PARENTING: New video game censorship rules for kids under the age of 10
Gaming for kids under the age of 10 now requires parental supervision in South Africa.
Video games have been a huge part of many childhoods.
Some of us will remember playing on our SEGA consoles, Gameboys, and other retro gaming consoles.
These days, video games are a lot more advanced and the exceptional graphics in modern day games are making the lines between reality and fiction a little more blurry.
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Gaming has been scientifically proven to be very beneficial in the development of the human brain, but too much exposure can have severe negative effects, too.
The South African Film and Publication Board's (FPB) new regulations state that no child under the age of 10 will be allowed to play videos games if they are not supervised by a parent. You can read the current regulations on the FPD website by clicking here.
The new ruling will take effect in August 2022.
Read more: Researchers are saying that online video games can help with mental health
According to Business Insider, it will also be the responsibility of game-makers to be more careful about how they reward violence in video games. The new regulation stipulates that game-makers will also have to avoid teaching children how to be criminals. If they do not comply, they face having to increase the age restriction of their games. You can read more details on the scale of the regulations by clicking here.
The FPB is calling on the public to provide comments and input to the Technically Reviewed Classification Guidelines.
So, why are they taking these steps?
In 2021, a study was commissioned by Newzoo and Carry1st and the results of the study showed that the number of gamers in sub-Saharan Africa stood at 186-million people. This number was 77-million in 2015.
South Africa currently stands as the country with the largest video game market in Africa, with 24-million gamers.
This means that 40% of the South African population are playing video games, gradually creeping in to overtake the market in movies and music in the country.
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Just recently we covered a story on the R3-million eSports school arena built in South Africa.
Read more: R3-million eSports arena built for new SA school
Here's a video on how your kid's brain functions whilst playing video games:
Here are some Tech Talk gaming tips for parents and kid-safe video games:
Here are some cyber safety tips for kids whilst gaming online:
