Children In Thailand Trapped In Virtual World Of Online

[george]

Children in Thailand trapped in virtual world of online

Have you ever directly experienced the impact of online game addiction? And if the online game addict is a member of your family, how could you solve this problem?

A boy was sent from Bangkok's Prawet district to live upcountry because he was severely addicted to online games. Golf (not his real name) even stole money from his parents to visit an Internet cafe where he usually played such games. He spent some of the stolen money paying for his friends, who were also online game addicts.

He became an online game addict when he was only 11 years old and studied at a school in the district.

Wan, 23, a distant relative and her parents who took care of Golf in Bangkok, said she flogged him when she came to know about Golf's addiction to online games.

But punishment could not stop him. He still sneaked away from home to play the games.

Eventually, she said her parents cracked down on his addiction by sending him to live in Nakhon Ratchasima in an area without Internet cafes. It proved to be an effective longterm solution and ended the problem.

They also forced him to change his ways by telling him repeatedly that if he continued to be addicted to online games, nobody would love him, and if he came home late, he would not be allowed to enter the house.

Currently, Golf, now 15, has given up his studies. He lives with his grandma in Nakhon Ratchasima and works in her fruit plantation and raises her animals.

Another game addict died, though his online game addiction was not the main cause. The games he played online led him to become a road racer, and he got killed in an accident, said Sunee, 56 an Internet cafe owner in Bang Na district.

She said the boy's parents flogged him at an Internet cafe, so he stopped playing the games but turned to road racing instead, which proved to be fatal.

As the children's school summer vacation lasts about three months, they have enough free time to spend playing online games, unlike when the school is open.

Tar, 15, said he went to the Internet cafe every day and sometimes spent 24 hours playing online games. His monthly expense on games was Bt2,000Bt3,000.

James, 13, said he usually spent at least 10 hours at an Internet cafe and has done so for the past four years. He said not finding any other interesting activity was the primary reason he was lured by the Net games.

James is another game addict who steals his parents' money and skips classes in order to play games.

"If my parents don't allow me to play the games, I will get angry and destroy things," James added.

But it is not only boys who are becoming game addicts. Nom, an eightyearold girl, accompanies her elder brother to an Internet cafe. She said she sneaked away from home to play online games there every day.

Turk, 10, said what persuaded him to play online games was a feeling of loneliness as no one stayed at home during day time. Therefore, he used online games to entertain himself.

A Nation survey of Internet cafes located in Bang Na district found that they offered attractive promotions in the summer time to lure more child customers, such as playing online games from 10pm7 am for only Bt50 instead of Bt90.

Tum, an Internet cafe owner said his shop had already registered with the Culture Ministry and obeyed its regulations. He did not allow youths aged under 15 to enter his cafe before 2pm.

Sunee, an Internet cafe owner, advised as a mother that parents should allow their children to play games only about 12 hours a day.

It was estimated that in the next two years the average age of online game addicts would decline from 11 years old to 5.59 years old, according to the Thai Health Promotion Foundation's website.

Wallop Tangkananurak said the online gameaddiction problem had become serious.

"Nowadays, online games have become a part of children's lives," he added.

Wallop urged that the ministry's regulations be placed in a prominent place at each Internet cafe, so as to be easily seen and read. People should be given a reward if they informed police about cafes that did not display or follow the regulations.

-- The Nation 2010-04-12

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[rkidlad]

It's not just sleeping and eating that seem to be so popular with Thai people; it's also playing video games.

The girls in my office play these silly facebook games all day. When I say girls, some are middle-aged and married. I really can't understand why they're so addictive. I'm always telling them to read a good book.

[imjustagirl]

Kids will be kids and games whether online or not will always be popular. It really is up to the parents to keep an eye on the time they spend playing and to encourage them to do other things. If the child has a tantrum then let them scream and stamp there feet and dont give in...and serious repercussion for theft of money to play - good on the parents who took some serious action and sent the child to a computer free area. I read all the time that thai children are a bit spoiled and pandering to a game addiction will not help them with their futures, come on parents - toughen up and put your foot down!

[TPI]

It's not just sleeping and eating that seem to be so popular with Thai people; it's also playing video games.

The girls in my office play these silly facebook games all day. When I say girls, some are middle-aged and married. I really can't understand why they're so addictive. I'm always telling them to read a good book.

Read! Read?

[samuijim]

It's not just sleeping and eating that seem to be so popular with Thai people; it's also playing video games.

The girls in my office play these silly facebook games all day. When I say girls, some are middle-aged and married. I really can't understand why they're so addictive. I'm always telling them to read a good book.

