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

reuters.com

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

#251

Post by jrochkind1 »

meristohm wrote: post #202
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…

As much as I’ve moved on from solo games (Atari 2600 & Commodore 64 & Nintendo scarified the seed, then it grew roots into Lemmings on my 386, Heroes of Might and Magic 3, Command & Conquer, Diablo 2, Morrowind, World of Warcraft [after 2005 it was mostly a solo experience] and Hearthstone, for examples), I can think of better activities in hindsight. Games were largely an escape for me, as were books, but at least w…

> at least with many books there’s more exposure to what it means to be human.

Games could do this as well as books. (And certainly not every book does it much). Occasionally games do. Mostly not.

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

#252

Post by maerF0x0 »

lhorie wrote: post #91

People talking about the benefits of games reminds me of people talking about the benefits of, say, a glass of wine with every meal: it's worth looking into but at the same time it's the sort of thing that obviously doesn't scale linearly with the amount/intensity of consumption. I similarly have mixed feelings as well, but for slightly different reasons. I've read about studies that say that musical training (which…

> a glass of wine with every meal

There's an apt outcome of the analogy too. It's likely the grapejuice is better for you before fermenting it, oh and the grapes themselves are better for you than removing all the fiber and the physical bulk that can help satiety.

I feel the same way about games. They may have positive effects over a null control (like sitting and staring at the paint on the wall), but reading a physical book is probably better for reading skills than an RPG.

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

#253

Post by jrochkind1 »

beaunative wrote: post #241
victor106 wrote: post #151

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The feelings you (I have the same feelings about his as you do) have about this are at an individual level. State mandating how much time someone should spend doing a particular activity is a totally different topic. Even though I agree with the overall intention of this rule/law I vehemently oppose a state imposing such restrictions.

Technically, the state doesn't place restrictions on the kids, which is legally impossible, they place restrictions on the digital entertainment business where they are required to allow entry for kid for no longer than said duration.

> Technically, the state doesn't place restrictions on the kids, which is legally impossible,

What makes that legally impossible in China? (edit or do you just mean hard to enforce? I thought you meant something different by "legally impossible", I may have misunderstood).

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

#254

Post by MeinBlutIstBlau »

krsdcbl wrote: post #226
javajosh wrote: post #168

The restriction is specifically "online games". Not offline games. Which is interesting because it implies that offline games are somehow less addictive - but in my experience, offline games can be very engaging, too. But perhaps it's in a more wholesome, problem-solving way? It's kinda impressive that the CCP can make decisions that affect 1B+ humans like this, overnight. I hope it's the right thing to do, for the k…

i find it amazing how much tolerance is expressed when authoritarian rule is passed "for the kids sake". I feel reminded of the current apple issue. Are people really that ready to accept dictate over their and their kids behaviour in the name of moral and health? Isn't "time spent online" miles away from what the government should be allowed to regulate in your life?

If you know anything about the Opium problem in China during the Qing Dynasty, China doesn't take to kindly to that kind of stuff. This time they're not executing people in the streets though.

Videogames are extraordinarily addictive. They should absolutely be limited for kids.

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

#255

Post by uncoder0 »

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 feel like the last year of 'quarantine' for most of the Western world has made people more comfortable with authoritarian governments and actions. It's rather alarming how widespread and quickly this change in ideology has happened.

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

#257

Post by artificialLimbs »

krsdcbl wrote: post #226
javajosh wrote: post #168

The restriction is specifically "online games". Not offline games. Which is interesting because it implies that offline games are somehow less addictive - but in my experience, offline games can be very engaging, too. But perhaps it's in a more wholesome, problem-solving way? It's kinda impressive that the CCP can make decisions that affect 1B+ humans like this, overnight. I hope it's the right thing to do, for the k…

i find it amazing how much tolerance is expressed when authoritarian rule is passed "for the kids sake". I feel reminded of the current apple issue. Are people really that ready to accept dictate over their and their kids behaviour in the name of moral and health? Isn't "time spent online" miles away from what the government should be allowed to regulate in your life?

>> Isn't "time spent online" miles away from what the government should be allowed to regulate in your life?

For anyone who can think for themselves it is, but the CCP has crippled its population's ability to think independently with their constant, forced propaganda. This brainwashing is a form of violence against its people and I hope they rise up someday, but I don't know how that could happen.

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

#258

Post by mproud »

javajosh wrote: post #180
choeger wrote: post #160

We live in interesting times, indeed. All the devices we own now become bricks in the walls government wants to build around us. Make no mistake, China is just the first state to implement such a measure and video gaming is just the first use case. It's really obvious by now that more and more policies like this will be embedded into software. There are so many applications: Cars (how much, where, and how do you driv…

I think this rule only applies to "online gaming services", which is significantly less dystopian. But I agree with your larger point, and would argue that insofar as we no longer understand our tools' functioning then they can (and will) be used to control us.

I’d read kids can sign in with other IDs to get around this.

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

#260

Post by overgard »

floatboth wrote: post #246
overgard wrote: post #234

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because play is important for children, and video games provide play? There's a WIDE variety of what you can find in video games, not all of them are casino like skinner boxes, many of them can provide good and even educational entertainment. I know for myself, the reason I work in tech is because of my love for video games as a kid got me into computers. Being a programmer is a huge blessing economically, and I neve…

Since this is aimed at online, it's probably aimed at casino style ones.

I think that's a fairly misinformed statement, there's a vast library of online multiplayer games that are not casino like in the least bit.
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