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

Suzanne Lischer, Emilien Jeannot, Lukas Brülisauer, Niels Weber, Yasser Khazaal, Samuel Bendahan and Olivier Simon
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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
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

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 15, 1-11

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.

Keywords: policy; gaming; video games; gaming disorder; microtransactions; adolescents (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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