Stopping Children from Getting Addicted to Online Gaming Essential

In a declaration that must have filled millions of youngsters and teens with fear, the Chinese government recently announced a new regulation limiting internet gaming for those under the age of 18 to only three hours each week.

While unpopular among young people and gaming businesses, it does raise the question of whether other governments should investigate the issue of youngsters becoming increasingly engrossed in online gaming.

The online gaming business is enormous. The worldwide online gaming sector produced roughly $21.1 billion in sales in 2020, representing a record 21.9 percent increase over the previous year. There are roughly one billion internet gamers globally, with Chinese children accounting for more than 10% of the total.

Heavy incentives

Online games, and the systems that enable them, are becoming better at keeping users' eyes riveted to screens for as long as possible. They are highly incentivized since it allows them to generate money through advertising and in-game services. For example, Amazon-owned streaming site Twitch generated more than $100 million in advertising income alone in the first quarter of 2021, thanks in part to its ability to connect viewers to 71 million hours of game streams daily.

Children who might otherwise be playing outside with real friends, acquiring a skill such as playing an instrument, or studying are instead engrossed in addictive internet games.

Rapid technological advancements have made it all too simple for both parents and children to rely on the internet for amusement rather than making the effort to organize physical activities. With social networks now firmly embedded in these games and cellphones providing quick access to technology, children's social lives are primarily restricted to the different online platforms.

The issue, however, extends beyond losing valuable time that could be better spent making friends, exercising, or studying for youngsters. It has the potential to be extremely harmful to one's health.

Due to worries about the addictive nature of online gaming platforms, Chinese authorities have labeled their current campaign as a battle against "electronic substances."

Addiction Center, a rehabilitation facility in the United States, discusses how video games, like addictive substances, cause the chemical dopamine to be released. The World Health Organization recently classified gaming addiction as a disease, and it is believed that 3-4 percent of video game players are addicted.

There are possibly tens of millions of people who are addicted to video games. People suffering from depression are especially vulnerable, since they perceive gaming as an escape from their daily problems.

‘Pay to win’ culture

Because many platforms have gambling features integrated into their systems, addiction to online gaming may have serious financial consequences. Examples include in-game currencies that can be exchanged for real money, allowing micro-transactions in return for "loot boxes," leading to a "pay to win" culture in which gamers may advance their progress and add character customization with money.

Ninety-three percent of all children play video games, yet the charity Gamble Aware reports that up to 40 percent of those youngsters opened in-game "loot boxes" carrying randomised digital prizes.

As a result, some youngsters may end up paying more than $100 each month in order to get a specific digital feature, such as new clothing for their avatar. To combat such quasi-gambling, the UK government is investigating methods to restrict gaming microtransactions in the same manner as gambling is regulated.

Addiction to internet gaming does not only impact children; adults may also become addicted to these platforms. The Royal Society, the United Kingdom's national academy of sciences, has released research indicating a "moderate to strong" link between teenagers playing games with microtransactions and developing a gambling addiction as adults.

Online gaming is part of a larger problem in today's digital society. Recent technology advancements have made it possible for us to get information and services with relative ease, whether it is to access healthcare, conduct business via online video chats, or share and discover gossip on social media platforms via videos, photographs, news, and blogs.

It is also ingrained in our daily routine and has numerous advantages, but it also means that we are now spending the majority of our waking hours gazing at a screen.

Website for price comparison According to Uswitch's research, the typical person in the UK spends 6.4 hours each day online. The numbers are considerably worse for those born after 1995, known as Gen Z, who spend 11 hours each day, or the bulk of their waking hours, consuming digital media.

Clamping down on gaming

For China, the current game-time restriction is an extension of past efforts to curb gaming for minors, who previously had a maximum of 90 minutes of online playing on weekdays. On Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and public holidays, children will only be permitted to play online games for one hour in the evening. China may be the only country with the digital infrastructure and political strength to implement this program.

Major gaming firms, such as Tencent, are responsible for enforcing the regulation, which includes asking players to disclose their true identities and ages or risk the wrath of the Chinese government.

While banning online gaming in this manner would be unimaginable in most nations, a broader discussion about our relationship with the internet should nonetheless take place. According to the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) publications, people in the United Kingdom have spent 71% more time playing online games as a result of pandemic-induced lockdowns.

We must be cautious not to worsen this problem in the long run; perhaps a digital detox is in order. Inaction, on the other hand, might have serious consequences, particularly for children born in the digital era.