China has forbidden under-18s from playing games for more than three hours/week
China thinks that video games (specifically, the online variety) are harmful enough to children that it needs to be regulated at a federal level and children&#x27;s exposure to games should be restricted. But here&#x27;s the thing: We on the west do exactly the same thing for things like cigarettes, alcohol and gambling. The motivations behind all those restrictions are even similar (largely related to children&#x27;s health&#x2F;well-being).<p>It&#x27;s a big double standard to call their flavor of restrictions &quot;authoritarian&quot;, while being ok with (or even strongly in favor of) our flavor of restrictions, even though the two are objectively similar in nature.<p>Since you mentioned the great firewall, I think it&#x27;s interesting to bring up some perspective I&#x27;ve heard from various Mainland Chinese people: that many of them thinks western media brainwashes us (think the thing about Olympic photo coverage of Chinese medalists) and many condemn westerner take on social matters (the US&#x27; handling of Covid, for example, is seen as a &quot;proof&quot; that the our infatuation with freedom has severe failings). I&#x27;ve even heard someone once say that &quot;American egos wouldn&#x27;t be able handle Chinese opinion if the firewall was lifted, because it&#x27;s a voice 1.4b people strong - intellectuals, trolls and everything in between - who disapprove of American ideologies&quot;.<p>To be clear: I&#x27;m not attempting to inflame, I&#x27;m merely bringing up what I heard from their side, for your edification. My advice is to be careful of using loaded terminology such as &quot;authoritarian&quot;; you don&#x27;t own objective truth, and humility might go a long way in dispelling animosity from both sides.