Restricting video games in China: Effects on time use, educational achievement, and health
中文摘要
2021年，中国政府出台了一项高度限制性的政策，严格限制未成年人接触网络电子游戏，禁止周一至周四游玩，仅允许周五、周末和法定节假日每天游玩一小时。利用具有全国代表性的调查数据和双重差分（DID）设计，我发现该政策大幅减少了未成年人的游戏参与和整体互联网使用，反映出实质性但不完全的合规。然而，这些行为改变并未在学业成绩上产生可检测到的短期改善，也没有明确证据表明学习时间有所增加。与健康相关的证据更为有限，没有明确的身体健康收益，且有提示性迹象表明心理健康状况有所下降。来自城市层面行政数据的补充证据和断点回归设计同样显示，该政策对考试结果没有稳健的影响，这表明尽管2021年的禁令有效遏制了网络活动，但其对学习的下游收益并未实现。
Abstract
In 2021, the Chinese government introduced a highly restrictive policy that sharply limited minors’ access to online video games, eliminating play from Monday through Thursday and allowing only one hour per day on Fridays, weekends, and statutory holidays. Using nationally representative survey data and a difference-in-differences design, I find that the policy sharply reduced minors’ gaming engagement and overall Internet use, reflecting substantial but incomplete compliance. However, these behavioral changes did not produce detectable short-run improvements in academic performance, nor clear evidence of an increase in study time. The health-related evidence is more limited, with no clear physical-health gains and suggestive indications of reduced mental well-being. Complementary evidence from city-level administrative data and a regression kink design likewise shows no robust effects on exam outcomes, suggesting that while the 2021 ban effectively curtailed online activity, its downstream benefits for learning were not realized.