Restricting video games in China: Effects on time use, educational achievement, and health
Journal of Development Economics · 2026 · [{"name": "Zhejian Wang", "affiliation": ["University of Delaware"]}]
中文摘要
2021 年，中国政府出台了一项高度限制性的政策，大幅限制未成年人接触网络电子游戏：取消周一至周四的游戏时间，仅允许在周五、周末及法定节假日每天游玩一小时。本文使用具有全国代表性的调查数据和双重差分（DID）设计，发现该政策大幅降低了未成年人的游戏参与度和总体互联网使用，反映出相当程度但不完全的遵从。然而，这些行为变化并未带来可检测到的短期学业表现改善，也没有明确证据表明学习时间增加。与健康相关的证据则更为有限：未发现明确的身体健康改善，仅有提示性迹象表明心理健康水平有所下降。来自城市层面行政数据和回归扭结（regression kink）设计的补充证据同样显示，对考试结果没有稳健影响。这表明，尽管 2021 年禁令有效减少了线上活动，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.