A news report labelling online gaming "spiritual opium" provoked a strong reaction on Chinese social media with many users believing the article had muddied the waters concerning the protection of minors. 

The article, published by Economic Information Daily on Aug. 3, said that over half of Chinese children and teenagers suffered from nearsightedness or myopia in 2020, and that online gaming addiction led to poor academic performances and generated personality disorders. It also claimed that the harms of online gaming, especially mobile games, have been increasingly recognized by society, so much so that it is often dubbed "spiritual opium" and an "electronic drug."

The harsh rhetoric caused a tumble in stock market. Hours after it was published, shares of China's leading online gaming companies, such as Tencent, Netease, and XD Inc., plunged. The article was then taken down from online news outlets and republished later that afternoon with all opium-related narratives removed. 

Still, debate regarding the "spiritual opium" rhetoric continued on social media platforms for the rest of last week. While some insist that online gaming is the biggest threat to teenagers' growth and should be controlled, many believe that the problem is not online gaming itself, but about developing suitable recreational habits that benefit teenagers. 

"Simply blaming the internet and games can never be a quick fix to this issue," one comment said in Sina Weibo, a Chinese micro-blog platform. "Even if all online games were controlled, there will always be other alternatives, such as short-video apps or live-streaming platforms, for teenagers to spend their leisure time on, and these could be even more addictive."

According to third-party statistics, Chinese mobile users spent an average of 5.3 hours daily on mobile apps in the first quarter of 2021. Short video, instant messaging and online video apps were the most popular mobile categories, accounting for almost 57.7% of the total app usage time, meanwhile mobile games only accounted for 7.2%. 

A survey on mobile app usage among people born after 2000 also showed that only one mobile game app made the top 50 list, ranking 15th, and its usage index accounted for only 8.51% of WeChat, an instant messaging app which topped the rank. 

In this sense, compared with various other time-consuming mobile apps, mobile games are far from qualified to be dubbed "spiritual opium." Still, regarding the thriving short video industry and addictive social networks, many suggest that more regulatory efforts should be in place towards the algorithms that power the apps, rather than the apps themselves. 

"It is the big data and the algorithms behind short video apps that keep offering its users unrestrained pleasure," said a comment on Zhihu, China's Quora-like Q&A platform. 

Over the years, China has been stepping up efforts to prevent gaming addiction among children. According to Yang Fang, deputy head of the Publishing Bureau of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, China has established a national-level real-name authentication system to prevent online game addiction. More than 5,000 gaming companies and some 100,000 online games have been added to the platform. 

In her speech at the ChinaJoy 2021, Asia's biggest game event also known as the China Digital Entertainment Expo and Conference, Yang urged China's gaming industry to prioritize social benefits and provide healthy and suitable content for the younger generation. 

"Protecting minors is the due responsibility of all industries, including gaming companies as well as parents," said Huang Yimeng, CEO of XD Inc. on Zhihu. As a father of two and also an online gaming industrial leader, Huang recalled his childhood gaming experiences and said that gaming is a useful tool to build strong family connections. 

Huang called for gaming companies to communicate with parents, develop quality games for all kids of all ages, and introduce various tools to help parents manage their children's gaming time. 

"Both game developers and gaming platforms need to take greater responsibilities to ensure the healthy growth of the gaming industry, players, and society," Huang added.

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