Chinese Parents Praise Rule Limiting Video Game Time

The restrictions limit children to just three hours of online game playing a week. That is one hour between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday most weeks.
这些规定限制儿童每周只能玩3个小时的网络游戏。这个时间是大多数星期周五、周六和周日晚上八点到九点之间的一个小时。

Li Zhanguo has two children ages 4 and 8. Even though they do not have smart phones, they enjoy playing online games.
李占国有两个年龄分别是4岁和8岁的孩子。虽然他们没有智能手机，但是他们喜欢玩网络游戏。

"If my children get their hands on our mobile phones or an iPad, and if we don't closely monitor their screen time, they can play online games for as long as three to four hours each time," he said.
他说：“每次只要我孩子拿到我们的手机或是iPad，如果我们不密切监控他们的游戏时间，他们每次玩网络游戏可以长达三四个小时。”

Like many other parents, Li is happy with new government restrictions. But experts say it is unclear if such policies can help prevent addiction to online games. Children might just get addicted to social media instead. In the end, experts say, parents should be the ones to set limits and support good practices.
像其他许多家长一样，李占国对政府的新规定很满意。但专家表示，目前尚不清楚此类政策是否有助于防止网络游戏成瘾。儿童可能转而沉迷于社交媒体。专家表示，最终还是要由家长来立规矩，并鼓励好的做法。

There has been a growing concern in China about gaming addiction among children. Government reports in 2018 found that about one in 10 Chinese children were addicted to the internet.
在中国，儿童游戏成瘾问题日意受到关注。2018年政府报告发现，大约10%的中国儿童沉迷于网络。

The new rules are part of an effort to prevent young people from spending too much time on entertainment that Communist officials consider unhealthy. That includes what officials call the "irrational fan culture" surrounding celebrities.
这项新规定是防止青少年在政府官员认为不健康的娱乐活动上花费太多时间的措施的一部分。这包括官方所说的围绕明星的“非理性粉丝文化。”

"Adolescents are the future of the motherland, and protecting the physical and mental health of minors is related to the vital interests of masses," the Press and Publications Administration said in a statement. It is similar to a campaign by Chinese President Xi Jinping to create a healthier society for a more powerful China.
中国新闻出版总署在一份声明中表示：“青少年是祖国的未来，保护未成年人身心健康关系到广大人民群众的切身利益。”这跟习近平主席提出的建设健康中国运动类似。

Under the new rules, the responsibility for making sure children play only three hours a day falls largely on Chinese gaming companies like NetEase and Tencent. Tencent's highly popular Honor of Kings mobile game is played by tens of millions across the country.
根据新规定，确保儿童每周只玩3个小时网络游戏的责任落在了网易和腾讯等中国游戏公司的身上。腾讯公司大受欢迎的王者荣耀手游在全国拥有数千万玩家。

Companies have set up real-name registration systems to prevent young users from going past game time limits. They have used facial recognition technology to confirm their identities. And they have also set up a program that permits people to report violations.
各公司已经建立了实名注册制度，以防止青少年超出游戏时间限制。他们使用面部识别技术来确认他们的身份。他们还建立了一套程序，允许人们举报违规行为。

It is unclear what punishments gaming companies may face if they do not enforce the restrictions. And even if such policies are enforced, it is also unclear whether they can prevent online addiction.
目前尚不清楚游戏公司如果不执行这些规定可能会面临什么惩罚。而且即便这样的政策得到执行，也不清楚它们是否可以防止网络成瘾。

Tao Ran is director of the Adolescent Psychological Development Base in Beijing which specializes in treating internet addiction. He expects about 20 percent of children will find ways to get around the rules.
陶然是专门治疗网络成瘾的北京青少年心理发展基地的主任。他预计20%的儿童会找到规避这项规定的办法。

"...if you have a system in place to restrict them from gaming they will try to beat the system by borrowing accounts of their older relatives and find a way around facial recognition," Tao said.
陶然表示：“如果有一个系统限制他们玩游戏，他们会试图通过借用长辈的账户来逃避这个系统，并找到绕过面部识别的办法。”

Short-video apps such as Douyin and TikTok are also very popular in China. They are not under the same restrictions as games.
抖音等短视频应用程序在中国也颇受欢迎。它们没有受到跟游戏相同的限制。

Barry Ip of the University of Hertfordshire in England has researched gaming and addiction. He said, "It's just as easy for a young person to spend four hours on TikTok in the evening rather than play games if their time is uncontrolled."
英国赫特福德大学的巴里研究游戏和成瘾。他表示：“对青少年来说，如果他们的时间不受控制，那么他们晚上也很容易会在抖音上花四个小时，而不是在玩游戏。”

Li, the father of two young children, said he plans to start piano lessons for his daughter.
作为两个年幼孩子家长的李占国表示，他计划开始让女儿上钢琴课。

"Sometimes due to work, parents may not have time to pay attention to their children and that's why many kids turn to games to spend time," he said. "Parents must be willing to help children cultivate hobbies and interests so that they can develop in a healthy manner."
他说：“有时候是因为工作，家长可能没时间关注他们的孩子，这也是为什么许多孩子会转向游戏来消磨时间。家长要乐于帮助孩子培养兴趣爱好，这样他们才能健康成长。”

I'm Dan Novak.
我是丹·诺瓦克。(hxen.net原创翻译，请勿转载，违者必究！)