Help kids kick their video game habit

A VIDEO clip in which a mother fiercely blamed computer game developers and players in a WeChat group for wasting her son's time and causing him to fail his exams has struck a chord with many parents. China Youth Daily comments:

The mother said that her son, an eighth-grade middle school pupil, performed so badly in the exams that he got scores lower than the class average in all the subjects. "You, the group, are killing my son! You will kill yourselves later!" she posted in a social media group of computer gamers that her son was a member of.

According to the mother, it was computer games that caused her son's failure in the exams. Her son was so addicted to computer and smartphone games that he played all day, without studying.

Being recorded as a video clip and uploaded on social networks, the mother's call has sparked fierce discussion online. Many people who have watched the video said that she obviously feels helpless, even desperate, because she said she tried every means to persuade her son to study but all to no avail.

That reminds people of an open letter years ago, written by a parent whose child was heavily addicted to computer games, who begged the game developers to let him and his child live by releasing them from the cage in which they had locked them.

To be fair, computer games should not be demonized. However, heavy addiction to computer games is a problem that we cannot afford to neglect.

Addictions to computer games have two main causes. First, the classifying of computer games is not strictly implemented. There have been many reports about youngsters playing computer games clearly labeled "for adults only", yet internet cafes allowing children to play them receive no penalty for doing so.

Second, some parents are so busy with their own affairs that they have little time to spend with their children, which in turn causes the children to turn to smartphones and computer games instead.

So the solutions are obvious, too: Law enforcement agencies need to enforce the law more strictly, while parents should spend more time with their children.