Govt blamed for rise in child online game addicts

By THE NATION

 

(FIle) Members of Team Virtus.Pro compete in the final round of Counter-Strike Global Offensive during the V4 Future Sports E-sport international video game contest in BOK Sports Hall in Budapest, Hungary, 25 March 2018. // EPE-EFE PHOTO

 

THE NUMBER of children addicted to online games has risen by 100 per cent in the short span since the government decided to recognise “e-sports” last October, said a psychiatrist who spoke up yesterday to highlight the adverse impacts from the decision.

 

“It’s not okay to just redefine online games as ‘e-sports’,” Dr Yongyuth Wongpiromsan from the Mental Health Department told a seminar organised by the Thai Health Promotion Foundation to address e-sports problems. 

 

 

“In fact, e-sports form one type of competition – but not sports,” Yongyuth said.

 

Teerarat Pantawee, who heads the National Health Assembly’s panel on children and media, said many children were now negotiating for more online game-playing time by arguing with their parents that their games are sports. 

 

But “game addiction causes physical, mental and brain problems,” she said. 

 

Teerarat believed e-sports had grown more popular partly because there were many official e-sport contests and promotions. 

 

“Thailand’s e-sport industry is now worth more than Bt10 billion. It has also been growing at the rate of 12 per cent per annum,” she said. 

 

 

According to the 2018 DQ Impact Study by the Digital Economy Promotion Agency, more than 50 per cent of children used the Internet to play games. “And on average, Thai children spent 35 hours a week online,” she said. 

 

According to Teerarat, children’s excessive exposure to such media is not good for developing their intellectual and emotional quotients.

 

Yongyuth said e-sports should be regulated and controlled, while Teerarat said she would not demand the scrapping of e-sports, but wanted protection for children and parents who did not fully understand the issues and could become vulnerable to associated dangers. 

 

“It’s time we clearly defined what an ‘e-sport’ is. It’s time we clearly list its pros and cons,” she said. 

 

She said that e-sports could lead some players to fame and a nice career and “e-sport playing may also foster teamwork and discipline, on top of giving fun and entertainment”.

 

But she emphasised that e-sport could also lead to game addiction, lack of concentration, physical inactivity, a poor academic record and family problems. 

 

Sports Authority of Thailand’s deputy governor Nattawut Ruangwes said his organisation had resolved to recognise e-sports after listening to various sides. “Online games also match the criteria of what sports is by our standard,” he said.

 

 

Nattawut reckoned that the Thailand E-sports Federation was not yet strong and continued to be dominated by business groups. “We will monitor what happens. If adverse impacts grow, we will review our decision,” he said. 

 

According to Nattawut, the Thailand E-sports Federation has promised to properly regulate the scope and content of e-sports. 

Peeratch Ingkudanonda, a world-class e-sport player, said he was now pursuing it as a career. 

 

“I’ve known for quite some time that I am good at playing games. Now, I practice hard about eight hours a day, five days a week,” he said. “But I have also striven to maintain a well-balanced life. I also go to a fitness centre to maintain my good health.”

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30347846

 

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-06-16

 

Don't parents have some sort of responsibility in this somewhere?

Only asking.

What a load of tosh!

 

The Government is to blame for many things but game addiction? 

4 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Yongyuth said e-sports should be regulated and controlled, while Teerarat said she would not demand the scrapping of e-sports, but wanted protection for children and parents who did not fully understand the issues and could become vulnerable to associated dangers. 

I propose some sort of TV set in every household through which the government can broadcast a daily program telling how you should think and at the same time look into your house to make sure you don't do things that are harmful for you. The government would be personified by the PM, who looks out for your mental and physical health as a big brother would do. Maybe we can even refer to him as "big brother"?

4 hours ago, overherebc said:

Don't parents have some sort of responsibility in this somewhere?

Only asking.

Well first of all I refuse to accept the term "E-sports". Regarding parental responsibility, I'm not sure if you have those parents in mind who let a 10-year old ride dad's motorcycle, or carry a baby with one arm while steering a motorbike with the other.

4 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Govt blamed for rise in child online game addicts

Really?   Should be: PARENTS are blamed for rise of online game addicts as well as other derelict activities.....

 

Edited June 16, 20188 yr by flyingtlger
miss

Gaming is here to stay, better to let children get bored with it than try to inflict severe restrictions. It's the adults glued to their Ipads and telephones that are a concern. Adults are now almost at the point of, ear piece in, living in their own bubble for most of the day. Great example for kids who are nowhere near as introverted.

 

I note my son who wanted to play everything when we visited the play area in the shopping malls, now he just tries his luck on the crane grab thing, and likes to occasionally win and take something away.

 

Is it a concern he plays games? yes too much we don't like, but he could be sitting watching crap on TV, he still gets out and about doing the 'dangerous' unsupervised stuff kids do!! You know the other stuff parents are also chastised for!!! ?

 

Life is sometimes no more complicated than trying to achieve the right balance

6 hours ago, overherebc said:

Don't parents have some sort of responsibility in this somewhere?

Only asking.

Heresy. And probably actionable as a threat to national security.

Edited June 16, 20188 yr by Krataiboy

6 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Teerarat Pantawee, who heads the National Health Assembly’s panel on children and media, said many children were now negotiating for more online game-playing time by arguing with their parents that their games are sports. 

Then the parents should say no. 

 

Sorry, but to blame the govt for this alleged problem is ridiculous. 

 

Sorry OP but to present an article suggesting the government is to blame is clearly ridiculous. there should be more stringent QC on Thai Visa Team articles posted.

I hear a lot of blame to parents. But I worked really hard to get my child interested in books and off the computer. I never allowed him a telephone. 

Unfortunately, he has hit high school. Apparently the teachers want all the research done on the phone. the children are forced to join the online group or they don't recieve important information. Walk into any high school. Full of kids sitting around playing games. So, in some ways, yes the government is causing a whole generation to be addicted. It's impossible for parents to monitor their children while at school. Believe me, I tried. 

9 hours ago, madmitch said:

What a load of tosh!

 

The Government is to blame for many things but game addiction? 

The parents, and only the parents are to blame.

Not the goverent.