Online Game Concerns Record

Author: Zhang Chunliang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-06-01
Features: Research indicates that crimes related to the internet accounted for 0.6% of total crimes in 2001, increased to 7% in 2002, reached 13% in 2003, and rose to 21% in 2004. Tragedy speaks for itself—regarding minors' crimes instigated by online games, I have personally collected over 700 cases. The potential harms of online games—such as the time stolen from youth's education, the deterioration of their health, the financial resources consumed, and the crimes they incite—are being severely underestimated. We refuse to see living individuals, victims of online games, being trivialized as mere sacrifices for the industry's prosperity. More importantly, all minors and their families who have been affected by this division have neither received nor been compensated for their rights. The online gaming industry has created so many tragedies while profiting immensely, with some even being portrayed as "industry elites" or even "cultural heroes." Yet, in the face of the numerous harms caused by online games, most have adopted avoidance and responsibility-shifting tactics, like ostriches turning a blind eye to tragedies stained with blood and tears. Can you take some responsibility for the social costs you have created? The term "online games" heralds the birth of a new form of entertainment. On the surface, it seems to have become the favorite pastime of adolescents. According to the latest statistics, there are approximately 23 million online game-playing youth in the country, including 2.6 million who are addicted to online games, making them the core of this phenomenon. However, the online industry has long been criticized for greedily exploiting huge profits under the guise of high technology, completely disregarding the psychological tolerance of its audience, and frequently triggering social tragedies. Some children have died suddenly from playing online games for long periods in internet cafes, while others have killed people over virtual property disputes. Zhang Chunliang, a researcher on adolescent online addiction, has listed more than 20 in his book Online Games: A Record of Concern. Each case is deeply disturbing. Online Games: A Record of Concern is the first domestic work to propose the social responsibility of the online gaming industry. It received immediate attention from the cultural industry sector and the online community, sparking much controversy. Zhang Chunliang has made exploring the relationship between the gaming industry and adolescent online addiction his research focus. He has visited 240 internet cafes across the country, collected over 700 cases of online addiction, spoken with the parents of over 60 to 70 cases, and personally witnessed a mother kneeling at her son's feet, sobbing desperately for him to return to school! This incident deeply moved Zhang Chunliang and made him profoundly aware that the harm caused by online addiction is very real. Yet to this day, these individuals and families who have suffered have received no compensation whatsoever. After analyzing the causes of the rampant spread of online games and their social consequences, Zhang Chunliang directs his criticism straight at the online gaming industry, accusing it of continuously producing "electronic opium." He attributes this to management failures and, in his book, attempts to propose solutions. The entire work is imbued with the sense of urgency and passion of a young scholar, radiating a precious sense of social responsibility. More than a "Record of Concern," it is a declaration of war against harmful online games.