A forum in HCM City discusses the negative consequences caused by online game addition on June 16, organised by Tien Phong (Vanguard) newspaper in co-operation with Nguyen Tat Thanh University and companies. (Photo: VNA) HCMCity (VNS/VNA) - Few health facilities in Vietnam offer treatmentfor addiction to online games, which is considered a mental healthcondition by the World Health Organisation.
Dr Nguyen Van Ca, head of the Mental Health Department at Military Hospital175, discussed the negative consequences of game addiction onTuesday at a meeting organised by TienPhong (Vanguard) newspaper in cooperation with Nguyen Tat ThanhUniversity and companies.
“Sitting too long leads to metabolic disorders such as glucose and fatmetabolism disorders, causing obesity,” Ca said. Blood suppliedto the sex organs is also reduced by long periods of sitting.
Online game addicts, who could end up having reduced memory, areoften in a state of anxious suspense and feel irascible, he said. Theirpersonality begins to change.
“Games create a virtual feeling of victory which negatively affects youngpeople’s development. Online games are an invisible poison and they havenegative consequences,” Ca said.
Early treatment and a favourable environment are necessary toprevent the problem.
Majority Le Hoang Viet Lam, a lecturer at People’s Security University,said that online games do not cause immediate negativeconsequences. They can be “mental health food”, but if young peopledo not control the amount of time they play games, “it willbe very dangerous for them”.
Parents should educate their children about game addition and watchfor signs of addition, he added.
Le Minh Dung of the HCM City Department of Information and Communicationsaid the Government has issued many regulations on playing online games.
Players can be fined 2-3 million VND for selling andpurchasing virtual devices and scores in games; and takingadvantage of online games to commit legal violations, andcausing social disorder and endangering national security.
Players who do not comply with regulations about the management of playinghours at public online game establishments can be fined 600,000 VND to 1million VND.
According to the Vietnam National Institute of Mental Health, hundreds ofpatients every day seek mental health treatment for sleeplessness,memory disorders, schizophrenia and depression caused by gameaddiction.
Nguyen Dinh Doi, principal at Thanh Nhan High School, said online gameswere becoming a problem in Vietnam and other parts of the world. According tothe school’s survey, more than 80 percent of its students play onlinegames.
Students boarding at the school do not have electronic devices toplay games, but they play the games when they go home for the weekend.
Bui Quang Trung, head of the communication and marketing department at Nguyen TatThanh University, said that students are at the “golden” age to developtheir personality and most have a smartphone to assist them in studying.However, they often download and install online games on their phones./.
VNA
