Hong Kong father abandons daughter to play games
Chan Sing pleaded guilty to child abuse charges after abandoning his daughter to play video games.
According to Earth Times, Chan left his daughter alone in a busy Hong Kong street when he was told that minors were not allowed inside the arcade. He then came out an hour later, sat her in a nearby restaurant and returned to the arcade. Three hours later staff at the restaurant called the police and were able to track him down.
When confronted by the police, Chan admitted to being a gaming addict, telling the police "I have to play video games."
Chan pleaded guilty to charges of child abuse and has been sentenced to 120 hours of community service as a result.
The case has re-ignited discussion about whether or not computer game addiction should be classed as a psychological disorder or not. Previously psychologists have been divided on the topic and have been reluctant to give game addiction status as an official disorder because of a lack of conclusive proof and the massive effects it could have on the insurance industries.
The Chinese government has previously tried to prevent gamers becoming addicted to games after it was revealed several Chinese people had died of exhaustion in mammoth gaming sessions. The government has tried to discourage young gamers from becoming addicted by limiting the amount of time they can play MMOs for.
Have you ever suffered from gaming addiction, or do you think the whole thing is just a bunch of rubbish? Let us know in the forums.
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Discuss in the forums ReplyIt is entirely probable that it is a problem, but at the same time, limiting things like this is just going to ruin it for the rest of us, who while loving games, are not so addicted to them that we neglect other aspects of our life (Other than weight. I still refuse to go to a gym than play some video games.)
I'd be inclined to say it's up to the family to identify these problems, not a government body, otherwise it'd get messy for everyone else. I mean, who really wants to admit playing Leisure Suit Larry? That suggestion, however, has its own problems, and I'm not stupid enough to believe that it'd work for everyone, or even anyone. I think, for now, we're just going to have to deal with gaming addiction 'cases' as they arise, because there is no surefire way of deciding if someone is a game addict, unless you like being spoon fed normal by an aging stiff in an office that smells remotely of tears, sweat, and leather.
Seven, at least, that's what the linked site states. Doesn't mention the mother, I'd bet either dead or left the husband etc.
If you want to play games none stop all your life, dont have children. :)
Or, if you have to have a noise based vomit and poobag, get a babysitter. Perhaps an understanding wife?
Probably a babysitter.
He shouldn't have done that for even 5 minutes. Losing track of time has nothing to do with it.
I don't understand how someone could become addicted to games but I've seen it happen with WoW and such.
Yeah, it seems that you can be addicted to anything really. Drugs, alcohol, games, TV, you pick your poison. Too much of anything can have a drastic affect on your life.
Your obviously not a gamer then.
5 hours can go past and it doesn't feel like 20 minutes when playing games.
he should get 2 of these
he could be addicted to monopoly and play games against himself...
it just happened to be video games
i dont agree that its only a small percentage of us who get addicted. i think a large portion of games players will get addicted, or at least have a phase, where they are hungry for more of a particular game. that may only be a week or month or so but it's still some kind of mild addiction.
or maybe there are satanic subliminal messages saying 'play more more more'