New House Bill to Curb Video Game Addiction Introduced
In a hearing of the House Committee on the Welfare of Children last week, Valenzuela City Congressman Win Gatchalian encouraged parents to cooperate with the government in “preventing computer addiction within their households”.
Gatchalian filed House Bill No. 4740 or the “Internet Cafe Regulation Act”, which seeks to prohibit all computer shop owners from admitting minors to enter their establishments within school hours.
The bill also specifies that computer shop owners are urged not to allow minors to enter their establishment from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. during weekends and holidays to limit children’s access to computer games.
In the initial deliberation of HB 4740, the congressman also said that parents should closely monitor the computer games and websites their children access through their gadgets.
“Dapat din bantayan ng mga magulang kung appropriate ba sa age ng mga anak nila ang games at Websites na nilalaro o binibisita ng mga bata (Parents should also monitor their children’s access to games. Websites and games should be age-appropriate for children,” he added.
In a press statement, Gatchalian explained that access to a computer and the Internet has become a “double-edged sword” to children as it allows quick access to information while exposing them to the risk of addiction to games and other unwanted sites.
“On one hand, Internet has allowed the masses to research and conduct work without having to invest so much on time,” Gatchalian said in the same statement.
“But, we also need to recognize that computers bring entertainment through games, and children have the tendency to be easily addicted to these games as they have impressionable minds that games could easily influence,” he added.
(Photo by: Gamebreaker.tv)
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