No online games for Chinese kids after midnight?

TedM (UK)

My experience with my son and his friends convinced me of the dangers of "gaming" on computers. When he was a teenager he spent every spare moment playing. His personality changed and he became aggressive and depressed. Limiting his computer gaming time to one hour per night was torture for him, but he did return to normal.

In China the problem is potentially worse because of the pressures to succeed at school. Teenagers with limited ability cannot keep up and become disillusioned. They give up and turn to one of the few leisure pursuits available: computer gaming. The computer becomes a warm and isolated bath where they feel safe to enjoy another reality. Attempts to disconnect them from this world are dealt with aggressively. Like any drug addiction, it must be treated as a medical mental illness. For the most serious cases maybe the only solution is a "cold turkey" approach of the "boot camp". Parents need to keep careful supervision over what their children do on computers and the time spent on "gaming". Computers are a vital tool in the 21st century if used sensibly.

Visitors play online games during the 9th China Digital Entertainment Expo, also known as ChinaJoy 2011, in Shanghai, China, July 30, 2011.[Photo/IC]