Should We Enforce National Regulations on Video Games to Prevent Violence or Addiction?
Technology is developing at an unprecedented speed, which allows the continuing optimization of powerful computers to improve the gamers’ experience. However, as games become more immersive, problems like game addiction and violence become more severe. Extreme cases like high school shootings and spending four nights playing video games occurred. To prevent the situation from aggravating, governments attempt to set up regulations against video games. While some say enforcing national regulations changes the legal aspect of game addiction and violence, scientific research and promotion of a supportive culture from a global perspective are necessary to address gamers’ behaviors, especially since the internet has strong connectivity and ubiquity.
Imposing limitations and bans against video games to prevent addiction gradually become a popular topic. In Pakistan, the government bans PUBG to avoid game addiction and real-life violence; in China, policies limit children’s playing time; in the US, the discussion about bans against shooting games to prevent game violence has become very popular. Clearly, governments are aware of the harmful effect video games have on teenagers and attempt to eradicate it. Among all the attempts, what has been shared is the idea of limitation and censorship, though presented in various forms.
To prevent worsening academic performance levels and unhealthy rest schedules, China recently has made players register with their ID numbers and limit the online game playing time. Children under 18 can only play video games for three hours every week. However, there are multiple times that I have seen children under 18 violating rules and playing at an inappropriate time. I learned from my friends that a typical way they bend the rules is to register the game using their grandparents’ ID so their account won’t be under the time restriction.
Admittedly, issuing national regulations helps to lessen the severity of the issue. Setting up age limits create a significant obstacle for gamers to access games, but such barriers may not last long. Game addiction and violence are two problems that highly depend on individuals’ backgrounds and situations. Violent behaviors can derive from genetic influence, while game addiction may stem from external causes like family pressure. Thus, thoroughly understanding and resolving the issues require analyzing cases separately. Making regulations only changes the legal aspect of this issue but fails to pay attention at the micro-level, which is apparently an ineffective idea. It is unreasonable to utilize policies, a big-picture resolution, to limit inappropriate and sneaky behaviors at the individual level. Addictions and violence cannot be stopped just purely by making them illegal.
More importantly, after recognizing that game violence and addiction are a worldwide issue, national bans or limitations against video games become an even less desirable solution. “The internet treats censorship as a malfunction and routes around it.” The quote by internet activist John Barlow points out the core reason why censorship fails. In the 21st century, the internet facilitates people’s daily lives and helps people to form stronger connections. The ubiquity and connectivity of the internet make total censorship impossible. Individuals will eventually find different ways to get around the rule. In China, for instance, one can easily use VPN to access the game through foreign networks. If continuing to utilize the method of censorship, every country in this world then needs to enforce similar regulations to eradicate game addiction and violence. Due to the tremendous differences in world political systems and ideals, achieving such is entirely unrealistic. Bans and censorship against video games is never the best solution towards game addiction and violence.
Thinking in a global context, focusing on scientific research and building a supportive culture might be the best alternative to eliminate the issue. This method turns the focus towards a micro-level, analyzing the impact of video games on individuals and their behaviors and mindsets, respectively. In fact, individuals’ behaviors and mindsets are the roots of video game addictions and violence. One should eliminate the root first to permanently eliminate the issues.
This solution must be executed in a global collaboration due to the connectivity of video games. As the product of the internet, video games also contain the feature of connectivity. It provides users a platform to connect and communicate internationally. In PUBG, for instance, 100 people from all over the world are assigned into one single game. Interactions will inevitably occur, and people will often form strong bonds due to their shared interests. According to the psychological effect of group polarization, radical ideas will often be nurtured more quickly in a group. This bond, though hindered by borderlines, can be vicious as one can press others to play and easily drag others down to the trap of game addiction or violence. Thus, to tackle an international issue, we should also utilize an international approach, through facilitating global collaboration, to thoroughly address the problem. In this way, can we prevent those vicious bonds and make sure every part of the world stays on the same page.
This plan is performable due to a suitable candidacy and successful precedent. There is a perfect candidate: United Nations (UN), specifically World Health Organization (WHO), an influential intergovernmental organization that targets international health and peace. UN has substantial experience in handling urgent global issues. The UN effectively raises awareness of climate change through social propaganda. This has been strong proof that the UN can orchestrate the plan well and successfully raise the awareness of society. On the other hand, WHO has officially listed Video Game Addiction as a “gaming disorder” illness in 2019, meaning they already fully understand video games’ harmful effects.
To put the idea of promoting supportive culture in practice, the UN and WHO should focus on improving individuals, schools, and parents. They can establish a unique agency in promoting supportive culture and host annual world conferences about teenagers’ game addictions and violence. In addition, collaboration with worldwide education departments and school alliances should be achieved to establish special care services and 1-on-1 advising programs for teenagers. Family members should become another focus since they have the biggest impact on teenagers. UN should advertise the harmful effect of video games and set up education sessions and potential examinations, so parents can recognize that they need to set themselves as examples and have the responsibility to build a supportive family culture. Constant monitoring of progress is required to make sure every part of the world is on the same track. This is especially important to ensure a friendly international gaming environment. This way, awareness of young gamers’ mental health issues will increase. Teachers and family members will pay closer attention to potential addictive or violent behaviors. On the other hand, we will better understand the biological or cognitive principles behind game violence and addiction through scientific research. Eventually, we may develop a scientific way to resolve the problems.
In conclusion, national regulations fail to prevent gamers’ addictive and violent behaviors. Instead, conducting scientific research and building supportive culture is the alternative solution to eliminate the root of the problem internationally. Though information exchange is quicker than ever, issues like game violence and addiction can also become international. Thus, we need to start to think globally: problems cannot be solved if we limit our horizon only to a national scope.
