TLDRs;

• Tencent rolls out new parental controls during China’s two-month summer break to reduce minor gaming addiction.
• The initiative includes real-time monitoring, customizable playtime limits, and educational tools for families.
• This move aligns with China’s long-standing regulations that restrict minor access to online games.
• Tencent’s efforts reflect a growing global trend toward stronger digital safeguards for young users.

Tencent Games has launched a new summer initiative aimed at helping parents better regulate their children’s gaming behavior during the extended school break.

With minors now having more free time and screen exposure likely to rise, the company is offering a suite of parental tools designed to limit gaming hours, track usage in real-time, and promote healthier digital habits.

The campaign focuses on strengthening family oversight at a time when concerns about gaming addiction typically peak. The two-month-long school holiday in China often coincides with a surge in online activity among minors, which has prompted both regulators and gaming firms to take proactive measures. Tencent’s summer move appears to be a direct response to both growing parental concerns and the country’s continuing regulatory push.

China’s strict regulations continue to shape industry behavior

Tencent’s new measures are consistent with the broader regulatory environment in China, where the government has enforced some of the world’s toughest rules on youth gaming. Since 2019, restrictions have included a 90-minute daily limit on weekdays, a gaming curfew between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m., and monthly spending caps based on age.

Rather than waiting for new directives, Tencent has taken a self-regulatory stance by introducing enhanced tools for families. This includes customizable time limits, educational content for parents, and integration with schools to raise awareness about screen time and online behavior. These additions reflect Tencent’s strategic alignment with government goals while attempting to foster a more responsible gaming culture.

Real-time control and education are central to Tencent’s approach

What sets Tencent’s program apart is its emphasis on direct parental involvement. Parents can now access real-time reports of their children’s gaming hours, adjust playtime limits on the fly, and access materials designed to help guide conversations about healthy gaming. This blend of technical control and educational outreach shows a shift toward empowering families to take more active roles in their children’s digital lives.

Research has shown that family-based interventions can significantly reduce problematic gaming behavior. One study involving over 300 students found that when parents were equipped with both monitoring tools and learning resources, children showed better self-control and reduced signs of addiction. Tencent’s initiative appears to build on this model by combining real-time controls with awareness campaigns.

Industry trend points to increased global focus on youth protection

Tencent is not alone in its efforts to safeguard younger users. Globally, gaming and social media companies are under increasing pressure to enforce child safety standards. YouTube, for instance, recently raised the minimum age for live streaming to 16. Similarly, platforms like Roblox have enhanced parental control dashboards to allow parents more visibility and control over their child’s gaming behavior.

While China’s regulatory regime is more rigid than most, companies worldwide are converging around similar goals, limiting excessive screen time and protecting minors from digital harm. Tencent’s summer initiative shows how large platforms are responding not only to legal mandates but also to societal expectations around responsible tech use.

Members of the Simpson College esports team were informed via email that Director of Esports Hubert Whan Tong and Assistant Esports Director Seth Larson were fired.

This change comes from Simpson moving towards a new staffing model for the esports program.

According to Director of Athletics Marty Bell, the college felt esports should align with the three varsity programs who report to the athletics department but do not fall under the NCAA designation: shooting sports, dance and cheer.

These programs have part-time head coaches, and one program has one full-time head coach due to the risk level of the program. The new staffing model for esports will be similar.

“We feel this change will allow us to move forward with our Esports program and still provide a quality experience for our participants while recognizing the need to be fiscally prudent to ensure the long-term success and sustainability of the college for our students,” said Bell.

Between the salaries of the staff and the operating budget, the program costs just over $115,000 a year. All existing scholarships awarded for participating in esports will be honored, but it is unclear at this time if there will be esports scholarships in the future.

Whan Tong, former Director of Esports, worries about the future of the program, which had its largest roster of over 40 students in the 2024-25 academic year. He believes they will struggle to meet the membership guidelines of the National Association of Collegiate Esports and the Midwest Esports Conference.

Each conference requires a dedicated esports staff member who can commit to supervising practices, overnight travel, competitions and the academic progress of their students. Violations of these requirements could result in the program being terminated from the conference.

Esports have won four national championship titles in the National Association of Collegiate Esports conference, three regional championship titles in the Midwest Esports Conference, the Midwest Esports Conference Unified Program award and the Unified Social Impact award since the start of the program in 2021.

“I have faith that the next person will do the best they can with the resources they are given. In the last four years, it was an honor to be Simpson’s esports director,” said Whan Tong. “I was incredibly privileged to have worked with so many talented students, coaches and most of all my assistant director.”

Joe Degen, a member of the Super Smash Bros. team, is concerned with the change and upset at the college for how their decision will impact the program, which is well-respected among other schools in the Midwest.

“The esports program that Hubert and Seth helped create was the main factor in me picking Simpson over other schools l was considering, like Wartburg, Coe, and Central,” said Degen. “I guarantee that if you ask any of the directors of those programs, they can tell you how their program was either inspired by Simpson’s program or could tell you how important someone like Hubert was to the establishment of competitive college esports in Iowa.”

Degen is proud to be a part of esports and praised Whan Tong and Larson’s dedication and commitment to creating such a successful program. He finds it hard to see where the program will go from here.

Simpson will begin searching for a new leader to run the program in the fall.  

Editor’s Note: The Simpsonian staff is off for the summer but is committed to writing about important campus updates when possible.

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