Jun 15, 2024
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How Bad Are Video Games for Children?
by Karl F. Cohen
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The Girl Queen from Tencent Games popular game 'Honor of Kings'. photo: courtesy TencentUNTIL AUGUST OF LAST YEAR, I PAID
little attention to the video game industry.
Suddenly, however, I was reading all over about China cracking down on the game industry to combat child addiction to their products. Authorities were calling for parents, game developers and manufacturers to work together to combat the scourge of the game industry, which grossed $173 billion in 2021. Indeed, the stories were scary enough for game companies’ stock to tumble up to 10% in just a few hours. What was going on?
I read with amazement news articles that proclaimed, “No industry, no sport, can be allowed to develop in a way that will destroy a generation.” Several articles even called gaming “spiritual opium.” Chinese authorities were labeling e-sports and games the “opium of the mind” and digital games “electronic drugs.”
They called for more restrictions to prevent greater widespread addiction among children. One article claimed children were spending food money on games, and playing them for up to seven hours a day, resulting in their school grades dropping.
Tencent, a Chinese multinational entertainment company and the world’s biggest gaming developer (“Call of Duty: Warzone”, “Fortnite”, “League of Legends”), responded by saying new measures were needed to protect minors.
Tencent wanted to show they were socially responsible, but only suggested weak measures for another of their popular game, “Honor of Kings”. They did, however, support prohibiting kids under 12 from spending money on games and suggested limiting playing time to under 1.5 hours on weekdays and 2 hours a day on holidays and weekends.
The Chinese government responded to Tencent’s suggestions by issuing much tougher restrictions. Online gamers under 18 are now limited to only one hour on Friday through Sunday and on holidays. Play must be between 8 AM and 9 PM and is not permitted on Monday through Thursday.
Also facial recognition is becoming required to insure the player is 18 or older, to prevent children from using the IDs of adults to sign on. BBC news estimates China has “tens of millions of young gamers.” Tencent has also developed a facial recognition system to limit late-night gaming by children.
It is obvious the company admits their product is dangerous, so why doesn’t China take it off the market?
Both boys and girls are attracted to The Girl Queen from 'Honor of Kings'. illo: unknown The World’s Most Lucrative Market
“Honor of Kings” was the world’s top grossing game in 2019 and 2020. According to Tencent, it had the equivalent income of $22.7 billion in revenue from smartphone games and $6.9 billion from PC games. And gaming is just part of Tencent’s total revenue of $74 billion. Gaming has been called “the world’s most lucrative market.”
Wikipedia says, “’Honor of Kings’ is a multiplayer online battle arena developed by TiMi Studio Group and published by Tencent Games for the iOS and Android mobile platforms for the Chinese market.” Interestingly, downloading the app is free but to upgrade characters or costumes to advance levels, players must pay.
The BBC says the crackdown by Beijing is based on a reaction to the rapid growth of capital and technology and the potential adverse effect on the well-being of the country’s young generation. The government is also concerned about “celebrity fan culture and private tutoring,” and is trying to create “positive energy” and restore “correct values.”
Game companies do develop ways to addict players. Obviously, they make the games as exciting as possible, which entices players to return. And they offer additional incentives, including daily or weekly use-it-or-lose-it quests, login rewards for continuous streaks of play, season passes and other incentives. Explicitly or not, they want to dominate the lives of their players.
Computer Game Addiction Also Serious Problem in US
Playing computer games is fun for millions of people. When that pleasure becomes excessive, it can be annoying to others, but it doesn’t qualify as a computer game addiction unless other areas of a person’s life become adversely affected. Unfortunately, that is precisely what is happening to many players all over the world.
An industry of health professionals has developed to try and help those with this serious compulsive disorder. Indeed, it is now recognized as a mental addiction in the World Health Organization’s “International Classification of Diseases” (2018).
The lure of e-sports is quite enticing to many people. E-sports players who get involved with competitions can be rewarded with big money and titles like “pro” or "grand master." Successful individuals and teams can achieve fame. Some people wanting to be great e-sports players say they spend 8 to 12 hours a day in training.
Some of the games are what are called massive multiplayer online games (MMOGs), which are designed not to have a fixed ending, so new players can join in and others can leave or take a breaks as desired. Games often have levels of achievement that encourage you to try and rise in your ranking. Players of many games can earn points or “wealth” simply based on the numbers of hours they have spent playing. This fosters the concern that if you stop playing, you may fall behind other players.
