Ministries tighten monitoring of violent online games

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Ministry of Information and Communications will tighten monitoring of online games and cultural products.
Their move comes in response to requests from deputies of the National Assembly about the responsibilities of the ministries in regard to the present violence at schools and lack of entertainment venues for children.
National Assembly deputies gave the matter to Hoang Tuan Anh, minister for Culture, Sports and Tourism last week. Deputies said violence in online games and lack of entertainment venues for children were two major reasons many children were being violent to each other at this time.
Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan gave results of a survey about the online-game situation in the five biggest cities. The survey was completed last month.
The survey found that 77% of the games were violent, 9% made reference to gambling and 14% had to do with such things as football and racing.
“Three-quarters of online games are violence games, shooting or killing people – the kinds of the games to make for the violent trend in young people,” Nhan said.
According to the survey, many young people are playing games online. Two-thirds of grade-schoolers are playing games online at least once a week, maximum eight times a week, and it is more with high-school students.
One hundred per cent of online-game shops are combining trading in online games and food and drinks, which means more young people are staying longer. Some grade-schoolers play 12 hours non-stop, and it is 24 hours with high-school students.
Nhan said their parents also had responsibility in the situation, because two-thirds of the money that young people paid for gaming online came from their parents.
“Along with the responsibility from parents, relevant ministries should carry out measures to develop wholesome games for children. We will make a similar survey in other cities and provinces of the country to find the common picture to seek ways to resolve the situation,” Nhan said.
Le Doan Hop, minister for Information and Communications, said the ministry was tightening monitoring of online-game shops and service providers.
“Sixty one of 642 online-game shops were punished via a recent inspection,” Hop said. “We will increase the activity.”
Nguyen Thi Bach Mai, a representative for Tay Ninh Province, said lack of entertainment venues for children was making many children go to unhealthy entertainment venues. The national Government asked the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in 2000 to create venues for children across of the country but the ministry had not completed the job.
Eighty five per cent of entertainment venues for children are in big cities. Many communes do not have the venues for children.
Minister Hoang Tuan Anh said, “Kids in remote areas are lacking entertainment venues. Along with the Government budget, we will call for other sources to develop it.”