Worrying about your child's online gaming addiction? Education Ministry issues advisory; Read details
The Ministry of Education developed a list of Dos and Don'ts for parents and children to follow to avoid the disadvantages of the digital world, particularly online gaming.
FollowThe Ministry of Education has warned parents about their children's growing 'addiction to internet gaming.' The ministry produced a do and don't list for parents and children across the country, claiming that playing internet games leads to "severe gaming addiction" and "gaming disorder." The ministry said that internet games are built in such a manner that players "push themselves to the limit to succeed in the game" and that "gaming businesses also emotionally drive the youngster to buy additional levels and nearly force in-app payments."
The Ministry of Education developed a list of Dos and Don'ts for parents and children to follow to avoid the disadvantages of the digital world, particularly online gaming. The ministry advised parents to "not utilise actual and personal information when playing online and use an anonymous name" in the government recommendation. It also instructed parents to use spyware, antivirus software, and a firewall to establish the security settings for any website or file. Check the age rating for each game, and make a record of any abuse, harassment, or bullying, and report it to law enforcement's cybercrime section.
Also Read | Chinese kids under 18 can now play online games for only for three hours per week
It also advised kids not to download software or games from unknown or illegal websites. Other instructions stated: do not allow children to spend long periods online and advise them to take breaks in between. Do not leave the web unsupervised, and use a parental filter to sift through the content with which your kid is interacting.
Meanwhile, according to reports, China has issued new legislation forbidding kids from playing online video games for more than three hours each week and barring children from playing online games entirely from Monday to Thursday. While some news sites report that the ban applies to all video games, the National Press and Publication Administration's (NPPA) enforcement mechanism focuses particularly on online games and gaming-related internet enterprises.
