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Response to the Regulation of Video Games under the Youth Media Protection Act: A Public Health Perspective

Author

Listed:
  • Suzanne Lischer

    (School of Social Work, Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, 6002 Lucerne, Switzerland)

  • Emilien Jeannot

    (Addiction Medicine, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), 1004 Lausanne, Switzerland
    Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Global Health, Chemin de Mines 9, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland)

  • Lukas Brülisauer

    (Addiction Medicine, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), 1004 Lausanne, Switzerland)

  • Niels Weber

    (Consultation Psychothérapeutique de Montriond, 1006 Lausanne, Switzerland)

  • Yasser Khazaal

    (Addiction Medicine, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), 1004 Lausanne, Switzerland)

  • Samuel Bendahan

    (Département de Comportement Organisationnel, Faculty of Business and Economics (HEC Lausanne), University of Lausanne (UNIL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland)

  • Olivier Simon

    (Addiction Medicine, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), 1004 Lausanne, Switzerland)

Abstract

The Swiss Youth and Media Act, which is about to enter into force, is an attempt to provide a legislative framework for video game use. Among other inclusions, the law intends to make providers more accountable by taking measures to protect minors from harm that can be caused by improper use of video games. However, it is a challenge to create a legal framework that can adequately regulate the evolving features of video games. Legislators must find a suitable regulatory approach which takes into account the fact that there is an increasing convergence between video games and gambling, particularly with the introduction of loot boxes. Moreover, there is a need for regulation, including the prohibition of misleading designs, the introduction of additional protection for minors, and the assurance of transparency of transactions. Appropriate policy legislation and consumer-protection measures are needed to protect people using these types of products, particularly children and adolescents. Further work should focus on assessing game characteristics to refine regulatory models to promote safe gaming. Based on experiences from the field of psychoactive substances as well as that of gambling, it is now a matter of developing a matrix of harm with elaborated categories: a tool that makes it possible to evaluate the potential harms of certain game design in an evidence-based manner.

Suggested Citation

  • Suzanne Lischer & Emilien Jeannot & Lukas Brülisauer & Niels Weber & Yasser Khazaal & Samuel Bendahan & Olivier Simon, 2022. "Response to the Regulation of Video Games under the Youth Media Protection Act: A Public Health Perspective," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(15), pages 1-11, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:15:p:9320-:d:876044
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. von Meduna, Marc & Steinmetz, Fred & Ante, Lennart & Reynolds, Jennifer & Fiedler, Ingo, 2020. "Loot boxes are gambling-like elements in video games with harmful potential: Results from a large-scale population survey," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 63(C).
    2. McCaffrey, Matthew, 2019. "The macro problem of microtransactions: The self-regulatory challenges of video game loot boxes," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 62(4), pages 483-495.
    3. Franz W. Peren, 2011. "Assessment Tool to Measure and Evaluate the Risk Potential of Gambling Products: AsTERiG," Journal of Gambling Business and Economics, University of Buckingham Press, vol. 5(2), pages 10-22, July.
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    Cited by:

    1. David Zendle & Catherine Flick & Elena Gordon-Petrovskaya & Nick Ballou & Leon Y. Xiao & Anders Drachen, 2023. "No evidence that Chinese playtime mandates reduced heavy gaming in one segment of the video games industry," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 7(10), pages 1753-1766, October.
    2. Ling Lin & Tao Shu & Han Yang & Jun Wang & Jixian Zhou & Yuxuan Wang, 2023. "Consumer-Perceived Risks and Sustainable Development of China’s Online Gaming Market: Analysis Based on Social Media Comments," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(17), pages 1-20, August.
    3. Tao Shu & Zhiyi Wang & Huading Jia & Wenjin Zhao & Jixian Zhou & Tao Peng, 2022. "Consumers’ Opinions towards Public Health Effects of Online Games: An Empirical Study Based on Social Media Comments in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(19), pages 1-19, October.

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