China has begun war against online gaming addiction. It hasn't been started by the government though, but by parents.
Starting next month, a new project will begin to require online gaming companies to have a web page and hotline call center for parents to monitor their child's online gaming habits.
People's Daily Online has reported that internet gaming services will authorize parents to limit or ban their child from playing. The gaming providers will also work with parents to provide guidance as to which games would be best for them to play and prevent them from playing improper games. This comes as the "online addiction" in teenagers in China has been counted at 33 million!
The Ministry of Culture will begin this monitoring service on March 1st. They believe that children should not be playing online games for more than 2 hours a week or pay more that $1.50 (US) for online gaming services.
This of course could be worse. China has already placed other programs to stop online addictions that are more strict and proven to be more violent. Some clinics have used shock therapy and even beatings to stop teenagers from feeding their addiction.
There are thousands of people worldwide who are addicted to online gaming. There should be programs to help people who show these symptoms. I don't agree with the hardcore programs but to each country their own.
People have been losing their lives over online gaming. Marriages have crumbled, jobs have been lost, friendships lost forever. The stereotype of a smelly gamer is starting to not become a stereotype but a fact when these addicts begin to ignore their hygiene. There are even reports of people showing withdrawal symptoms because they couldn't get their fix. People need help and there should be help for them.
I know first hand as I was once addicted to online gaming. I was addicted to Final Fantasy XI for 3 years. I would breathe that game. I would stay up all night and play and sleep only on the bus and train to work and back home so I wouldn't lose time playing. I would feed my infant son and rock him to bed with one hand while playing. I ignored my duties as a husband and father. It all changed when I have noticed what I was doing and what I have become. My wife gave me an ultimatum, my game or my marriage. It was a wake up call.
I began craving the game but was bound by a verbal contract that I would only be able to play video games at that time when everyone was sleeping or when no one was home. I was only limited to Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday nights. Of course MMO's have to be played daily to get the best out of them right? I made a choice to abandon the game altogether and focus on everything else.
I was lucky to have someone help me through that. Most kids don't. Parents nowadays don't question these things. "So what, he's playing. Better than being out in the street." Is it? Their addiction is helping them become anti-social.
Don't get me wrong, I love gaming and will do what I can to play but there's a difference between the kids who grew up playing against real friends in Atari and Nintendo and kids who never see the face on the other side of the character. I grew up with co-op mode and "multiplayer" being 2 chubby little kids sitting on the edge of a bed playing Contra or Double Dragon. We spoke with other kids about games and went to each others homes to play their Super Nintendo because we had the Genesis. We went to the arcade and placed quarters on cabinets to signify "I got next!" And when studies like this one show that today's youth play 31 hours and are vegetables and slaves to their console, we have to find a way to bring back old school social gaming.
For the children...
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