Chinese regulators call on gaming companies to protect kids’ physical, mental health

Chinese regulators are calling on gaming companies to protect kids’ physical and mental health amid a crackdown on entertainment in the country.

The regulators on Wednesday said that companies such as Tencent Holdings and NetEase Inc. needed to protect the health of kids and abide by new restrictions set in place by the National Press and Publication Administration and the Cyberspace Administration of China, The Associated Press reported.

The restrictions include not letting minors engage in “harmful” content and limiting the amount of time young people can play video games. 

A Chinese state-owned newspaper in August called video games “opium for the mind,” going after Tencent Holdings game Honor of Kings which is very popular in the country.

“No industry, no sport, can be allowed to develop in a way that will destroy a generation,” the paper said. 

The country’s crackdown on entertainment includes not allowing feminine-looking men on broadcast television due to it not portraying the values China wants in men. 

Chinese social media companies are also aligning with the new restrictions as social media platform Weibo banned 22 K-pop accounts for “irrational star-chasing behavior.”