China Daily Global Edition (USA)

Spotting kids drowning in video games

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THE NATIONAL HEALTH COMMISSION released an expert consensus on curbing and treating gaming disorder, which repeated the World Health Organizati­on’s decision this May to list it as a new disease. China Daily writer Zhang Zhouxiang comments:

According to the WHO’s definition, gaming disorder is the uncontroll­able and persistent playing of video and computer games. Under the WHO definition, gaming disorder is a pattern of behaviour characteri­zed by impaired control over gaming, increasing priority given to gaming over other activities to the extent that it takes precedence over other interests and daily activities, and the continuati­on or escalation of the pattern despite negative consequenc­es.

When someone becomes “drowned” in video games, as the Chinese describe it, he/she can give up almost everything else, including sleeping, eating and drinking.

A browse through past reports shows that from 2006 to now, every year there are people who have died after playing video games for a whole night. In November 2017, even a 20-year-old game anchor who hosted video games online died after playing for more than 18 hours a day.

It is fair to say gaming disorder is a problem that must be addressed, especially since the majority of video game players are youngsters who are more susceptibl­e to gaming disorder.

However, it must be stressed that video games per se are not the problem. Addiction to them is.

China is home to the world’s biggest internet population with more than 800 million users, and the video gaming industry is estimated to be worth $30 billion a year in revenue. That means a lot of gamers. But not all of them have gaming disorder.

Instead of being an official move against the gaming sector, as some have claimed, the expert consensus this time has hit the point. By clearly defining gaming disorder and setting clear, unambiguou­s standards, it helps to distinguis­h ordinary video game players from heavy addicts. This will lessen the concerns of parents and enable those children who do have gaming disorder to receive help.

Zhang was 13 in 1996 when he witnessed the death of his mother after she was beaten on the head with a stick supposedly by Wang Zhengjun, one of the sons of Wang Zixin. Although it was claimed that he took the blame instead of his brother Wang Xiaojun, as he was only 17 at the time and therefore would be tried as a minor. He was given a seven-year prison sentence for deliberate injuring Zhang’s mother.

The Supreme People’s Court, which upheld Zhang’s death sentence said Zhang committed an “extremely serious crime” and the death sentence reflects the principle of “matching the punishment to the crime”.

Zhang was sentenced to death at his first trial, and the sentence was upheld after he appealed and at the subsequent mandatory death penalty review procedures. His lawyer participat­ed in the whole process and provided necessary legal services for Zhang.

Before his execution, the Hanzhong court arranged for Zhang to meet with his family members according to the law, and during the execution, the procurator­ate assigned staff to supervise his execution according to the law.

Zhang’s execution serves as a lesson in legal education for the public. In a modern and civilized society under the rule of law, people should settle disputes with others through the courts. The era of bloody revenge is gone. Even if Zhang was dissatisfi­ed with the trial of Wang Zixin, that gives him no excuse to do what judges are supposed to do.

Believing in, respecting and abiding by the law is the only legal way to solve problems and conflicts with others. Anyone turning a blind eye to the law and taking justice into their own hands will inevitably be punished by the law.

 ?? JIND DING / CHINA DAILY ??
JIND DING / CHINA DAILY

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