Although computer games are the one of the largest and perhaps the most interesting export product of Korea, but the country has also a lot of problems associated with this. In Korea, as I mentioned in a previous post they are very, very popular. 90% of households in this country has access to broadband, which is one of the highest percentages in the world. Internet addiction is, of course, this problem or and more specifically computer games addiction. Korea has been struggling with it for a long time. Many politicians are included in the debate on solving this trouble, because it affects a growing number of people. In Korea it's really a plague. In newspapers you can regularly read articles for exemple: A teenager who died from overwork, or parents who starved their infant baby because they played with abandon. These stories are real and not so rare..That's why the Korean government often discuss on solutions. Recently they passed a law that prohibits minors to play after midnight. This is controlled arbitrarily and access to specific pages with games is blocked. Besides, there are plenty of social campaigns in which this issue is strongly highlighted.
It would seem that the problem is exaggerated. I asked Koreans what they think about this. Unfortunately they confirmed that.
It's really terrifying! However, the game addiction is not a distant problem. I suppose that our europeen society, unfortunately, follows in Koreans' footsteps... The computer games are really absorbing and more and more people prefer their virtual life which allows them to forget their everyday problems, to create their image and it doesn't require leaving a house which is very comfortable. I think we should notice the consequences of game and internet addiction, for example in Korea, and react in advance, before it's too late.
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