It’s true; the South Korean government has decided to curb the use of the internet for under 18’s during the night, so just how are they going to do this?
Easy, first they get the games companies to restrict access to anyone under 18 who tries to play during the night, and then they make sure the internet slows down for those who continue to play specific games for extended periods.
The Korean Culture Ministry has already spoken to the operators of three games, MapleStory, Mabinogi, and Barameui Nara and told them to block use for youngsters from midnight till eight in the morning. More games will be added to the blocking list soon.
“We fully accept the gaming industry’s potential as a growth engine for the economy, but reckon countermeasures to excessive exposure will be crucial to making the gaming industry sustainable” the culture ministry said.
Everyone in South Korea is required to use their identity numbers so the Korean government has asked games providers to help out by monitoring what ID numbers are being used and if parents want they can be informed if their IDs are used to play games during the night.
“The policy provides a way for parents to supervise their children’s game playing” Lee Young-ah from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism told Reuters.
The operators of two games, Dungeon and Fighter and Dragon Nest, will pilot the scheme to slow down the internet connection of anyone playing these games for hours on end but more operators will be added over the coming months.
It all sounds pretty drastic doesn’t it but there’s a reason for it. The whole thing is in response to a shocking case last month where a young baby starved to death in their cot whilst the parents tried to raise a virtual child online.
The incident sparked outrage and calls for the government to do something about internet addiction, a growing problem in South Korea.
South Korea is the most wired country in the world. Almost everyone has a broadband connection of 100Mbps and this is currently being upgraded to 1Gbps.
Games are extremely popular and the country has many cafes dedicated to gaming and which run for 24 hours a day. Some youngsters aim to become professional gamers.
Is this a sign of what’s coming for the rest of us?
