China has forbidden under-18s from playing games for more than three hours/week • Hacker News Board

Re: China has forbidden under-18s from playing games for more than three hours/week

#771

Post by em500 » Mon, Aug 30, 2021, 11:56 PM UTC

alfalfasprout wrote: post #682

birbs wrote: post #332

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just because an authoritarian government made a decision doesn’t necessarily mean the decision was authoritarian. In the U.S., it’s somehow become popular opinion that the government shouldn’t do anything. Without the ability to make coordinated decisions, the U.S. has predictably fallen behind on a wide variety of metrics (income equality, health care, education, mass transit, etc.) You should reflect on why you vie…

Because in the US a large number of us value the freedom to live our lives as we choose. Given that a policy like this one effectively allows the government to intervene in an activity that does not harm others (only oneself) it stands that we in the US view it as appalling. Other societies may look at it differently and feel ok delegating decisions about how their lives should be lived to their government. I, for on…

Oh please, the US government actively intervenes trying to prevent minors from seeing adults having sex, an activity that does not harm others (and even whether it harms minors who view it is questionable). But I've yet to hear an American state that they view it as "appalling" that children can't watch porn.

Re: China has forbidden under-18s from playing games for more than three hours/week

#772

Post by elzbardico » Mon, Aug 30, 2021, 11:59 PM UTC

onli wrote: post #693

gallamine wrote: post #590

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We restrict our kids to 30 min /day of screens. Try telling them it's not worth it. They are absolutely rabid about it.

Strictly limiting screen time fuels addiction. I'm utterly convinced about this and speak from experience. They can't learn to properly manage the ups and downs that way, all that remains are the ups, making it the best thing ever. That's why they are rabid about this. It's also not something only I think, but I don't have a good resource at hand. Questions like this are always disputed anyway. When books came out th…

Exactly. It is the same mechanism by which trying to stop smoking by reducing the number of cigarretes usually don't work. The "every other hour cigarrete" becomes almost an orgasmic experience.

Re: China has forbidden under-18s from playing games for more than three hours/week

#773

Post by tengbretson » Tue, Aug 31, 2021, 12:04 AM UTC

bjt2n3904 wrote: post #115

namelessoracle wrote: post #7

I have mixed feelings about this. Younger me learned a lot of problem solving skills and most importantly spent a lot of time learning how to read by playing RPGs and games that required lots of reading. My reading skills would not have been as advanced if i wasn't playing text heavy games that had a lot of plot like Square Enix games and the CRPGs of the time. Modern games though are clearly designed to get you as a…

Goodness. If this was the US, I would be losing my mind over such legislation. We must not convince the law makers that video games can be beneficial. That puts the wrong emphasis on the conversation. The emphasis must be, you have no jurisdiction when it comes to raising children. Your laws are invalid. Even if video games are detrimental, you do not decide what is the best interest for a child, the parents do.

The us limits kids access to most gaming establishments in the country to 0 hours.

Re: China has forbidden under-18s from playing games for more than three hours/week

#774

Post by frozencell » Tue, Aug 31, 2021, 12:05 AM UTC

Suicide might raise in China if school is not entertaining enough.

Re: China has forbidden under-18s from playing games for more than three hours/week

#775

Post by Dig1t » Tue, Aug 31, 2021, 12:06 AM UTC

danudey wrote: post #713

namelessoracle wrote: post #7

I have mixed feelings about this. Younger me learned a lot of problem solving skills and most importantly spent a lot of time learning how to read by playing RPGs and games that required lots of reading. My reading skills would not have been as advanced if i wasn't playing text heavy games that had a lot of plot like Square Enix games and the CRPGs of the time. Modern games though are clearly designed to get you as a…

My 6yo son really, really wanted to play Breath of the Wild. He loves Zelda, my wife loves Zelda, my best friend's girlfriend is over the moon with Zelda, etc. I always played Link in Mario Kart, to the point where, when he was 2 or 3, he was in Best Buy with my wife and saw a Breath of the Wild Switch case and said "is daddy!" Of course, after a few requests a year and a bit ago, my wife had to give him an ultimatum…

That's so funny this exact thing happened to me at the same age, and with Zelda as well. I was 6 years old when Ocarina of Time came out and had this exact experience of my parents getting fed up with reading the text to me and being forced to read it myself. I definitely think it helped me become a strong reader early in life. Good for you, I think this is a good idea.

Re: China has forbidden under-18s from playing games for more than three hours/week

#776

Post by [deleted] » Tue, Aug 31, 2021, 12:07 AM UTC

Aeolun wrote: post #736

darknavi wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are still plenty of non-garbage games if you wade out further than AAA. My friend group played Valheim a few months ago and it was spectacular (for the weekend anyways). It's a great game to lose your self in the environments and doesn't have any IAP rubbish.

I really don’t understand what people see in this game. It’s not bad, sure, but it’s almost a walking simulator. Getting resources feels pretty grindy, and the abilities and leveling system feel lackluster to me.

[deleted]

Re: China has forbidden under-18s from playing games for more than three hours/week

#777

Post by frozencell » Tue, Aug 31, 2021, 12:07 AM UTC

This is gamification in game theory terms, so does it mean they are banning their own reform?

Re: China has forbidden under-18s from playing games for more than three hours/week

#778

Post by paulryanrogers » Tue, Aug 31, 2021, 12:08 AM UTC

sudosysgen wrote: post #353

bennysomething wrote: post #300

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Struggling to come up with a logical counter argument but learning a musical instrument is deeply satisfy as is listening to someone live who is good. Also maybe just in terms of being attractive to other people saying you are a level 122 mage in world of ever crack does not quite have the same allure as being able to captivate a room with your piano playing. Edit when I was about 12 I started playing the guitar non…

There is a real difference between the two. The primary goal of playing an instrument is to make something that sounds good. The goals of video games are generally manufactured. The exception are games like Minecraft. But if someone builds a computer in Minecraft or finishes a beautiful build that can actually be captivating to people that don't play it.

> The primary goal of playing an instrument is to make something that sounds good.

It could be argued the primary goal of playing games is to make an experience that feels good.

Based on the popularity of let's play videos and streamers I suspect the legitimacy of both activities will converge.

Re: China has forbidden under-18s from playing games for more than three hours/week

#779

Post by civilian » Tue, Aug 31, 2021, 12:10 AM UTC

em500 wrote: post #676

rank0 wrote: post #235

I am appalled by all the supportive comments in this thread. Why are HN users so comfortable with authoritarian government? It’s about more than just online games. It’s about control. I’m sure the great firewall is perfectly fine as well?

I have a feeling that there is a bit of subtle manipulation by the framing going on here. The current Reuters article title that I get is "Three hours a week: Play time's over for China's young video gamers", but the submission's title is "China has forbidden under-18s from playing games for more than three hours/week". This conjures images of Chinese police raiding homes and punishing children or parents who are cau…

"Limiting advertisements" seems awfully different than "limiting minor's access to gaming servers to 3 specific hours in a week".

Re: China has forbidden under-18s from playing games for more than three hours/week

#780

Post by andy_ppp » Tue, Aug 31, 2021, 12:14 AM UTC

Are dictatorships going to prove to be more resilient than democracy in the age of endless noise? The west needs to realise that everything we have is at risk if we don’t get our act together. We need to forget arguing amongst ourselves and look at a billion people who are going to rule in a very different way from our pseudo-liberal societies. They will be a lot less considerate of us that we have been of them while we transferred jobs and money into their society.