Fighting Children Addiction to Internet Video Gaming: Requirement for a ‘Shut Down Law’

As computer and internet use become a staple of everyday life, the potential for overuse is introduced, which may lead to addiction. Research on internet video games addiction has shown that users can become addicted to it. Addiction to the internet video games shares some of the negative aspects of substance addiction and has been shown to lead to consequences such as failing school, family, and relationship problems. Video game addiction plagues our children to worse situation. Internet video games are often demanding, competitive and require intense focus and endurance, in addition to being addictive. In an attempt to curb the problem, a new law mandates is required to allow parents to control exactly when their children play. The restrictions will apply to all online games but games that are 18-and-above can be exempted with caution. But while such legislation can reduce excessive gaming among youth, it will do little to help adult gamers, who are some of the worst offenders. Therefore, this papers aims at identifying and comparing some existing law and regulations at other countries, at the same time that can be applicable for the protection the children against this addiction in Malaysia. In addition, this issue can also be addressed by enacting a current local statute for the protecting of children against internet video gaming. This study is primarily doctrinal and qualitative in nature. The paper greatly contributes to the protection of children against this addiction and to suggest that internet video gaming should be categorized alongside gambling, drugs and alcohol as a potentially ‘anti-social’ addiction under proposals for a “shut down” law