In the latest move to combat addiction to video gaming in young people, China has banned under-18s from arcades and gaming cafes, apart from during public holidays. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism posted a statement on its website ordering owners of these establishments to apply the ban as of January 2020.
The law was in fact already on the books but has never been enforced. It’s not clear how it’s going to be enforced now, other than relying on the businesses themselves to check IDs and turn children away. Nor is it clear whether the ban applies to preschool children, with many of the games at Chinese arcades being rides aimed at younger kids, often taken there by grandparents after a visit to the supermarket.
This comes shortly after the imposition of an online curfew, banning kids from playing games on the internet between 10 pm and 8 am. Concern has been rising about compulsive game playing causing obesity and myopia, and its possible impact on the country’s ability to fill key roles in the military and aviation.
Photos: Cecil Accetti via Flickr