Well, first of all for me it was online (free) video poker. Then, online really cheap five cent (US) online video poker. Then dollar online video poker. Now, Las Vegas here I come as soon as I can get a loan on my BKK condo. Question, do the casinos in Poi Pet have video poker slots ? Not that I would really go as its really just a hobby and totally under control.

[beejoir]

Changing times, changing culture.... get used to it, its not 1972 anymore.

[cup-O-coffee]

To have provided an article on this moot point - and at this stage of the game - only reflects the much more pathetic state of the governing bodies than it does for the individuals who are simply flowing where there is least resistance.

Take away the hope of a human and they have no reason to live (meaning develop their minds). What have these children got to look forward to? The boys will be working for Uncle, or join a gang, or whatever. The girls get pulled from school after about 6 years in school so they can help Mom and Dad and raise their brothers. It gets more bleak for those who do not understand this.

I say bleak because, even though this is their version of normal, this "normal" life of theirs gets swung out of balance when their lives are indoctrinated with this crap technology that really has no edifying or productive results for them. They are like the Borg, where they are being sucked into virtual worlds, and their heads have wires running from their ears; listening to mindless pap from the west and their own country.

Remember that most semi-intellectual human beings cannot distinguish the difference from reality and fantasy until the ages of 8 or 9 years old.

These automatons, who are slowly being shaped into bloodletting ninja warriors, and murderous recon killers, will someday be the sociopath beings who run this country. Now they are simply finding those vices; in their bleak and boring lives, that will release endorphins into the pleasure centers of their brains, and that just about removes any chances of them ever developing their minds in a manner that will allow them to survive; or even to get ahead in this world; and most importantly learn about the higher levels of consciousness: remorse, sympathy, compassion, good-will, etc.

This is all old school stuff. Actually seeing it happen should strike fear into the hearts of any middle aged person who will someday be geriatric; just about the time that these mindless robot are running the show, and they decide that old people are non-productive and should therefore be subject to eugenics, or worse.

[Sisaketmike]

It's not just sleeping and eating that seem to be so popular with Thai people; it's also playing video games.

The girls in my office play these silly facebook games all day. When I say girls, some are middle-aged and married. I really can't understand why they're so addictive. I'm always telling them to read a good book.

Sunee, an Internet cafe owner, advised as a mother that parents should allow their children to play games only about 12 hours a day.

(Means that you make about 180 baht/day for 12 hours?)

[Stjohnm]

I'm really thankful our house upcountry isn't connected to a land line & is at least a 10 minute drive to the nearest town with an internet Cafe, the younger kids in the family love the basic windows games on my laptop & mobile phone, I dread to think how much time they'd waste if it was connected to the internet while in the house.

[meadish_sweetball]

With parents who think that flogging would be a creative solution to that type of problem, small wonder the kids spend their time in Internet cafes. The AI in your average C-64 game would no doubt be a better role model and more beneficial to their social and intellectual growth.

[Pomthai]

It boils down to bad parenting. TV's & computers need limits and enforcement of those limits. Not necessarily by flogging either as eluded to in the OP. Also in the OP, what kind of parent allows a 15yr old to be told that they won't be loved?

The whole story is beyond belief.

Then there's this quote ""If my parents don't allow me to play the games, I will get angry and destroy things," James added." well in my opinion James if you decide to destroy things, then you in this case deserve to be flogged.

Their logic " He died in a road accident because we didn't let him goto the internet cafe " are people supposed to believe this tripe? Do they really? Did it ever cross their mind that he died because he drove or rode like an idiot and was never ever educated to the dangers of driving as such? Probably not.

This article just goes to show how society has failed and the authorities have continued to fail. Education is the only answer, sadly it probably won't ever solve the problem since the powers that be are afraid of an educated populous therefore they won't be educated.

Edited April 12, 2010 by Pomthai

[Mason45]

It boils down to bad parenting. TV's & computers need limits and enforcement of those limits. Not necessarily by flogging either as eluded to in the OP. Also in the OP, what kind of parent allows a 15yr old to be told that they won't be loved?

The whole story is beyond belief.

Then there's this quote ""If my parents don't allow me to play the games, I will get angry and destroy things," James added." well in my opinion James if you decide to destroy things, then you in this case deserve to be flogged.

Their logic " He died in a road accident because we didn't let him goto the internet cafe " are people supposed to believe this tripe? Do they really? Did it ever cross their mind that he died because he drove or rode like an idiot and was never ever educated to the dangers of driving as such? Probably not.

This article just goes to show how society has failed and the authorities have continued to fail. Education is the only answer, sadly it probably won't ever solve the problem since the powers that be are afraid of an educated populous therefore they won't be educated.

