Korea Sets Curfew for Underage Gamers

[John Funk]

Korea Sets Curfew for Underage Gamers

If you're living in Korea and under the age of 15, there'll be no more late-night StarCraft for you.

The nation of South Korea has had some troubles with may even use drugs developed to fight substance abuse [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/98884-Gaming-Addiction-Leads-to-Death-of-3-Month-Old-Korean-Girl].

So it's not all that surprising to hear that the Korean government is taking steps to limit gaming, especially in the youth. According to the Chosunilbo [http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2011/04/21/2011042101002.html], Korea's National Assembly unanimously passed a law on Wednesday that would limit the time that children under 15 could spend playing games online.

The law will set a mandatory curfew at midnight, preventing anyone under 15 from gaming until 6:00 am. Adults, however, can feel free to game until the sun rises.

While the law has been passed, particulars are still under debate - Korea's Culture Ministry says that the law should only apply to PC games like MMORPGs and the ever-popular StarCraft, but the Family Ministry wants it to apply to every platform including consoles.

I'm not sure how a law like this would even be feasibly enforceable, but hey, let's let Korea give it a try and see how it turns out.

(Via Kotaku [http://kotaku.com/#!5794357/korea-institutes-national-curfew-for-kid-gamers])

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[ScoopMeister]

This actually might work. Can't wait to see how it turns out.

 

[gigastar]

Midnight isnt actually that bad for a gaming curfew.

Though, i assume, because it is a curfew, Koreans are not going to be pleased.

 

[Ekonk]

This is Korea. And this is Starcraft. A combination the results of which are incomprehensible to non-Korean minds. I can't judge them because I can't understand them.

 

[rembrandtqeinstein]

Good thing nobody every lies about their age on the internet.

And I can see it now, back alley gaming parlors where you have to know someone to get in.

People in government really need to study the formula....

prohibition of victimless activity + demand = black market

 

[Nimbus]

Government intervention in day-to-day lives? Yaaaaaaaaaay!

 

[AngryMongoose]

That's messed up. Even the system that would be required to enforce that raises unsettling possibilities.

 

[tokae]

A messed up solution to a messed up problem.
It's a start, but I think this will spawn worse problems..

 

[Gigano]

Well, if it's trying regulate what people do in the privacy of their own home (presumably with parental consent), then that's quite unreasonable.

Thankfully doesn't sound too feasible either.

 

[Lucane]

I'm not sure how a law like this would even be feasibly enforceable, but hey, let's let Korea give it a try and see how it turns out.

The first part? Easy ID checks at Net Cafes.

If they mean at non-cafe PCs? Yeah me either.

I don't even wanna get started on how many loopholes console based(Ones not set-up in above mentioned Net Cafes or Game Dens.) curfews could have to circumvent it.

If it's just the first part I don't really see much trouble or issue with it beyond that though seems like it would have to intrude with what happens within households.

 

[Realitycrash]

let's let Korea give it a try and see how it turns out.

The grammar-nazi in me forces me to point out that this sentence is sketchy, at best.

"Let's let"?

OT: Maybe they enforce it just at internet-cafés and such?

 

[Lucane]

let's let Korea give it a try and see how it turns out.

The grammar-nazi in me forces me to point out that this sentence is sketchy, at best.

"Let's let"?

OT: Maybe they enforce it just at internet-cafés and such?

Sorry to quote just for this but...

How do you do the ( ' ) over the ( e )?

 

[Littlee300]

let's let Korea give it a try and see how it turns out.

The grammar-nazi in me forces me to point out that this sentence is sketchy, at best.

"Let's let"?

OT: Maybe they enforce it just at internet-cafés and such?

The sentence is ok, you just have OCD.
___________________________________________________________________
My battle.net account probably says I am 53.

 

[Nouw]

"Well sucks to be you cousin xD!"
[sub]I'm sure there will be an increase in migration, strange how I had a dream about my cousin going to NZ for the holiday.[/sub]

And it obviously should be for Internet-Cafes, how could they enforce it in their home? Plus this doesn't mean only Starcraft, some other MMOs as well.

 

[Robert0288]

Good thing nobody every lies about their age on the internet.

And I can see it now, back alley gaming parlors where you have to know someone to get in.

People in government really need to study the formula....

prohibition of victimless activity + demand = black market

The age cerfew on video games is not going to create a black market like the prohibition did. Typically I'm 100% against any sort of government intrusion into the affair of the individual. And this should be a parental issue. The problem is that parents are obviously failing in their roles. If children under 15 are being allowed to go and do what ever they please, to the effect that its damaging their performance of school and is wide spread enough that the government is taking notice, then the government should step in as parents are obviously failing in their paternal duties. I don't know how they would enforce it, but good luck. Also instead of punishing just the kid, they should punish the parents, putting the onus back on them to control their children.