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South Korea Grapples With Online Gaming Addicts
Thanks to Yahoo News/Reuters for their story discussing the problems associated with online gaming addiction in MMO-crazy South Korea. According to the article, a 12 year-old named Lim's "love affair with the fantasy game [Lineage] saw him fall foul of the law after he stole $16,000 from his father and ran away to feed a passion for online gaming." This issue is particularly marked in Korea since "...about 70 percent of South Korea's 48 million people have access to the Internet, with 11 million using high-speed services, the world's highest broadband penetration rate." The article ends with the note that, "while some game industry alliances have been pushing game makers and distributors to provide purchasing guidelines, the likelihood of authorities imposing regulations that may pull the plug on a lucrative 500 billion won [$420 million] industry seems unlikely."
So drug addicts shouldn't be protected from themselves? one persons problem is eventually going to become our problem.
Typical fucking Republican.
No, they shouldn't I've known at least one opiate addict. Perfectly fine and nice person. He would ask "what's so bad about addiction?"
The dangers he would say lied in dirty needles with regards to injection of opiates. He knew of no ill-effects, apart from the supposed "addiction", but he just didn't believe addiction was bad. I personally don't know of any substantiated ill-effects of opium either, so...
I'm not Republican(not from the States) and not "conservative" by any measure either.
On a side note: I had another friend who once told me: "addiction is how people become great at things." (he was addicted to playing bass). I'll never forget that.
See, this kid got it all wrong. If you are going to play MMOs and commit a crime, you may as well put them both together.
Nothing like killing two birds with one stone. And the kid learns a life skill or two (ie pimping) so he can use them on the street when his cash runs out.
While I'm in favor of educating children about the dangers of addiction [to anything], there's only so much a government can do in that area. If I decide to use heroin and at some point overdose on it, is that REALLY the government's fault? After all, no one - apart from the most hardcore Pollyanna - believes that drug abuse can be eliminated from the entire population, so what is the government's true responsibility beyond "due diligence" (i.e., doing the best one can)?
As for the original topic: Unless MMOGs are to be declared an addictive health hazard suitable for regulation, all any [democratic] government can really do is shrug and move on when the weak-willed fall victim to their addiction. Of course, if such a determination is to be made then how about we start instead with television? I would submit that far more people fall victim to TV addiction and the diseases/conditions related to the resulting sedentary lifestyle - the number of people addicted to MMOGs doesn't even represent a drop of water in an ocean compared to those addicted to TV.
I agree, addiction does result in being great at doing what you are addicted to. I can certainly see the benefits of being able to roll the perfect blunt, cooking up and sanitizing your needle, etc.. It means you get better at getting high. All things that should get you hired in no time flat.
Why is this? Is this a cultural thing (they encourge you to be part of a group, as opposed to the current US mantra of "be yourself")? Does it have to do with availibility of the games (there are very few gaming cafes here in the US for example)? Is it some other issue (I'm not willing to pay $10 a month or whatever for a game that I already own but pricing structures are different over there)? Is this just an outgrowth of how RPGs are much MUCH more popular than here in the US?
Thanks for any answers you can give me.
PS: And why SHOULD I pay $10 a month for a game I already paid $60 for? Silly marketing execs. Now if the game was free upfront and it was only the monthly fee, I could be lured in...
Comment forecast: Bits of genius surrounded by a sea of mediocrity.
12 year-old named Lim's "love affair with the fantasy game [Lineage] saw him fall foul of the law after he stole $16,000 from his father and ran away to feed a passion for online gaming
In another news, South Korea's credit card crisis worsens. But these maybe unrelated...
The problem is that some people are simply too stupid or become too addicted to something to have common sense.
These laws are intended to help them. For instance, in many countries there are laws requiring the use of safety belts in a car. Without these laws, many lifes would be lost. Yes, it's something everyone should do, without the need of any law. But some just do it because it's required.
Laws should help the society as a whole.
Of course we know that overprotective laws are awfully bad.
