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Reserve your judgment on "Draconian" Chinese video gaming restrictions on children •.

Leon Y Xiao
Published in: Journal of behavioral addictions (2022)
China imposed strict restrictions on young people's participation in videogaming from September 2021. Colder Carras et al.'s commentary (2021) referred to this policy as 'draconian,' i.e., 'excessively harsh and severe.' However, any opinion on whether this policy is 'draconian' is a value judgment, and any judgment on its 'effectiveness' ought to be reserved until proven or disproven by empirical evidence. Indeed, the Chinese policy is neither potentially ineffective nor draconian, and is already providing at least one identifiable benefit: enhancing consumer protection by effectively reducing underage players' monetary spending on videogames, including on randomised, gambling-like mechanics known as 'loot boxes.'
Keyphrases
  • public health
  • healthcare
  • mental health
  • clinical trial
  • randomized controlled trial
  • young adults
  • open label
  • systematic review
  • physical activity
  • early onset
  • double blind
  • health information