Article content Raleigh Smith Duttweiler was folding laundry in her Ohio home, with her three children playing the video game Minecraft upstairs when she was listening to an NPR report on new rules in China that prohibit teens and children under 18 from playing video games for more than three hours each week.
Duttweiler, a public relations specialist at a non-profit, recalled thinking, "Oh, that is an idea." My American gut instinct is that this is a violation of our rights. We don't have to decide what we should do within our homes.
'Oh, that's an idea in the ...': U.S.
Article content "It's not recommended for children to play as much as my own children do. And I think it would be a lot simpler to shut off if it wasn't just fighting with Mommy or saying , 'Well, the police said so. '"
Content of the article Duttweiler, like many other families, was astonished Monday by the announcement of the country's strict social intervention. This was a measure regulators felt was needed to reduce a growing addiction to "spiritual opioids". It also highlights the challenge of limiting the use of video games in the home, particularly during the time of the pandemic.
China's regulator claimed that the new rules were a response to growing concerns about games affecting children's mental and physical health. This concern was shared by experts and parents in the United States.
Article content Paul Morgan, father of two teens, and Penn State professor who studies electronic devices, has reservations to the ban but acknowledges the difficulties of limiting screen time for children. Morgan stated that electronic devices are "ubiquitous". "It's really difficult to get kids away."
Morgan claims that screen time is associated with negative associations, particularly for heavy users. This could be due to the fact that it may replace exercise or sleep. The ban does not deal with social media usage which is believed to be especially harmful for girls. And some populations including students with disabilities, could benefit from the social interaction offered by video games.
Shira Weiss is a New Jersey-based publicist who works with technology clients including a videogame business. She sees value in games that keep her twins connected to their peers. However, she wants to limit their time to engage in violent games.
Article content Weiss said that she believed the Chinese rules were good. "You're still saying "Play video games," but you're only setting limits." She laughed: "Can they come here to enforce this restriction in my house?"
Michael Gural-Maiello who works in business development at an engineering company and has an 11-year-old son, believes parents should be the ones regulating their children's gaming habits.
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Gural-Maiello stated that governments don't have the authority to tell parents what they should do with their time. "China has a bad track record with regards to technology in general. I'd be much more worried about my son using apps created in China and collect data than about him playing Mario Kart."
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