LOVE CHILD
Online gaming can be a killer in this documentary that’s as important now as it was when it was made in 2014. If you tell yourself that you don’t have an internet addiction and that you can unplug anytime you want, chances are you’ve already got a problem – and it can be lethal. A couple in Asia were so addicted to an online game that they abandoned their baby and let her die of malnutrition because they “couldn’t and wouldn’t put down their keyboards and game controllers in a disgusting display of betrayal and inhumanity,” said the presiding judge.
This 75-minute doccie was directed and produced by Valerie Veatch (director of 2012 documentary special Me At The Zoo, which is also about the internet and the addictions to social media). “The entire story might sound absurd, but this is the reality of online addiction. It’s no less damaging and destructive than drug habits,” explains Valerie, adding that “it’s strange how addictions manifest. But it’s to do with the person’s personality as well – make no mistake, they make the conscious decision. It’s not the computer and software manufacturer’s fault that people can’t stop.”
There’s more to Love Child as it diggs deeper into the world of gaming and gaming addiction and why people feel “at home” in the online worlds. “People play online games for different reasons,” says Valerie, “but the important thing is to understand why and how they can be dangerous.”