A closer look
South Korean lawmakers implemented the Shutdown Law in 2011, making it strictly illegal for children under the age of sixteen to play online video games between midnight and six in the morning to combat severe internet addiction. The government realized that teenagers were entirely willing to sacrifice their sleep, academic futures, and basic bodily functions just to grind for slightly better loot in massively multiplayer online role playing games. It turns out that digital elves and shiny virtual swords are way more compelling than actual reality, forcing an entire modern nation to legally enforce bedtime for rowdy gamers just so they would occasionally go outside. They finally repealed the controversial law a decade later, mostly because teenagers simply figured out they could easily steal their parents' registration numbers to keep playing League of Legends all night anyway. You absolutely cannot stop a dedicated gamer from ruining their own circadian rhythm!