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Roses are #FF0000, Violets are #0000FF, find / -name '*base*' |xargs chown -R us && mv zig greatjustice
And unfortunatly your reply that was on topic is quite true. I think what we really need is something to fix our current culture that seems to breed addicts more than 50 or 75 years ago (maybe this is just a perception thing?).
--MBCook (a typical fucking Replublican) who doesn't think this comment is worth most people's time
Comment forecast: Bits of genius surrounded by a sea of mediocrity.
As I mentioned(with the "he was addicted to playing bass" thing), that last point applies to more than just drugs. I think you can easily realize that an opiate addict's primary concern is not with getting "hired" as you mention, so I still don't see how it's bad. They don't care as much about getting hired, so if it injures their chances of getting hired they don't care as much. Not everyone's addiction is their job and money. (note: the guy I knew held done his job finely, he just lived in a shitty apartment, had no car and had no major appliances, but does he care? No, he's too "voided"-out to).
Obviously this is an extreme case of gaming gone amuck. However, it would be interesting to see what the South Korean government cooks up to help curtail video game addiction. Hopefully it will be well thought out and not absurd. The real question is how do you stop a problem like this? You can do ad campaigns, include restrictive legislation (which I think they already have something about limiting the time of day for game playing). However, could they include moral values, or reality values into the MMORPG games?(IE: yeah, the cyber world is great, but the real world is better).
I think this is a social psychological problem. malajusted people look for escapist realities to cope with a dissapointing life. Plus, if you do poorly in school, but your a hero in a virtual world, wouldn't you want to go where your welcome?
Overall, I hope this kid grows out of his addiction to video games or at least learns to moderate, but I do think that something else in his life is making games more appealing than real life. However, we don't get to see that because of the articles focus. Ask the why.
Anyway, that's my two cents.
it's not AS bad in the US, but I had a friend who got hooked on everquest. bought it the day it came out, and I didn't see him for about a year, and he nearly failed school because he spent all his time on it instead. regulating online gaming probably won't help much, it's up to parents to impose limits on their kids, and the process of natural selection will eventually weed the weaker (see: MMOG player) out in favor of the stronger.
- ickna http://www.ickna.com
Yes, what's often considered flamebait on Slashdot is indeed the truth. To me, this sounds more like a really spoiled kid who wasn't given his way than a true addict.
Really, anybody who does something in excess could be called an addict nowadays. If overdoing something leads to you causing trouble for somebody else, then you should be held fully accountable for it, just like drunk drivers are for killing somebody with their vehicle.
What should not be done is banning certain things because they could cause an "addiction" that leads to trouble. People shouldn't be forced into treatment either because it will be useless if they don't want it.
And, please, don't force taxpayers to pony up for somebody else's mistake. It wasn't their fault. Private treatment (as in no government funding) should be made available for those who couldn't afford it. But, if it is not available the addict, will just have to deal with it. No matter how callous it may seem, nobody else caused the addiction.
People should be able to make their own decisions, no matter how stupid. But, addicts should be held accountable for what they do. Society doesn't owe them anything.
Until Slashdot fixes the funny modifier, use insightful or interesting. The poster knows your intentions.
The fact that there are actually people who think that governments making laws and spending money can solve any problem doesn't help.
I wrote a small paper for a school class on how virtual and real worlds will collide with new technology. Online game addictions of all kinds(whether it be a simple fragfest or a more long-term RPG type like EQ or Planetside) are early manifestiations of such collisions - the people in them are real, but their status is changed as they play their avatars.
With another generation for additional tech such as augmented reality and information-beaming implants to reach maturity, people will be able to direct and shape their virtual personas into real world ones - it's a fairly common area in modern science fiction.
Then, when people tell you to "get a life," you can ask them which one. ^.^
For years I railed against MMORPGs, and their addictive qualities. I have a friend who clearly spends way to much time with them. Not going to bed until 6AM when he has class, etc. It's like he gives himself completely to the unreal world to escape, which only aggravates his real world problems.
Anyway, over a month ago I bought FFXI. I've been a huge final fantasy fan ever since I beat the first one back in elementary school, and since I have a strong willpower, I figured I'd give it a try.