Another kind of lure are the gaming programs that adopt gambling concepts. Instead of using chips some games let you buy or win things to put in your “loot box.” Other types of games, including e-sports, have people getting excited by betting money or things called “skins.” There are lots of other ways to wager online that don’t seem to be like old fashioned gambling. Software designers are on the search for new innovative concepts to get you involved.
Some of the avatars, that players use in a type of cos-play, from the popular 'Call of Duty'. photo: courtesy TencentSymptoms of Addiction
Symptoms of a computer addiction include not being able to quit, being upset or angry when you can’t play, thinking a lot about playing and believing that playing makes you feel better. Other signs that someone has a serious problem include the loss of other things you used to enjoy, having trouble with your job, relationships or schoolwork, and lying about the amount of time you spend on gaming. And there are physical symptoms that can develop from a sedentary lifestyle.
Treatment
Treatment programs at mental health clinics exist in the United States, China and other nations for people who spend way too much time doing things like playing games, web surfing or even online chatting. The treatments range from group therapy to one on one counseling and outdoor experiences called “wilderness therapy.” There are also more severe interventions including shock treatment and in China militaristic “boot camps.”
China has also established legal regulations. Prior to establishing the most recent rules, they had outlawed online gaming in 2019 for kids under 18 between the hours of 10 PM and 8 AM. There were also restrictions established in 2017 limiting the numbers of hours a kid could play on Tencent games.
If you type into your computer’s search bar “video game addiction treatment” you will find dozens of businesses offering the public their services. You may also find interesting statistics like “as many as 12 percent of boys and 7 percent of girls are addicted to gaming.” The number of kids playing video games is said to be 70 to 80%, and 41% say they spend too much time playing video games. In the United States, spending money on video games grew by 30 percent in the second quarter of 2020, to a record $11.6 billion.
Should the animation community and public be made aware of computer game addiction
I believe computer game addiction can be harmful to the player and possibly others close to that person. I don’t know what to suggest, except that friends or family of people with that condition do the necessary research and try to convince the player to understand their problem and seek help. Animation can be a great art and I hate seeing it used in a way that harms others.
Karl F. Cohen—who added his middle initial to distinguish himself from the Russian Karl Cohen, who tried to assassinate the Czar in the mid-19th century—is an animator, educator and director of the local chapter of the International Animation Society and can be reached .
Posted on Jan 09, 2022 - 03:00 PM
by Karl F. Cohen
Please support our stories by liking articles—thanks!
The Girl Queen from Tencent Games popular game 'Honor of Kings'. photo: courtesy Tencentlittle attention to the video game industry.
Suddenly, however, I was reading all over about China cracking down on the game industry to combat child addiction to their products. Authorities were calling for parents, game developers and manufacturers to work together to combat the scourge of the game industry, which grossed $173 billion in 2021. Indeed, the stories were scary enough for game companies’ stock to tumble up to 10% in just a few hours. What was going on?
I read with amazement news articles that proclaimed, “No industry, no sport, can be allowed to develop in a way that will destroy a generation.” Several articles even called gaming “spiritual opium.” Chinese authorities were labeling e-sports and games the “opium of the mind” and digital games “electronic drugs.”
They called for more restrictions to prevent greater widespread addiction among children. One article claimed children were spending food money on games, and playing them for up to seven hours a day, resulting in their school grades dropping.
Tencent, a Chinese multinational entertainment company and the world’s biggest gaming developer (“Call of Duty: Warzone”, “Fortnite”, “League of Legends”), responded by saying new measures were needed to protect minors.
Tencent wanted to show they were socially responsible, but only suggested weak measures for another of their popular game, “Honor of Kings”. They did, however, support prohibiting kids under 12 from spending money on games and suggested limiting playing time to under 1.5 hours on weekdays and 2 hours a day on holidays and weekends.
The Chinese government responded to Tencent’s suggestions by issuing much tougher restrictions. Online gamers under 18 are now limited to only one hour on Friday through Sunday and on holidays. Play must be between 8 AM and 9 PM and is not permitted on Monday through Thursday.
Also facial recognition is becoming required to insure the player is 18 or older, to prevent children from using the IDs of adults to sign on. BBC news estimates China has “tens of millions of young gamers.” Tencent has also developed a facial recognition system to limit late-night gaming by children.
It is obvious the company admits their product is dangerous, so why doesn’t China take it off the market?
