A report by Chinese game industry regulators and research institutes shows that minors' gaming time and payment decreased significantly in 2022, and "the problem of minors' game addiction has been basically solved."
The 2022 Report on The Protection of Minors in China's Game Industry was based on a group of interviews with families and the results of thousands of questionnaires. The Game Publishing Committee of the China Audio-Video and Digital Publishing Association, China Game Industry Research Institute, and Gamma Data jointly released it.
Here are some highlights:
• Over 70% of minors play games for less than 3 hours per week, and the problem of minors' game addiction has been basically solved.
• Data shows that minors' total gaming time and consumption have significantly reduced.
• Nearly 30% of minors have decreased their game-related payment.
• The anti-addiction systems of game companies cover more than 90% of minor players.
• Over 85% of parents allow their children to play games moderately under supervision.
• But still, among the parents of existing minor players, more than 35% allow their children to register accounts with the parents' ID cards.
In detail, in 2022, the number of Internet users under the age of 19 in China will reach 186 million, accounting for 17.6% of the total number. Among them, the minor mobile phone users, who are nine years old or above, reach 97.6%.
In the year after the implementation of the new Regulation (hereinafter as Regulation) on game addiction prevention in 2021, the proportion of minors who play games for less than 3 hours per week (including minors who have stopped playing games) increased to more than 75%. An increasing number of minor players are included in the supervision of the anti-addiction system.
After the Regulation was released, the entertainment behavior of minors shifted from gaming to other activities. Minors who currently have gaming habits often devote their time to short videos and online videos after gaming is restricted.
Contacting the game download channel is the main way for parents to retrieve their children's irrational payment. Under the restrictions on game addiction prevention, nearly 30% of minors have decreased their game-related payment.
In 2022, the proportion of families with minors making game payments without parents' permission drops to 15.43%, a significant decrease from 2021.
Full Report: Gaming Industry Report (Chinese)