South Korea's "Shutdown Law" Takes Effect
- Thread starter Hevva
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I'm positive they'll find something else to do that isn't gaming, so this solves nothing.
If someone's truly "addicted," which I doubt is the case, they'll find something else. It isn't removing the one temptation, it's removing all of them, which this isn't doing.
It's also a scary violation of rights in my opinion.
If someone's truly "addicted," which I doubt is the case, they'll find something else. It isn't removing the one temptation, it's removing all of them, which this isn't doing.
It's also a scary violation of rights in my opinion.
Will be interesting to see if this has any beneficial effects or the kids just find something else to do with their energy.
1. In every country with a working health care system, you have to declare if you do extreme sports and your insurance goes high up. Private insurance, on the other hand, doesn't even insure people with known (physical up until now) addiction problems. If you don't want the government to tackle the problem, the market WILL. Everybody needs people able to work.LordFisheh said:
2. Sleep deprivation is not lethal, but it is life threatening. Kids (generally) need a minimum of eight hours sleep per night to work off stress and lower insulin levels. Kids (and adults) that don't sleep enough get obese and depressed/unconcentrated. I've seen my fair share of hollow eyes each morning in class. It's like teaching wet flabby cardboard.
3. The "Freedom to do stupid things" you Americans go on about is not absolute. Not even in the US. Just ask pro-choice proponents, gay soldiers, and tobacco lobbyists. Different governments distinguish themselves among other things by which kinds of freedom they make accessible (NOT allow) to their citizens. This is how most European states can at the same time be more liberal AND more centralist than the US. And by the way, we in Germany are just now voting the only hard core libertarian party out of all communal and federal governments, because they have reduced themselves to nothing more than a bunch of corporate lickspittles and lust slaves. In a democracy people get what they vote for. Show a little respect for that.
4. Kids are not adults. In most European countries, kids can't be convicted under adult penal law. In all European countries, parents are legally responsible for the well-being of their kids. In ALL countries, corporations and other corporate interest groups are having their way with kids, bringing them in line via advertisement and market research. A government can try to step in and relieve parents from part of the resonsibility of raising their kids (just like school does every morning) without "taking away" kids from their parents.
5. and foremost: Get off your high horse. Democracy has been working before you came up with your Constitution (though a fine work it is). People vote. People change their lives by marking a name they trust with a cross. And people in other countries thankfully have more options to choose from than you and your corporate Punch and Judy show. Among them South Korea.
In the case of PSN, it will be hard enforced by PSN itself through parental settings.chickenhound said:
In other news, while I don't believe the LAW should move to other countries, the service that it forces PSN and XBox Live to develop SHOULD. Curfew filter for parents for their PS3? Actually... not a bad idea.
As an ex mmo player, and since this is to combat addiction to mmo's, I agree with the decision. Normally I'd be against this sort of thing, but it's obvious parents aren't doing anything. Besides, the time is 12-6am, that isn't in anyway an unreasonable time for under 16's.
I don't like this that much... My friends and I often have LANs during the school term on weekends because some of us go away during holidays not to mention this is infringing on the civil rights of people but I am more interested in how they are going to enforce this, fine the parent or cafe owner or just tell them not to do it? And can the parent give consent for their child to play if say, they want to finish the Starcraft match that they were playing together in.
I can get behind the idea, but not so much the practice.
Then again, I cnat really think of a better way other than rationing internet on a month to month basis to a household you have to pay for.
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Thouch I can some MMO companies being pissed about this law, since they may end up hearing complaints that they cant play the game at a certain time and they should have to pay less (though I may be over thinking or over assuming).
Then again, I cnat really think of a better way other than rationing internet on a month to month basis to a household you have to pay for.
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Thouch I can some MMO companies being pissed about this law, since they may end up hearing complaints that they cant play the game at a certain time and they should have to pay less (though I may be over thinking or over assuming).
These laws have been placed in Thailand since Ragnarok Online.
You'll only be able to play after after hours if you've registered as an 18+ account which requires scanned copy of your national ID and some sheet for account details. (as far as the system in Thailand was concerned)
The system worked as you couldn't even log-in after midnight and will get kicked out from whatever game you're playing by 12:15, the Cyber Cafes support them as well by having staff check IDs to see whoever is at the shop after hours (playing 12pm to 5am is also considered the cheapest rate at a Cyber Cafe). There are even some police raids during school hours and after hours that catch under 18s playing at this time.
