TRAIN WRECK OF THE WEEK > Couple Sells Kids to Pay for Video Games: Is Video Game Addiction Real?
Christine Lusey
2011/07/30 11:00:00
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Did you know you can’t sell your kids? Because there’s a couple in China who says they didn’t know that.
The Sanxiang City News reports (via ABC News Radio) that a young couple became so addicted that they sold their three children so they’d have enough money to play online games at Internet cafes.
Li Lin and Li Juan, both under 21, first sold their daughter for approximately $500, then their two sons for $4,600 each. Apparently Li Lin’s mother discovered what was going on and reported them to the police.
Li Lin an Li Juan reportedly maintained that they had no idea they were breaking the law.
"We don’t want to raise them, we just want to sell them for some money,” they said.
According to Eurogamer, the Chinese are more than familiar with the issue of online gaming addiction, dating back to the deaths in 2009 of several young people considered to be addicted to the Internet. In fact, China’s Ministry of Culture issued a number of rules and regulations, primarily aimed at protecting youth:
China’s strange relationship with gaming surfaced again recently, with allegations in May that Chinese prisoners are being forced to play games (mining for virtual currency) for hours on end, and punished if quotas weren’t met.
And here in America, the debate rages about whether an addiction to video games can be linked to crime, though numerous studies would appear to debunk this idea.
The Sanxiang City News reports (via ABC News Radio) that a young couple became so addicted that they sold their three children so they’d have enough money to play online games at Internet cafes.
Li Lin and Li Juan, both under 21, first sold their daughter for approximately $500, then their two sons for $4,600 each. Apparently Li Lin’s mother discovered what was going on and reported them to the police.
Li Lin an Li Juan reportedly maintained that they had no idea they were breaking the law.
"We don’t want to raise them, we just want to sell them for some money,” they said.
According to Eurogamer, the Chinese are more than familiar with the issue of online gaming addiction, dating back to the deaths in 2009 of several young people considered to be addicted to the Internet. In fact, China’s Ministry of Culture issued a number of rules and regulations, primarily aimed at protecting youth:
Minors will be banned from buying or selling items with virtual currencies, although the purchase of "products or services" will be allowed. Game companies will be required to develop "techniques" limiting children's gaming time in order to prevent addiction …
The Ministry also requires companies to develop means to keep children from playing "inappropriate games", forbidding online games from including content that involves pornography, cults, superstition, gambling and violence.
China’s strange relationship with gaming surfaced again recently, with allegations in May that Chinese prisoners are being forced to play games (mining for virtual currency) for hours on end, and punished if quotas weren’t met.
And here in America, the debate rages about whether an addiction to video games can be linked to crime, though numerous studies would appear to debunk this idea.
Read More: http://abcnewsradioonline.com/world-news/chinese-c...
Top Opinion
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He'a: ka'ka:' 2011/07/30 12:54:26Yes, it's a real problem
+6Anyone ever hear about how two parents in the U.S. sold their food stamps and WIC to pay their WOW subscription?
Put a rag in one hand and a broom in the other, and put them to WORK! Problem solved
Idle hands are the devils tools.
Some psychiatrists question the notion of addiction applied to objects that are not drugs, such as video games, work, or jogging, arguing that in this case, one could argue that all passion is pathological.
Thus, the psychoanalyst Yann Leroux for his part said that "There is no addiction to video games. "Similarly, Keith Baker, a specialist in addiction, created in 2006 a detoxification center. After two years working on hundreds of young people addicted to video games, he states categorically that this addiction really reflects the social problems, explaining that none of his conventional treatment does not work.
I love video games but I don't play them because they are addicting and guess what?
My kid is WAY more important...
But in my opinion addiction IS the lack of self control, am I wrong?
"We don’t want to raise them, we just want to sell them for some money”
Seriously? I can't believe there are people out there that actually feel that way about their own children...note that I didn't call them "parents".
Some people just can't accept reality.
Some addictions you DECIDE to be addicted to. Like SMOKING.
I just wanted to look cool and all of a sudden I found I couldn't walk away from them.
Well don't you look COOL now.
I just did not want any other life then to play games.
"Stupid is as stupid does."
Isn't that what they say?
I'm figuring Anthony Weiner got a rise from a vid game .... bingo .... next thing ya' know, he's headed to the Governors Mansion to carpool to Sexual Therapy with Eliot .... must be an ' Addiction '
But getting back ti the question, yes, video game addiction is real. Humans by nature can get addicted to anything, video games are no different.
I couldn't even read the story it got me so mad!
This can't be real.
-not even gonna glorify this story anymore. No way.
I play every cool online game you can think of. Uhhhhh, I pay for them with hard-earned cash. NOT MY KIDS.
(do get the sneaky suspicion this is from the same people who try to ruin Halloween tho)
-waiting for 'The Secret World' to come out.