PB warns vs. long hours of online games

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu Provincial Board yesterday warned parents and guardians to keep watch over their children who play online games for long, uninterrupted hours. The PB was alarmed by the report that a 27-year-old Korean college student collapsed in a PC room in Busan, South Korea after playing online games for seven consecutive hours.

Board Member Sun Shimura sponsored a resolution warning parents or guardians to keep watch over their children or wards playing online games for long uninterrupted hours in their houses or in internet cafés.

The resolution co-sponsored by PB Member Joven Mondigo, Jr. was passed by the Board during its regular session yesterday.

Shimura said that using internet or playing online games is already part of the daily routine of the constituents, especially the younger generation.

“It has been observed that most of our Cebuano students spend long time on computers than reading books, playing physical games or doing household chores,” Shimura said.

Shimura cited the incident of the Korean student surnamed Kim who was quickly taken to a nearby hospital but was pronounced dead upon arrival.

The police said that Kim played online games for seven hours straight from 10:40 a.m. and sitting that long could have formed a blood clot in his lungs and led to his death.

Last year, a similar incident also happened in South Korea which claimed the life of a 19-year old college student following an almost completely uninterrupted 12-hour gaming session.

Years ago, a 27-year old Taiwanese also collapsed and died after playing games for 32 straight hours which the police said the man died from exhaustion as a result of having stayed in the same position too long.

“This incidents could possibly happen to our young generation who will be left unguided by their parents or guardians,” Shimura added. - (THE FREEMAN)