It’s been the hot button topic for the last few weeks, in light of the recent violence should we ban violent video games? While the United States still argues over the topic, the Iraq government went ahead and made that choice when they banned the video game Player Unknowns Battlegrounds (PUBG) the massive multi-player game that has taken the world by storm rivaled only by Fortnite. But Iraq doesn’t see it that way saying the game has negative effects on health, culture, and society and the irony wasn’t lost on the high school students that populate Iraq.
For many Iraqi highschoolers, the new law is a straight outrage. Internet cafes have become very popular in recent years, a chance for high school students to escape from their everyday lives and put on a headset and just not have to worry about things. In a country that has been torn apart by war and divides, the PUBG community has brought many players together in to enjoy this one thing. High school student, Mustafa Majid, is leading the charge against this new law,
The situation here is already worse than any game. I’m talking to you and I could get killed in an explosion, I’ve made friends with Iraqis from cities I’ve never been to, Basra and Amarah – and people from other countries. Some people I have met up with in Baghdad after playing the game (via. Independant)
The Iraqi parliament put this to a vote and unanimously agreed to ban the game citing its addictive nature. The people, on the other hand, seem to disagree with 60% saying the game has no negative side effects on their lives and just want to play. When the law went into effect people weren’t able to play…for a few hours. Majid stated that since everyone is able to acquire a VPN they were all playing and that the parament wasn’t going to stop people from enjoying the game.
What do you think of Iraq banning this game? would this be able to work in America? Or would people just follow Majid’s lead and find loopholes? sound off in the comments below!