In all my travels in Thailand I've never yet seen parents that I'd consider responsible for their childrens welfare. Disciplining children in Thailand is an issue for the to hard basket because parents here don't like to hurt their spoilt brats feelings, especially boys. Even when young Somchai gets discplined he runs straight to his grandmother next door for a good old fashioned sook. Undisciplinrd kids are the undisciplined parents of the future and so the cycle goes on from one generation to the next.

[rreddin]

"How could you solve this problem?" I had to read it twice. The Thai authorities are aware that on-line gaming addition amongst Thai children is a serious and growing problem. A problem driven by lack of proper mental stimulation at home, and dare I say also in school; a lack of parental control; and, a lack of out of school activities for these chldren. These poor kids probably have a heap of other social problems as well.

The solution: post the regulations by the door so more people can read them (as if they wuld) and give rewards to people who inform on Internet cafes not following them.

The solution requires much more than that. It involves the parents being responsible for their children; it involves the schools; it involves the Internet cafe owners and involves the police enforcing the law. This being Thailand, I dare say a similar article will be published this time next year and nothing will have changed.

[somtampet]

I thought internet game places refuse young kids after 8 pm.Blame the parents as usual,no control of them and not interested in their well being.All kids love to pay games,it is 2010,but control is the issue,my stepson(9yo) plays 1 hour each day and only weekends.he plays games on my pc too

[Pomthai]

The so called laws/rules have been in place since 2003 however we all know about the standard of law enforcement here don't we.

Another school holiday, out comes yet another pointless article. Its been 7 yrs so far, nothings changed, doubt it will in the future either. Why? Because no-one really gives a sh1t. That is the unfortunate truth. Laws here are generally dreamed up as a knee jerk reaction to some event that happened, end of story.

Here's a link:- clicky

Edited April 12, 2010 by Pomthai

[bangon04]

"Sunee, an Internet cafe owner, advised as a mother that parents should allow their children to play games only about 12 hours a day."

Surely that will cut into the time allotted for watching Lakorn moron melodrama on TV? - the quality family time in many households.

10 hours should be plenty. Unless of course the intenet cafe owners install more TV monitors so that the moron kids can multitask. Hey, a market opportunity.

Bad parenting? You bet. More like no parenting. The MaiPenRai approach to child development. Let's face it - education would just get in the way.....

[whatamidoinghere]

I used to play 10 hours a day with my lego in the early 80s and my mother told me to spend a little more time "learning computer" as computers were the future, she said.

[TheLaughingMan]

I like how they tried to link online gaming to onroad racing?! They straight out say they forcibly stopped him from playing, THEN he went out to take up road racing with all his now available time INSTEAD of gaming. Morons, instead of linking the 2 as gaming = road racing deaths they actually proved the complete opposite, if he'd been gaming he wouldnt have been racing on the roads!

[louialive]

It baffels me that authorities of any country would say spend half of a day on a PC playing games. I mean are the children actually awake for 12 hours a day. Assuming they sleep 8 hours, wash, eat etc.

Or is sleep etc for gone for the fix of playing computer games.

I know how things can be addictive as I was addicted to slot machines when I was about 12 years old. But I wasn't in the arcade for 12 hours.

But I am sure this problem is worldwide not just Thailand.

I wonder what shape eyes the children of the future will have with all this gazing at a screen culture

[Thai at Heart]

Just proves the authorities have a very serious problem enforcing the law at all levels.

I also am coming to the opinion that Thai parenting skills in the modern day are very lacking. I have grown past the idea that Thais love their children more than Westerners. I am coming to the opinion that modern day Thai parents simply indulge their children far too much and have no idea of reward for achievement and punishment for wrong. It is no surprise to me that the countries with the highest achieving kids in Asia (Japan, Korea and Singapore) have reputations for disciplined strict parents. Those systems are probably over strict, but Thailand is far too indulgent the other way.

Thai parents in my experience slip for being ogres to sweetness for no reason and have little or no ability to act as parents as required, IMHO.

[mca]

Sunee, an Internet cafe owner, advised as a mother that parents should allow their children to play games only about 12 hours a day.

Sunee. A living, breathing example of how in some cases forced sterilization seems like pure common sense .

[cup-O-coffee]

In my experiences with my nieces and nephews and the kids I have taught at school, I have found that kids minds are fertile grounds for learning; sort of like empty hard drives. They are hungry to learn and they will go wherever there is least resistance and most stimulus to things fun.

It takes tough love, dedication, and an occasional swat on the bum when they do not respond in the manner that will help them get along in society at a later age.