The law seems pretty lax now though, not sure whats happened to it since I haven't been back home for 3years. Its all part of a government project to get NEETs off their asses really.
You'll only be able to play after after hours if you've registered as an 18+ account which requires scanned copy of your national ID and some sheet for account details. (as far as the system in Thailand was concerned)
The system worked as you couldn't even log-in after midnight and will get kicked out from whatever game you're playing by 12:15, the Cyber Cafes support them as well by having staff check IDs to see whoever is at the shop after hours (playing 12pm to 5am is also considered the cheapest rate at a Cyber Cafe). There are even some police raids during school hours and after hours that catch under 18s playing at this time.
The law seems pretty lax now though, not sure whats happened to it since I haven't been back home for 3years. Its all part of a government project to get NEETs off their asses really.
I don't see how this is any more offensive to children's civil liberties than curfews here in the U.S. Then again there may be a few of you who believe that it is a child's right to go out into the streets at three in the morning...
and who will this stop? nobody with half a braincell
you could get around that in a heartbeat if you wanted to
now, if you had an adult internet service and a child internet service that you just shut off at night
that'd pretty-much bone your night-time multi-player gaming
but even then who doesn't have phones? psp's and all kinds of mobile gaming these days?
someone wants to game they'll game, even if they resort to playing cards
you could get around that in a heartbeat if you wanted to
now, if you had an adult internet service and a child internet service that you just shut off at night
that'd pretty-much bone your night-time multi-player gaming
but even then who doesn't have phones? psp's and all kinds of mobile gaming these days?
someone wants to game they'll game, even if they resort to playing cards
cut these guys some slack, I bet the ministers just /facedesked in hopelesness and despair when trying to figure this out.
how, as a government, would you try to do this?
how, as a government, would you try to do this?
I have a harsh opinion on this, and it rhymes with barge-free celebrant*.
Seriously though, this new law is barely newsworthy. For all intents and purposes the ban already stands. This is just mopping up after the handful of remaining families with two parents too inept to take care of their own children. Laws already exist forcing internet gaming cafes ("PCbangs") to refuse service to minors after midnight, and parents are encouraged to monitor their children, whom they have a serious vested interest in considering a significant amount of the average family's paycheck goes straight into their offspring's education.
As such, the only way for a minor to play such a game would be at home, after midnight with their parents' approval. Furthermore, with cram schools banned from operation after 10 pm, there is already a sizable 2 hour gap for relaxation time after a particularly long day of study, so there's not really a need for parents of young children to ignore advice offered and be extra relaxed over logoff times.
The effects of these reforms have already been felt in the country. The Shutdown Law is just the final and probably smallest piece in a broader set of pretty effective solutions.
Clarification
Some of you posting above seem unaware of how the internet could distinguish someone by age. What you're missing is the fact that South Korea's intraternet requires you to log in to all internet services using a government ID card which has your very date of birth (as well as borad place of residence, gender and race) encoded in the ID number itself. This of course includes online games, which are mostly handled domstically. Furthermore, the language barrier tends to be pretty efficient in weeding out competing services abroad, so it's not easy to circumvent.
*A wedding MC who refuses to operate on river cruises.
Seriously though, this new law is barely newsworthy. For all intents and purposes the ban already stands. This is just mopping up after the handful of remaining families with two parents too inept to take care of their own children. Laws already exist forcing internet gaming cafes ("PCbangs") to refuse service to minors after midnight, and parents are encouraged to monitor their children, whom they have a serious vested interest in considering a significant amount of the average family's paycheck goes straight into their offspring's education.
As such, the only way for a minor to play such a game would be at home, after midnight with their parents' approval. Furthermore, with cram schools banned from operation after 10 pm, there is already a sizable 2 hour gap for relaxation time after a particularly long day of study, so there's not really a need for parents of young children to ignore advice offered and be extra relaxed over logoff times.
The effects of these reforms have already been felt in the country. The Shutdown Law is just the final and probably smallest piece in a broader set of pretty effective solutions.
Clarification
Some of you posting above seem unaware of how the internet could distinguish someone by age. What you're missing is the fact that South Korea's int
*A wedding MC who refuses to operate on river cruises.
