from playing online between 22:00 and 08:00. They will also be restricted to 90 minutes of games during the week and three hours on weekends and holidays.
It is part of the country's latest initiative to curb video game addiction, which officials say is detrimental to children's health.
China is one of the largest gaming markets in the world.
Official government guidelines - issued on Tuesday - include spending limits for minors.
Eight to 16 year olds can spend up to 200 yuan per month, while 16-18 year olds can spend up to 400 yuan on their gaming accounts.
China is the second largest gaming market in the world. In the United States, global revenue from video games surpassed that of China for the first time this year due to increased regulations imposed by the Chinese government on the industry, according to research firm Newzoo.

What is the context?
China criticizes video games for negatively affecting young people.
In 2018, the government announced the adoption of a game regulator - in response to concerns about myopia in children - to limit the number of new online games, restrict payment time and develop an age restriction system.
In the same year, China suspended approvals for new video games for nine months, causing a significant blow to the lucrative industry.
Some of the largest video game companies have responded proactively, but enforcement and reliable age verification have been major concerns.
Tencent - the world's largest gaming company - has responded to criticism by limiting play time to one hour per day for users under 12 and two hours per day for users between 12 and 18. They also began to require users to prove their age and identity.
But the new guidelines will apply universally to all online gaming platforms operating in China and will directly address law enforcement issues.
The government will work with police to build a unified identification system that gaming platforms can use to verify the identity and age of a user with government data, a spokesman told state news agency Xinhua.

Disturb
Last year, the World Health Organization listed gambling addiction - which they call "gambling disorder" - as a mental health condition.

BBC