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China limits children’s online gaming to three hours a week – ChannelNewsAsia (30 August 2021)

TLDR: China has laid down regulations restricting the amount of time that kids under 18 years old can spend on computer games. They may now only play for one hour a day (from 8-9pm) on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. The rationale is to protect the physical and mental health of minors.

Gaming companies must follow certain guidelines to prevent circumvention of the new rules. The Chinese government has emphasised that it would carry out inspections on gaming companies to ensure that rules are adhered to.

More thoughts: As with any other law, it remains to be seen if these anti-gaming regulations can be meaningfully and evenly enforced. As Abraham Lincoln once said, “A law without enforcement is just good advice.” A law is only useful if it is consistently upheld. In this case, commenters cited in the article have pointed out that kids may find ways of getting around the gaming restrictions.

Indeed, this subsequent article has cast a spotlight on how young gamers have found and taken advantage of loopholes shortly after the new regulations were issued. Some now use their grandparents’ accounts or even pay to rent other adults’ accounts.

No penalties are imposed on underaged gamers who breach the rules. Instead, the legal burden will rest on gaming companies. The Chinese government has reminded companies that it’s their responsibility to ensure compliance, and they are required to put into place more effective enforcement systems.

Limiting screen time is always beneficial, but different countries take different approaches to the same problem. Some people might think this is an issue that should be addressed within the family rather than the public domain. Do you think the Singapore government should take a leaf out of China’s book and implement similar restrictions, or do you think such laws are too draconian?