China tightens “needle ring” with livestream content for children

Livestream Sales, video streaming or livestreaming simply to talk and entertain with streaming content is the dominant form of content in China. When surfing the net and encountering a livestream content of their liking, viewers are easily attracted and ready to sit for hours in front of the screen. For adults, it is difficult to control the time to watch the livestream. With teenagers it is even more difficult.

The Chinese regulator once warned, the children Excessive indulgence in viewing online content becomes the “opium of the mind”. Therefore, the authorities in this country took action to intervene.

China tightens livestream regulations for children

It is a common practice that people who watch streaming videos often transfer money or buy virtual gifts for the character performing the livestream. Some platforms will receive a commission from these donations.

According to China’s National Radio and Television Administration, such streaming platforms have made minors indulge in indiscriminate giving of money. As a result, their physical and mental health is severely damaged.

In addition, the Chinese government also requires platforms to stop providing online broadcasts to minors after 10pm. Notice writes: “Platforms need to be acutely aware of the importance and urgency of managing the livestream environment, protecting minor users”.

With the rise in popularity of online livestreaming sites, Chinese officials believe that Internet addiction and excessive spending by young people in the digital space are the causes of some of today’s social problems. such as depression, online fraud, lack of study…

China bans minors from giving money and virtual gifts on livestream platforms (Artwork: PBS)

Police officer Zhang Bin said: “We have encountered many cases where the victims kept sending money to online fraudsters even though they had not met. Many people were scammed several tens of thousands of yuan.”.

The new rules also ban people under the age of 16 from streaming live videos, while users aged 16 to 18 must get permission from their parents or guardians before doing the livestream. Analysts say that the Chinese government has continuously tightened the livestream operation partly because there is a lot of uncensored content.

The reason why China tightens livestream

Analysts say that the Chinese government has continuously tightened the livestream operation partly because there is a lot of uncensored content.

For example, the livestream of gamers, a game called Elden Ring has created a fever on livestream platforms in China. When the livestream started about this content, every day there were 17 million views related to the game, mainly watching by teenagers.

However, Elden Ring is considered a violent game, has not been approved by Chinese regulators, and is not sold in China. The dissemination of this content online is expected to encourage young people to find ways to access the game from unorthodox channels.

Effective against game addiction in China

According to the National Radio and Television Administration of China: “Recently, the chaos related to streaming content and teen video game addiction has causedThere are many concerns in society and containment measures need to be taken urgently”.

The ban was issued at a time when many cities in China were in lockdown to combat the COVID-19 epidemic, and teenagers’ Internet use time spiked. The new regulation is expected to quickly regulate the content children will see and ensure a more balanced development for them.

Chinese authorities have required livestream platform providers to have specific layers of security to ensure regulations are enforced.

With a similar ban applied from September last year, children under 18 years old are only allowed to play games for 1 hour a day from 8 pm to 9 pm during 3 weekends and holidays. To enter the game, they must first log in to their account with their real name, citizen ID card and have to scan their face using facial recognition technology.

Children under 18 years old in China are only allowed to play games for 1 hour a day from 8 pm to 9 pm during 3 weekends and holidays (Artwork: ginx.tv)

Domestic game companies account for the majority of the market, so they are almost strictly enforced. Maybe there are some game points that circumvent the rules, but if they are discovered, the consequences will be severe.

This regulation makes game giants like Tencent and Netease suffer heavy losses. Meanwhile, parents are very excited, especially in the context that the government is making a “revolution” to tighten management of cyberspace, reduce formal school load, increase cultural and artistic activities…

According to a survey before this regulation, up to 13.2% of children under 18 years old played games for more than 2 hours a day on their phones. And above all, according to experts, it is still important that parents pay close attention to their children, directing them to healthy development. Because children are not only addicted to games but also in the colorful online world, many children are also addicted to movies and social networks like Douyin – the domestic version of TikTok.

Inside China’s Internet Addiction Center

China has witnessed an explosion of the Internet in the past two decades. The downside is that it makes a part of teenagers addicted to playing video games and surfing the Internet. Even more Internet addiction centers have been opened to isolate teenagers from computers, video games, the Internet and help them return to normal life.

Shang Shun is a teenager who studies online video games. Except when eating, sleeping, personal hygiene, the rest of the time I’m always glued to the computer screen. I live in a virtual world and this makes my parents extremely worried.

“My son and his friends gather to play video games all day. At home, he also plays all the time.” – Mr. Wang Li Shun, parent of Shang Shun, shared.

Her uncle, Mr. Li Ye, said: “We cut off the internet, then he stole money and went out to play. His reaction was very strong, so we need to consider it carefully.”.

High walls with barbed wire, locked windows, at first glance, this facility looks like a prison. However, it is one of many Internet addiction treatment centers for teenagers in China.

Inside an Internet addiction treatment center in China (Image: SCMP)

In the summer of 2019, Chun was taken to an Internet addiction center by his father. The monthly cost is up to 3,500 yuan, or more than 12 million dong – a substantial fee compared to the average Chinese household income.

Seeing teacher Wang at the Shandong Provincial Internet Addiction Center said: “Children are prohibited from using cell phones and are only allowed to keep a few minimal personal items. It’s like a military environment. We ask them to respect the rules at the center.”.

At 5:30 a.m., all students gathered in the yard, exercised, and participated in team building exercises. These are the popular contents of about 250 Internet addiction centers for children in China. The Center is committed to no physical punishment for the children.

Mr. Yu Ya Bo, Founder of Shandong Provincial Internet Addiction Center, emphasized: “We encourage children to seek recognition through practice at the center. That’s something they’ve easily achieved in the past with video games.”.

Chung’s father hopes that his joy will be maintained. This summer course will help me understand that the real value of life lies in real-life interactions, not Internet entertainment.

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