Article content Raleigh Smith Duttweiler was folding laundry in her Ohio home, her three children playing the video game Minecraft upstairs, when she heard an NPR report on new rules in China that forbid teenagers and children under age 18 from playing video games for more than three hours per week.
Duttweiler, a public relations specialist at a non-profit, recalled thinking, "Oh, that is an idea." "My American gut instinct: This is sort of an infringement on rights and you can't tell us what to do in our homes.
'Oh, that's an idea from the ...': U.S.
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Article content "It's not good for children to play the way that my children play. It would be much easier to shut off if it wasn't just arguing with Mommy but actually saying that the police said that. '"
Article content Duttweiler like many other families, was shocked Monday by the announcement of the country's strict social intervention. This was a move that regulators believed was necessary to curb a growing addiction to "spiritual opioids". It also highlights the challenge of limiting video gaming in the home, particularly during the pandemic.
China's regulator claimed the new rules were a response concerns that games could affect the mental and physical health of children, a worry shared by experts and parents in the United States.
Article content Paul Morgan, father of two teenagers, 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 keep children off of them."
Morgan claims that screen time is associated with negative associations, especially for heavy users. This could be due to the fact that it can replace exercise or sleep. The ban does not address social media use which is believed to be particularly harmful for girls. Certain groups, such as students with disabilities, might be capable of benefiting from the social interaction offered by video games.
Shira Weiss, a New Jersey-based publicist for technology clients, which includes a video game company. believes that games are beneficial that keep her twin sons, who are 12 and 12, connected to their peers, but she would like to reduce the frequency they play violent games.
Article content Weiss stated that she believes the Chinese rules were a good idea. "You're still saying , 'Play video games,' but you're just setting limits." She said, laughing a bit: "Can they come here and impose that rule on my house?"
Michael Gural-Maiello is a business development manager at an engineering company has an 11-year-old son. He believes that parents should control their children's gaming habits.
"I don't think governments really have a place in telling parents how their children should spend their time," Gural-Maiello said. "China has a terrible track record in technology. I'd be much more concerned about my son using apps developed in China that collect data than I am concerned about playing Mario Kart." (Reporting by Helen Coster in New York Editing by Sandra Maler)