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Summarize this content to 100 words Efforts by Chinese authorities to limit the amount of time children and teenagers spend playing video games have failed. This was the conclusion reached by researchers from York University and De Montfort University in Great Britain.Temporary restrictions on video games in China were introduced in 2019, when children and teenagers under the age of 18 were banned from playing for more than three hours on public holidays and for more than an hour and a half on other days. In 2021, the ban became stricter, it became possible to play only on weekends and on Fridays from 20:00 to 21:00. Researchers with the help of Unity studied 7 billion hours of gaming time of Chinese gamers from mid-August 2019 to mid-January 2020. They “found no convincing evidence” that the restrictions caused children and teenagers to play less. In contrast, video game time increased both when the restrictions were first introduced and when they were tightened.Thus, compared to 2019 (11 weeks before the introduction of restrictions), the average Chinese resident spent 1.64 hours per week on video games. After the introduction of restrictions – 1.76 hours per week. In 2021, the situation repeated itself: time spent playing video games increased from 1.29 hours to 1.51 hours per week. Researchers suggest that government agencies may finally understand how to regulate the gaming industry. The paper concludes that China’s policies (and similar policies on “youth digital behavior”) have failed to change the prevailing behavior of young gamers. Meanwhile, the Chinese authorities have prepared new restrictions. At the beginning of the month, the State Office of Internet Information of the People’s Republic of China published draft rules that will limit the time children spend on mobile applications. According to them, teenagers from 16 to 18 years old will be able to use online services for 2 hours a day, minors from 8 to 15 years old – 1 hour, children under 8 years old – 40 minutes. The project will prohibit spending time in mobile applications from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. Smartphones should work in a special mode that will allow parents to limit what their children can watch. It also includes the ability to allow providers to display age-appropriate content.
age restrictions on video games in China proved to be ineffective
Efforts by Chinese authorities to limit the amount of time children and teenagers spend playing video games have failed. This was the conclusion reached by researchers from York University and De Montfort University in Great Britain.
Temporary restrictions on video games in China were introduced in 2019, when children and teenagers under the age of 18 were banned from playing for more than three hours on public holidays and for more than an hour and a half on other days. In 2021, the ban became stricter, it became possible to play only on weekends and on Fridays from 20:00 to 21:00.
Researchers with the help of Unity studied 7 billion hours of gaming time of Chinese gamers from mid-August 2019 to mid-January 2020. They “found no convincing evidence” that the restrictions caused children and teenagers to play less. In contrast, video game time increased both when the restrictions were first introduced and when they were tightened.
Thus, compared to 2019 (11 weeks before the introduction of restrictions), the average Chinese resident spent 1.64 hours per week on video games. After the introduction of restrictions – 1.76 hours per week. In 2021, the situation repeated itself: time spent playing video games increased from 1.29 hours to 1.51 hours per week.
Researchers suggest that government agencies may finally understand how to regulate the gaming industry. The paper concludes that China’s policies (and similar policies on “youth digital behavior”) have failed to change the prevailing behavior of young gamers.
Meanwhile, the Chinese authorities have prepared new restrictions. At the beginning of the month, the State Office of Internet Information of the People’s Republic of China published draft rules that will limit the time children spend on mobile applications. According to them, teenagers from 16 to 18 years old will be able to use online services for 2 hours a day, minors from 8 to 15 years old – 1 hour, children under 8 years old – 40 minutes.
The project will prohibit spending time in mobile applications from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. Smartphones should work in a special mode that will allow parents to limit what their children can watch. It also includes the ability to allow providers to display age-appropriate content.
