Do they not have parents in Korea?

Wow, Harlan, that sounds just like the way my parents were, when I was a kid.



Americans also work long hours, but we don't have these sort of laws. Then again, the culture in America is vastly different from S. Korean culture, hence such laws are acceptable in S. Korea.

Most games are pure entertainment. That's kind of bad. There's an opportunity cost to playing them... it can steal away the time from achieving excellence. Generally speaking, playing frivolous games won't make kids better adults. It may even be a vice. It's akin to junk food. Tastes great but not healthy especially in excess. The crux is, it's hard to get kids who lack the discipline and self control of (most? lol) adults to moderate themselves when it comes to fun or yummy things.



I suspect I'm not alone here, but I wasn't allowed a TV in my room until I was 14. Until that age we we watched TV as a family. Parents have accepted a lot of things as "normal" (and therefore ok) because of the type of normality that is perpetuated on TV. Today 10 year olds have tv's, dvd players, computers, console games and all sorts of things in their bedrooms. This is just my opinion, but I don't think majority of parents are aware that this aspect of our evolving culture is a negative one. Most parents place way too much trust in schools (some are effectively forced to due to work) to provide a well rounded education... but public schools cannot do this... they cannot raise kids. And yet, for many working parents, various teachers collectively see their children more than they do.



I think parents are heavily influenced by the Jones' they see on TV. Even the parents who put a lot of thought into raising their children, can only do so much when all of their child's friends are (dare I say) corrupted.



Regulation is not the answer, but educational awareness is.



"It takes all kinds of people to turn the world." For me that is a profound statement. That is why I feel there is a responsibility (often shirked) by those with a better education, with greater means, and more free time to help educate others who are doing other necessary unskilled work in the world but lack the wherewithal to recognize certain virtues let alone how to instill them in their children.

can you bank your hours? if they don't play for a few days can they play 9 hrs in a day?



this most definitely falls under "parental choice" and not under federal law. i know people who let their kids play way too much online, hours upon hours, but it's their choice to let them play away their days. 30 minutes of homework and then 5 hours on MW3 with no time outside playing around with other kids... ahhh youth is wasted on the young.

Dear South Korea.... let South Korean parents decide whats best for their children....no one likes a nanny state.

I know little about the Korean Social/Government paradigm to make a judgment, but hey, that's just me.

Actually, in the US we should consider looking at limiting cell phone use, Facebook time and TV viewing hours in addition to game playing time, for both children and adults. lol I can't say that I know anybody who sufficiently constrains themselves to prevent themselves from coming to harm. Whether it's missed meals and missed sleep leading to decreased performance at school or work, or botched relationships because their priority was a bit high on pursuing leisure activities. As we've become a networked society, whether through Facebook, texting or in-game chat, it seems most people have become obsessed with the fear of being left out, and therefore spend an inordinate amount of time "networking."