Korean Law to Tackle Video Game Addiction
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A young man plays an online game at an internet cafe in Daejeon, South Korea. |
From this Sunday, parents in South Korea will be able to control how many hours their children spend playing online games.
A new law comes into effect on July 1st and will enable parents to communicate with online game providers and set time limits for their children`s online gaming.
This comes as South Korea struggles to deal with rampant Internet addiction among young people in South Korea.
Many young Koreans say it is a reaction to stress and has become a part of their daily routine.
[Bosung Hwang, Student]:
“I play online games almost every day… the longest time I`ve played for was for about 20 hours non-stop.”
[Bosung Hwang, Student]:
“Korean students study a lot and have a lot of stress. They have to so many exams for university and so they try to ease that stress by playing online games. The years go by, they get older and they just keep doing it. Also Korea’s Internet is really fast.”
[Kim Yeonsu, Internet Cafe Owner]:
“I’ve been running an internet cafe for 4 years. One guy came all the time and kept playing for a really long time. He didn’t eat or drink. He just kept playing until he got so weak, he fainted. I had to take him to hospital myself.”
Authorities are keen to address the problem. The Minister for Gender Equality and Family, Younghee Choi says on her website (quote) “Online games are the same as drugs. Parents can’t deal with this problem, so the government must take responsibility.”
6 months ago Choi`s ministry brought in a law called The Shut Down law which aimed to reduce the number of minors playing online games after midnight.
[Kim Yeonsu, Internet Cafe Owner]:
“The shut down law is also known as the “Cinderella law”. It started this year, it basically blocks teenager’s online game accounts from midnight -6am.”
Every South Korean citizen has an ID number, which is required to login to online games. These laws may prove ineffective, as ID numbers can easily be borrowed from other family members.
[Kim Yeonsu, Internet Cafe Owner]:
“It won’t help – when teenagers are creating their accounts they can use their parents or older brother or sister’s ID number to login. It won’t help solve online gaming addiction.”
Parents and game companies have recently filed lawsuits in an attempt to end the “Shut down” law, with parents claiming it infringes on their right to regulate their own child’s behavior.
Many South Koreans have turned to social media to express their frustration.
“Do you really think teenagers will not play after 12, they’ll just use their parents ID.”
Despite the heated debate amongst parents and lawmakers, for many Korean young people the game goes on. But it`s hoped this latest law will bring a more collaborative approach between parents and children.
Emma Hall, NTD news, South Korea