The game is certainly enjoyable, as it requires cognitive thinking which more or less, is more interesting, or less risky, then everyday affairs. But I am able to drop it on a dime for a better social event.
Ergo, my values and thinking structure prevent me from getting attached to the game (or anything for that matter) when a better alternative arrives. I feel no loyalty towards the game, and no feeling that I *must* reach a certain level.
So it's as if I'm watching TV, since I can get up anytime I want, but generally I like to watch my favorite shows.
My point is that it's the personality of the user which determines their addiction to it, so the Korean trend is not likely a product of their culture so much as it is a product of more addictive personalities being exposed to the game, instead of other addictive activites which we tend to have many of in America.
It's possible their culture has an effect in creating addictive personalities, but that would be another issue altogether.
"I only speak the truth"
Karma: null(Mostly affected by an unassigned variable)
Interesting image of the recent Starcraft Final between legendary Boxer and Nada, in Seoul:
t kt f04_final_stadium.JPG
:)
http://valkyr.pgpl.net/users/Chibi/nada_bozer_k
Popular?
For the most part, no they are not soft...unless it involves one of them. In which case, those devoted to the person will pull a 180 and defend him.
Now, I'm going to be fair here: Democrats, Libertarians, Greens, etc. would all do the same. The problem that stems from Republicans doing this is that they are extremely outspoken in their attitude against drugs and typically believe in, "screw em, give them the full punishment." So, as should be obvious, the hypocracy is more blatent with them.
To be on topic for a moment, no, the government shouldn't have anything to do with these people except for when they do something illegal like steal. If they wish to waste away in their home playing games, let em. When they step outside and cause problems, THEN nail em.
Next time I review a game, or read a review I'll have to take note of the addictiveness rated.
Like chocolate there are drawbacks to gaming
A blog I run for the wealth
Addiction to playing bass and addiction to drugs are two separate and unequal things. Addiction to playing bass is a mental/emotional addiction...ie, you require it to operate normally but no physical effects (unless you count psychosomatic ones) will occur.
Drug addiction, on the other hand, creates a physical dependance that can be deadly if immediately severed...hence why there are methodone clinics and the like. Throttling back from a physical addiction is often necessary, whereas you COULD quit cold turkey from a bass addiction if you had the willpower.
The word 'addiction' is often used with drugs when there is a psychological but not physical addiction. I had plenty of friends in college who were 'addicted' to pot, ecstasy, coke or booze. All of these can be dropped instantly, without terrible physical effects, but the people typically didn't want to. We called them addicts, but they were just either weak willed or had 'addictive' personalities (easily hooked or controlled by their psyches).
--trb
Better than life?
Sounds like an episode of Red Dwarf...
You know, you say that the US is just as "comformist" as any of the Asian countries, but, in general, the Asian countries are said to be collectivist (as opposed to US, Europe which are individualistic). Supposedly the wellfare of the group is more important in Asia. I don't really know much about the topic, but I've seen this mentioned in several places and I would assume it's somewhat accurate.
Of course, your point is still a very interesting one. I don't play any online games anymore since I got tired of all the morons that live near me =)
True story.
Fair enough. It is somewhat accurate. It's just not as black and white as people usually make it out to be. People seem to have this belief that in Asia everything is about conformity, and that America is a paragon of individuality. Living in Japan has shown me that there's a whole lot of individuality here, and there is a whole lot of conformity in America. There is a difference between the two cultures, but it's not as enormous as it's made out to be.
(As an aside, generally, I feel more comfortable with the Japanese approach, as they admit when they're being group oriented and when they're being individualistic, as opposed to the American stance of pretending to always be individualistic when sometimes being blindingly conformist. But that's a personal rant, neither here nor there.)
These laws are intended to help them.
I disagree. Laws such as "seat belt laws" are intended to bring positive attention to the politician sponsoring the law. "Oh, look at me, Im helping you and saving lives so vote for me". They are also intended to raise revenue via fines, penalties etc. Any results of increased seat belt usage is an unintended consequence.