The nephew of my Thai wife was a little monster when I first saw him. He did not listen to anyone; he swung objects at anything and broke, cracked or damaged anything in his path. He had tantrums when he did not get his way. You know the routine; he was a proper spoiled brat.

Now, after some tough love and a few swats on his bum, and lots of hugs and eye contact, I am the only one in the family that can bring him to attention with a simple. low voice using his name. He stops, makes eye contact, and immediately behaves like a proper little gentleman. The Thai side of my family is simply amazed at how much he loves me and always wants to show me what he drew, or whatever it is that he has accomplished.

I agree. Fathers and Mothers by blood or court documents; Parents by teaching and coaching, and then building a friendship that will last forever after the parenting has ended, and they set out on their own.

I do not see adults taking a serious interest in their own offspring. They are no more than an afterthought.

Sad.

[astral]

It is not just children sucked into the games world.

My friends, he is a Dr of Pharmacy, loves playing BR war games,

she, a lawyer, loves the Facebook games............

Both bore me stiff.

[robblok]

Online games aren't a problem. Bad parenting is.

[streetlife]

I used to play 10 hours a day with my lego in the early 80s and my mother told me to spend a little more time "learning computer" as computers were the future, she said.

She was a wise lady.

It was the 80's though that bought computer games into our households or down the nearest takeaway . The likes of Space Invaders, Donkey Kong, Asteroids and Defender...I used to spend countless hours on these games totally hooked...but many gamers of today have taken it a step further and totally immersed themselves into a fantasy world.

[Fore Man]

I can relate to children's addictions to on-line gaming. Our 16-year old niece came over from Nan to spend her school vacation with us in Chiang Mai. I felt sorry for her with nothing constructive to do. We enrolled the girl in a local English language academy and that proved to be extremely worthwhile. I also made a second-laptop available to her and warned her not to download anything off the Web for fear of getting a virus. She promised not to download files and only wanted to read her email (yes, I know, this is also downloading). When I came home the other day after an errand I saw a handwritten note that was copied off the PC's screen...essentially instructing the user that the PC had been cleaned out and to contact the administrator for assistance. That laptop is dead as a doornail now and although I am a former industry professional I could do nothing to bring it back...it won't even boot into the BSOD anymore. I asked what the girl was doing when it happened and she said, "Uncle, I was just playing a computer game". Kids are naive about the dangers of connecting to the Internet as well as ruining their lives, spending every waking minute on-line if they are able to. I had to sit down with the girl to explain how mined data off of a PC by a nefarious phisher could badly affect a family's financial situation and cause identity theft. The niece had no idea of these dangers, but believe me, she does now. I am intentionally not getting that old Toughbook fixed and not even sure it can be fixed here in Thailand...Panasonic Toughbooks use some proprietary technologies (such as IDE HDDs that cannot be replaced with open market versions and other weird peculiarities); I decided it would be better to let the girl absorb a tough lesson for now. Ruining a perfectly-good PC that served as my work back-up is a bit traumatic, and I spent several hours changing various on-line passwords to sensitive accounts, but this pales in comparison to how on-line addictions are affecting todays youth.

Edited April 12, 2010 by Fore Man

[rhino533]

Online games aren't a problem. Bad parenting is.

I have to agree. My wife owns an internet and gaming cafe and parents come drop there young kids off (as young as 4) at the cafe all the time and sometimes for hours and hours while they go do something else. How does that help addiction??

Cafes actually have strict rules they have to obey by but I have to admit there are lots of cafe owners who don't listen to them at all. My wife listens to all the rules. The police come by my wife’s cafe all the time to make sure everything is done properly. When the kids are in school anyone under 18yrs cannot come in the cafe till 2pm, they can't wear student uniforms at anytime in the cafe and they must leave by 8pm. Holidays they are allowed in the cafe from 10am-8pm. Police are pretty strict with this. If all cafe owners would listen to these rules I think it would help addiction a lot. I have to also say parents have a responsibility to know what there kids are up to vs. blaming the cafes for there childs problems. Parents are as much or more to blame.

[ianwuk]

With the way things are in Thailand right now can you blame children for finding games more interesting?

[astral]

Online games aren't a problem. Bad parenting is.

I have to agree. My wife owns an internet and gaming cafe and parents come drop there young kids off (as young as 4) at the cafe all the time and sometimes for hours and hours while they go do something else.

Only a step on from parking the kids in front of the TV to keep them occupied,

but with potentially much worse content on the Internet.

[MaxLee]

Well with the political violence going on, Kids have no choice than staying home and "play games".... They've got nowhere to go...