Dealing With Children Who Are Addicted To Computer Games And The Internet

[Jai Dee]

Parents beware of children spending more time on computer games and the internet during school break

The Department of Mental Health is distributing 2,000 handbooks on how parents can deal with children who are addicted to computer games and the internet.

The Director-General of the Mental Health Department, M.L. Somchai Chakrabhand, says more youths have become gaming and internet addicts. He says the Institute of Child and Adolescent Mental Health has launched a center to solve this problem specifically.

Recently, the institute has made a 30-minute VCD, teaching parents on how to take care of the children in the digital age. It contains ten guidelines. Some of them include promoting discipline and responsibility to young children, using financial measures, reducing the time for youths to play computer games or use the internet, applying motivation methods, providing other creative alternatives, and strengthen family values.

Youths are expected to spend more of their time on computer games and the internet during the school break. Parents can ask for the handbooks at the Department of Mental Health between April 3rd and 12th. The handbooks are free of charge.

For more information, please contact the Institute of Child and Adolescent Mental Health at 0-2354-8305-7, or log on to www.icamtalk.com.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 04 April 2007

[65Craig]

Well if Thailand continues to add to the list of banned sites, this problem will fix itself. The kids will find nothing of quality on the internet. This censorship bulls#%t is getting out of hand. Today, I read a post that www.youtube.com has been one of the sites that has been banned . I've been trying to log on to You Tube all day and with no luck. Kind of sucks as I have a part-time gig working with a well known search engine and if this kind of censorship continues and I'm not allowed to go to sites I'm supposed to be evaluating, then I can kiss this job goodbye.

[65Craig]

Hopefully the powers that be in Thailand won't deem this site offensive as there does seem to be a lot of negative things said about the Kingdom of Thailand on some of the threads. Really hate censorship in any form. RIP You Tube (at least as far as viewing in Thailand goes). Hey, is there an actual list of banned sites in Thailand that anyone can refer me to? I'd love to read what sites they view as offensive.

[mike_rad]

Perhaps the youtube ban won't stick. They did a similar thing with Camfrog, a couple of times actually, to try and stop the live sex performances. But they eventually lifted it.

-

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Perhaps the youtube ban won't stick. They did a similar thing with Camfrog, a couple of times actually, to try and stop the live sex performances. But they eventually lifted it.

-

Youtube does promote some very iffy content.

[nikster]

This handbook is BS. More rules, discipline, wow, where did they dig that up from, the 1950ies?

Here's my handbook:

- Give 'em something worthwhile to do

- Talk to them

- Remember what you did when you were a teenager

I recently drove by an internet shop on a Sunday, 5 am (don't ask). It was packed with teens playing all sorts of online games. By packed I mean - all seats were filled. At 5 am!

I thought "so that's what they are talking about when they say internet addiction". But then again - back when I was a teenager we didn't have internet, only an old C64. All-night game sessions with friends were the best - many fond memories. Later Amiga, PS, etc. And frankly had we had internet, we would have done that all night too.

And so it goes, each generation had their own unhealthy teen habits that their parents tried to stop... for thousands of years...

In any case, computer games and the internet seem a lot more harmless than alternative teenage activities like drinking until you pass out, racing drunk on motorcycles, or experimenting with illegal substances.

[A_Traveller]

Isn't there a Thai word for 'that's enough'...... hm.. looking around maybe not

Regards

[Ijustwannateach]

The video doesn't say anything that isn't common sense- but it all depends on Thai parents both to have the time to spend monitoring their kids and then actually to do it. Most Thai families don't have this luxury. Anyway, this is more of a city problem and probably affects a lot fewer kids than they estimate- but since the city kids are richer and easier to survey, the problem seems magnified.

[jackinthebox]

Hopefully the powers that be in Thailand won't deem this site offensive as there does seem to be a lot of negative things said about the Kingdom of Thailand on some of the threads. Really hate censorship in any form. RIP You Tube (at least as far as viewing in Thailand goes). Hey, is there an actual list of banned sites in Thailand that anyone can refer me to? I'd love to read what sites they view as offensive.

Maybe can be found here...

http://facthai.wordpress.com/data/

think it`s this file

http://facthai.files.wordpress.com/2007/03...12-03-07csv.txt

[meemiathai]

I don't understand why they are doing it so well in executing drug dealers but don't have a clue on how to deal With Children Who Are Addicted To Computer Games And The Internet. Come on! Shoot all those computer manufacturers! FGS!

[marquess]

Hopefully the powers that be in Thailand won't deem this site offensive as there does seem to be a lot of negative things said about the Kingdom of Thailand on some of the threads. Really hate censorship in any form. RIP You Tube (at least as far as viewing in Thailand goes). Hey, is there an actual list of banned sites in Thailand that anyone can refer me to? I'd love to read what sites they view as offensive.

Maybe can be found here...

http://facthai.wordpress.com/data/

think it`s this file

http://facthai.files.wordpress.com/2007/03...12-03-07csv.txt

:D

[Heng]

People need to be more responsible for their own children. ...In the same way that farmers should be responsible for their own debts and exporters should be responsible for their own profit margins, etc.

[astral]

It contains ten guidelines. Some of them include promoting discipline and responsibility in young children,

Now that is a novel idea.

I would never have thought of it.......................

[kmart]

How about sorting out the Education Ministry before doing anything else?

[jasreeve17]

It's not exactly the worse thing that this government has done. I can't see too many reasons to be negative about this booklet.

If it helps some parents with general pointers, then good. When they have completed the print run, then maybe they could print some more up in English (for Britain), Chinese and Korean - in these countries kids seem to be wasting away their lives on the internet too.

(Korea is the worse country that I've seen in this regard.)

[Jai Dee]

Maybe can be found here...

http://facthai.wordpress.com/data/

think it`s this file

http://facthai.files.wordpress.com/2007/03...12-03-07csv.txt

"On March 8, 2007, MICT refused to provide FACT their blocklist or finite criteria for blocking websites for the sixth time."

[Jai Dee]

Mental Health Department sets up center to deal with computer game addiction

The Mental Health Department sets up a center to prevent children from being addicted to computer games. VCDs on how to look after children in the cyber age have been distributed to parents.

Director-General of the Department of Mental Health, M.L.Somchai Chakrapan (สมชาย จักรพันธุ์) says obsessive computer game playing affects children’s learning and health. The children who play too much computer games also have a tendency to aggressive behavior. He says the main cause of this kind of addiction is the children’s lack of discipline and responsibility.

To solve the problem of excessive computer game playing, the Mental Health Department has assigned the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Rajanagarindra Institute to set up the center for the prevention of addiction to computer games in children. The institute has given out 30 minutes-long VCDs to give advice to parents on how to deal with obsessive computer game playing.

The director-general suggests that parents should not allow their children to play computer games for longer than two consecutive hours a day. If the children do not follow the parents’ rules on computer game playing, the parents should foster discipline in their children by assigning them responsibilities.

Interested people can receive a copy of the VCD on how to deal with children’s addiction to computer game at the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Rajanagarindra Institute from now until April 12th.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 05 April 2007