Both boys and girls are attracted to The Girl Queen from 'Honor of Kings'. illo: unknown “Honor of Kings” was the world’s top grossing game in 2019 and 2020. According to Tencent, it had the equivalent income of $22.7 billion in revenue from smartphone games and $6.9 billion from PC games. And gaming is just part of Tencent’s total revenue of $74 billion. Gaming has been called “the world’s most lucrative market.”
Wikipedia says, “’Honor of Kings’ is a multiplayer online battle arena developed by TiMi Studio Group and published by Tencent Games for the iOS and Android mobile platforms for the Chinese market.” Interestingly, downloading the app is free but to upgrade characters or costumes to advance levels, players must pay.
The BBC says the crackdown by Beijing is based on a reaction to the rapid growth of capital and technology and the potential adverse effect on the well-being of the country’s young generation. The government is also concerned about “celebrity fan culture and private tutoring,” and is trying to create “positive energy” and restore “correct values.”
Game companies do develop ways to addict players. Obviously, they make the games as exciting as possible, which entices players to return. And they offer additional incentives, including daily or weekly use-it-or-lose-it quests, login rewards for continuous streaks of play, season passes and other incentives. Explicitly or not, they want to dominate the lives of their players.
Computer Game Addiction Also Serious Problem in US
Playing computer games is fun for millions of people. When that pleasure becomes excessive, it can be annoying to others, but it doesn’t qualify as a computer game addiction unless other areas of a person’s life become adversely affected. Unfortunately, that is precisely what is happening to many players all over the world.
An industry of health professionals has developed to try and help those with this serious compulsive disorder. Indeed, it is now recognized as a mental addiction in the World Health Organization’s “International Classification of Diseases” (2018).
The lure of e-sports is quite enticing to many people. E-sports players who get involved with competitions can be rewarded with big money and titles like “pro” or "grand master." Successful individuals and teams can achieve fame. Some people wanting to be great e-sports players say they spend 8 to 12 hours a day in training.
Some of the games are what are called massive multiplayer online games (MMOGs), which are designed not to have a fixed ending, so new players can join in and others can leave or take a breaks as desired. Games often have levels of achievement that encourage you to try and rise in your ranking. Players of many games can earn points or “wealth” simply based on the numbers of hours they have spent playing. This fosters the concern that if you stop playing, you may fall behind other players.
Another kind of lure are the gaming programs that adopt gambling concepts. Instead of using chips some games let you buy or win things to put in your “loot box.” Other types of games, including e-sports, have people getting excited by betting money or things called “skins.” There are lots of other ways to wager online that don’t seem to be like old fashioned gambling. Software designers are on the search for new innovative concepts to get you involved.
Some of the avatars, that players use in a type of cos-play, from the popular 'Call of Duty'. photo: courtesy TencentSymptoms of a computer addiction include not being able to quit, being upset or angry when you can’t play, thinking a lot about playing and believing that playing makes you feel better. Other signs that someone has a serious problem include the loss of other things you used to enjoy, having trouble with your job, relationships or schoolwork, and lying about the amount of time you spend on gaming. And there are physical symptoms that can develop from a sedentary lifestyle.
Treatment
Treatment programs at mental health clinics exist in the United States, China and other nations for people who spend way too much time doing things like playing games, web surfing or even online chatting. The treatments range from group therapy to one on one counseling and outdoor experiences called “wilderness therapy.” There are also more severe interventions including shock treatment and in China militaristic “boot camps.”
China has also established legal regulations. Prior to establishing the most recent rules, they had outlawed online gaming in 2019 for kids under 18 between the hours of 10 PM and 8 AM. There were also restrictions established in 2017 limiting the numbers of hours a kid could play on Tencent games.
If you type into your computer’s search bar “video game addiction treatment” you will find dozens of businesses offering the public their services. You may also find interesting statistics like “as many as 12 percent of boys and 7 percent of girls are addicted to gaming.” The number of kids playing video games is said to be 70 to 80%, and 41% say they spend too much time playing video games. In the United States, spending money on video games grew by 30 percent in the second quarter of 2020, to a record $11.6 billion.
Should the animation community and public be made aware of computer game addiction
I believe computer game addiction can be harmful to the player and possibly others close to that person. I don’t know what to suggest, except that friends or family of people with that condition do the necessary research and try to convince the player to understand their problem and seek help. Animation can be a great art and I hate seeing it used in a way that harms others.
Karl F. Cohen—who added his middle initial to distinguish himself from the Russian Karl Cohen, who tried to assassinate the Czar in the mid-19th century—is an animator, educator and director of the local chapter of the International Animation Society and can be reached .
Posted on Jan 09, 2022 - 03:00 PM
