Following the ban of karaoke songs with illegal content and regulation of fan culture, China is beginning to restrict the time that minors are allowed to spend on online games in an effort to curb a growing addiction among the country's youth population. 

With this move, online gamers under 18 will only be permitted to play for an hour – 8 PM to 9 PM on Fridays, weekends, and national holidays. The new restrictions also apply to online mobile games. 

CHINA TIGHTENS ONLINE REGULATIONS OF CELEBRITY FAN CULTURE

Online gaming companies are also prohibited from providing their services to minors outside the specified time period. To ensure rules are enforced, companies will undergo strict inspection and must verify that players are using their real names before logging on.

Shares related to mobile #games in Hong Kong fall on Tuesday morning trade on report #China cuts online gaming time for minors:
Shares of #Feiyu Tech fall 7.8%; #NetEase drop 3.94%; #Bilibili down 3.54%; #XD fall 3.91%; #Tencent dip 1.64%.$NTES $TCEHY $BILI pic.twitter.com/65dYDQhfLX

— CN Wire (@Sino_Market) August 31, 2021

Due to the regulations, the shares of some of China’s online gaming companies have taken a hit, causing a significant decrease in their value. Major companies such as Feiyu report a fall in 7.8% drop while NetEase Games recorded a 3.94% drop in shares.

CHINA WILL BAN KARAOKE SONGS WITH 'ILLEGAL CONTENT'

A month ago before the latest restrictions, state-run Economic Information Daily reported that many teenagers developed an addiction to online gaming and it was having a negative impact on their well-being. Previously, China has restricted minors from playing online games from 10 PM to 8 AM and allocating up to a maximum of 90 minutes of gameplay.