Rant or not, I think that's a good point and from my experience here in the US, that's a very interesting perspective. But I'm more curious about what will happen once technology is integrated deeply into both societies. Will the two converge? (There's no answer to this question yet, of course, I'm just wondering out loud =)
True story.
Maybe they don't realize that they're ruining their lives or they have a distorted view of reality and feel that their life is worthless.
Also, something in the society probably caused such people to turn to games (many examples are given in comments above). So if it's society's fault that these people are ruining their lives, it should probably society's responsibility to help correct this.
Just my thought on the situation. I have done no research, so feel free to debunk my claims.
True story.
I can only speak about Japan, as I don't know much about the surrounding areas, but Japan is definitely changing, though it doesn't have much to do directly with technology. The youth in Japan today have very little in common with the youth of yesteryear, and I wouldn't be surprised if in 30 years people have an entirely different idea of what people here are like. The abandonment of the lifetime employment system has resulted in (on the good side) a lot more risk-taking and a lot more movement by younger Japanese and (on the bad side) a lot less company loyalty and a lowering of work standards.
Also, something in the society probably caused such people to turn to games (many examples are given in comments above). So if it's society's fault that these people are ruining their lives, it should probably society's responsibility to help correct this.
I have no problem with this theory at all. My only point is, assuming this is the case, when did the government become synanamis with society? Society isn't made up of only the government, and the government can't (although it's tried) dictate what society is. If society has caused a problem that needs fixed, society, as a whole (not as a mandate from the all-knowing, all-powerful government) try to fix it. There are countless examples of things that society, as a whole, has changed without the government having to pass a law for it.
"It's better to have a gun and not need it than need a gun and not have it." ~ Christian Slater, True Romance
Good point. But people are going to point the finger at someone and it's probably not going to be themselves.
(I don't really have a good answer to your question, though I do understand the point you've made)
True story.
There is a social difference here, but it's not about the importance of the group versus individual. The difference is how games (and all other kinds of technology) are accepted socially.
In the West, until the past few years, home gamers were generally considered to be either kids or geeks. That image exists still today, however games are all over the place. Yet nobody calls themselves a "gamer". People will deny playing any kind of videogames and sometimes be militant against them when they may spend hours playing solitaire or minehunt on their work computers.
In Asia, generally, videogames have been much more accepted. Look at how popular DDR has become over there. Here too, but to a much lesser extent. Lineage is the most played MMORPG in the world (it has more than five times more active players than Everquest, half of them from South Korea), and so forth. Videogames are so popular in Asia that some of my Korean friends told me that their respective mothers like to watch virtual soccer matchs on TV (I don't know which game it is, or how long it has aired) because it's much more exciting than real soccer.
So of course we will see a lot of weird things, because there is much, much more social exposure and much more people are awaredly connected to videogames in some ways (i.e. not in denial). We will probably get there one day.
The ENIAC Demo Competition
I trust the CIA's numbers more.o k/geos/ ks.html
;)
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbo
It'd be inpressive if 99%+ of S. Korea's population had internet access, the CIA reports it as 25 million users, with the population at 48 mil. in 2002. Cool stuff though.
Check out the CIA's factbook, awesome stuff, though apparantley the US doesn't have a drug problem like most other countries
I think the only thing keeping MMO (internet gaming) from being a front page type problem is installed base of internet users in the US. What happens when home broadband access in the US reaches the level of telephone access? This is probably ~10-15 years away.
The same problems happening in Korea is going to be just as bad in the US when internet connectivity levels catch up. MMO's can be addicting to the point of severely ruining people's lives. Which is more or less the definition of addiction. I'm not calling for a band or legal regulation but people need to start facing the facts. And start taking steps to help prevent it.
Chew: You Nexus, huh? I design your eyes.
Roy: Chew, if only you could see what I've seen with your eyes.
it's probably the windforce that makes everyone addicted (it's the most wanted item in hongkong). it made me addictive... but it's genetic, i think...