Tech Life Hacks: Teaching about loot boxes long overdue

The Education Ministry's move to teach students about the ills of these gambling-like elements in games has been a long time coming

An advertisement of the free-to-play mobile game Genshin Impact, which launched on Sept 28, at Serangoon MRT station. ST PHOTO: KENNY CHEE
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Gambling-like elements in many video games, commonly called loot boxes, have been a concern among social workers and gamers like myself for many years now.

So it is reassuring when the Ministry of Education (MOE) told The Straits Times earlier this month that primary and secondary school students will be getting resources to teach students about the "dangers of loot boxes" from next year.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on October 28, 2020, with the headline Tech Life Hacks: Teaching about loot boxes long overdue . Subscribe