Kagawa Prefecture Wants Opinions on Potential Restrictions of Children's Video Game Playing Time - Proposed guidelines would restrict play time to 60 minutes per weekday, among other suggestions

[PS1gamenwatch]

Kagawa Prefecture Wants Opinions on Potential Restrictions of Children's Video Game Playing Time

Proposed guidelines would restrict play time to 60 minutes per weekday, among other suggestions

www.animenewsnetwork.com

The Kagawa Prefectural Assembly held a discussion on January 10 regarding potential guidelines to restrict video game playing time among children in a bid to combat video game addiction. The government released the proposal document and opened the issue to public comment on January 23.

Suggested guidelines include restricting video game playing to 60 minutes per weekday and 90 minutes on weekends. It would also forbid children under the age of 18 from playing games after 10pm, or 9pm for children under the age of 12. The prefecture has no plans to enforce penalties on households that do not comply with the guidelines. The government will also provide information and support for parents and schools regarding measures for combating video game addiction.

According to Wizleap's survey of 1,178 parents of elementary school aged children conducted in late January, over 80% of parents support restrictions on video game playing time among children in some form. On the other hand, ITMedia reports that the government's proposals have drawn criticism online, with some voices arguing that the proposed guidelines are too excessive.

Kagawa Prefecture is collecting opinions from residents until February 6.



Thanks to Richard Eisenbeis for the news tip

Sources: Kagawa Prefectural Assembly website, ITMedia(Masato Tanii)

 

[LilCrimeStatistics]

The prefecture has no plans to enforce penalties on households that do not comply with the guidelines.

Then why bother passing it into law? Just so the prefectural govt can say it did something to combat game addiction?

 

[Megaroad 2012]

Maybe not have such a soul sucking society that people require escapism at such lengths that you need to pass a law?

 

[Takodachi]

They can expect suicides start from a younger age and dramatic rate incrase if they do something like this.
Japanese society is such a fucking mess with unrealistic expectations, its a miracle they dont have more serial killers.

 

[ThinkThankThunk]

Then why bother passing it into law? Just so the prefectural govt can say it did something to combat game addiction?

That is unfortunately the very essence of almost everything you see passed through the Japanese political system. There's a chronic problem with passing mountains of ineffectual legislation as a replacement for genuine solutions. Instead of changing what already exists, which boils down to admiting that you and your predecessors were wrong (and is a taboo certain to kill your cushy political career), the bureaucracy passes whatever asinine regulations they can to divert from the real problem at hand. That problem is an overwhelmed social security system propping up an increasingly aged society and the choking effect that it has on the dwindling workforce paying into it. It can't be the 80 hour work weeks and the deterioration of Japanese buisness in the face of increased Chinese exports, because that would admit that Japan's problems come from the top down. There can't be any problems with their policies, fire codes or rural economy - it must be video games/gasoline sales/bicycles/[insert unimaginably exceptional ideas here] instead. It's a pervasive problem and not one Japan is going to solve soon, if ever.

 

[MrTroll]

Japanese children don't need video games, they need to be dropped onto deserted islands and forced to murder each other until only one is left standing. Like in Battle Royale.

 

[Your Weird Fetish]

Gamers literally rise up

 

[Dick Justice]

The prefecture has no plans to enforce penalties on households that do not comply with the guidelines.

I'm going to outlaw locking doors so the police can't get in but if you live in a house I promise I won't send the police after you. You can trust me, I'm a politican!

E: Japan just needs to outlaw everything that isn't working 120-hour weeks at Mitsubishi until you fucking keel over and die.

 

[Pissmaster]

Maybe not have such a soul sucking society that people require escapism at such lengths that you need to pass a law?

Hell, the whole hikikomori epidemic is so bad it's almost a loan word in English now

 

[Agent Abe Caprine]

Maybe not have such a soul sucking society that people require escapism at such lengths that you need to pass a law?

That would require effort. Just legislate all the things people use to escape this existence without dying instead. Oh, the suicide rate got higher? Arrest the bodies!

 

[Haramburger]

This makes RPGs and MMOs unplayable. Please, think of the completionists!

 

[Blood Bath & Beyond]

Seems both pointless in the sense that it won't be enforceable or apparently prosecuted in any way and at the same time like the government is grossly overstepping their realm of responsibility for their citizens by even suggesting it in the first place.

 

[KingofNothing]

Why does the government need to get involved? Why can't the parents do actual parenting?

"Hey dad, can I go play some video games?"
"No"

Doesn't seem that tricky

 

[Pissmaster]

Why does the government need to get involved? Why can't the parents do actual parenting?

"Hey dad, can I go play some video games?"
"No"

Doesn't seem that tricky

Even beyond that, parental controls on consoles today are pretty extensive. I know Switch's can be controlled through a smartphone app.

Nintendo even put out a promo video about it, with 34 million views:

For fuck's sake, there's no excuse.