Addiction to computer games is becoming a serious social problem, especially among teenagers. Many young students are hooked on online games. It is often described as ¡°electronic narcotics¡± that can be compared to serious addictions like tobacco, alcohol or drugs.

People were shocked when a 15-year-old middle school student strangled his mother to death because of an argument over excessive computer use due to online games. The boy later took his own life in Busan.

The tragedy shows how game addiction can cause harmful social effects. The boy had been addicted to a violent shooting combat game where the characters use guns and other weapons.

Unfortunately, it was not the first crime of its kind in the nation. Early this year, a man killed his mother because she scolded him for doing nothing but play Internet games. In addition, a couple let their three-month-old daughter starve to death by feeding the baby only once or twice a day. They concentrated too much on their virtual world, letting their daughter die.

All these crimes show that cyber game addiction not only destroys the players but also damages families and society. It¡¯s time for the whole nation to discuss proper measures to stop the negative impact of computer game addiction.

Right after the death of the baby girl, the government came up with policies to restrain the use of computer games, including software programs to limit users¡¯ access time to the online network. It has also decided to offer educational programs and counseling services to 10 million people, including schoolchildren over the next three years.

However, critics argue that such measures are not sufficient to help prevent individuals from becoming victims of cyberspace and virtual reality games. According to the National Information Society Agency, the number of addicts to online games is estimated at 1.9 million, or 8.5 percent of the total Internet users. We need to stay alert to the fact that minors show a much higher addiction rate of 12.8 percent.

Parents and teachers should cooperate more closely to protect our kids from ¡°electronic narcotics.¡± Parents should spend more time with their children so they can minimize the time spent playing online games. Teachers should give students more time to play at school and encourage them to play with their friends. Also, people who enjoy computer games should recognize that a game is just a game and not reality.

1. Why is computer game addiction getting more serious?
2. What are the measures taken by the government to fight computer game addiction?
3. What are the roles of parents and teachers?