Censorship, or Good Sense

In a move I must admit I admire, China has implemented a new policy to fight the problem of kids who spend every free waking moment playing computer games.  Though it seems very dictatorial, in a world where american childred actually get taken away from their homes by Social Services due to parent's addiction to online gaming, I think I find myself actually applauding this step taken by the chinese government. Yahoo news reported this morning that China's government just put forth a mandate to all gaming companies that operate within china, demanding that they comply with a new software program that makes anyone under the age of 18 use a digital ID to access the computer for online gaming. After 3 hours of constant playing, the people are notified that anything they do further in the game will only result in half the points they would usually get. If they choose to continue playing, they are allowed to stay on as long as 5 hours total before they are told that they will now receive NO points in their games for playing anymore that 24 hour period. After the 3 hour warning, players are prompted to quite playing and "do suitable physical exercise."

Personally, although it is a form of government censorship I suppose, I support the idea wholeheartedly. Here, in America, social services was called to the home of a family who's children were actually starving to death because the parent's were too addicted to their internet game to bother to  feed them! Come on! Really? This stuff actually happens? In an ever-evolving digital world where kids rarely get told to go outside and play, I applaud the move. Until something better, like maybe good parenting skills, comes along, at least someone is trying to prevent the total ruination of their children's lives by whatever means necessary! Maybe America should adopt the same kind of rule!