Gaming addiction and its serious consequences.

(Baonghean.vn) - Although still in school, many students have become addicted to online games, leading to heartbreaking consequences for their families and society. In fact, many cases have resulted in individuals becoming murderers or dying from unexplained causes due to obsession with games.

From "Gamer" to Criminal

In recent days, the story of Pham Duc Chuan (16 years old), residing in Hamlet 7, Thanh Long Commune, and currently a student in class 10E at Dang Thuc Hua High School, Thanh Chuong District, who died unexpectedly after leaving home to play video games for several days, has attracted significant public attention and concern, especially among parents.

Mr. Tran Tri Tue, Chairman of the Thanh Long Commune People's Committee, said: "This male student is the second of four siblings in a family of farmers. He has always been well-behaved and often participated in the commune's cultural and artistic activities, but recently he has shown signs of online game addiction, frequently leaving home to play games overnight before returning. Mr. Nguyen Duy Long, Principal of Dang Thuc Hua High School, where Chuan is studying, also stated that Chuan showed signs of online game addiction and neglecting his studies. The homeroom teacher had reviewed the situation and reported it to the school's Board of Directors for coordinated education and assistance. Unexpectedly, the heartbreaking incident mentioned above occurred."

The game arcade in Tan Ky town was packed with students.

It's not just now, with the heartbreaking story of student Pham Duc Chuan, that the hidden dangers and devastating consequences related to students addicted to online games have been brought to light. Recently, the province has seen a series of incidents involving students and university students addicted to online games. In early November 2015, several schools in Tan Ky town and the communes of Giang Son Dong and Giang Son Tay in Do Luong district experienced a series of burglaries, causing panic and anxiety among the schools and residents. After a long period of investigation, the perpetrators of these thefts were apprehended.

Notably, all three thieves in this case were still in school, aged 15 or 16. Due to their gaming addiction, these individuals took advantage of lax security at schools in the area, successfully carrying out seven burglaries between August and November 2015, stealing 14 computer monitors, 8 PCs, and many other items, with a total value of approximately 60 million VND.

More seriously, due to the influence of violence and stabbings in the virtual world, many "gamers" have become murderers, taking the lives of even their own relatives for money. This is the heartbreaking story of Vuong Dinh Khanh (21 years old), residing in Hamlet 17, Nghi Phong Commune, Nghi Loc District, a former student of a college in Vinh City.

Obsessed with online games, on July 12, 2015, due to a conflict with his mother, Nguyen Thi V. (49 years old), Vuong Dinh Khanh used a nylon rope to strangle her to death. He then staged a fake death scene to deceive authorities. An investigator handling the case added that the process of taking Khanh's statement was very difficult because he was heavily addicted to games, exhibiting signs of panic, lethargy, and at times losing control of himself due to being obsessed with the violent games in the "virtual world." Further investigation revealed that Vuong Dinh Khanh had previously received treatment at the Nghe An Psychiatric Hospital for a long time due to paranoia caused by games.

Previously, in October 2013, Tran Ngoc Quan (16 years old), a 10th-grade student at a high school in Thai Hoa town, also due to his gaming addiction, murdered his aunt, Mrs. To Thi L. (55 years old), just to steal her gold earrings.

What is the cause?

Currently, there are no statistics on the number of people addicted to games, but the percentage of teenagers and students addicted to online games who need treatment at centers and hospitals is not insignificant. According to Dr. Le Thuc Anh, a lecturer in the Faculty of Education (Vinh University), the cause of this situation is the laxity and lack of supervision from families. Many parents are preoccupied with earning money and neglect managing their children. Meanwhile, violent games are rampant on social media, making it easy for students to access them. The path from curiosity to addiction to online games is very short because, in reality, the online game business is not yet strictly regulated.

Furthermore, many high school and university students living away from home and without supervision are now easily drawn into the virtual world of the internet. A typical example is Pham Xuan Q. (20 years old), a student at Vinh University from Thanh Chuong district. From being a good student, after getting hooked on online games, Q.'s academic performance plummeted, he frequently missed classes without reason, and in the first semester of his first year of university, he had to retake 5 subjects. More seriously, Q., who was once a lively person, gradually became irritable, sullen, grumpy, and prone to muttering to himself, wandering around and causing trouble for no reason to assault people, forcing his family to take him for treatment at Bach Mai Hospital (Hanoi).

Online gaming cafes are springing up everywhere in Vinh City.

According to Dr. Phan Kim Thin, Director of the Nghe An Psychiatric Hospital, the hospital has recently admitted several students due to hallucinations caused by excessive gaming, leading to uncontrollable behavior. The number of parents seeking advice on their children's health and addressing unusual symptoms at the hospital is also increasing.

It can be said that online games themselves are not inherently bad if players know how to control themselves and view them as a form of entertainment and stress relief. However, a significant portion of today's youth are abusing online games to kill time, neglecting their studies, and negatively impacting their future. Many cases even involve breaking the law, becoming criminals for their families and society. This is a real wake-up call not only for the young people themselves but also for their families and society as a whole.

HA THU