Access denied: Chinese freshmen banned from gaming PCs

For a lot of students in the US and Europe, the first year in college signals a time of changes. If you’re a Chinese online gamer entering college, however, your world just might flip over.

Chinese education authorities have taken notice of rampant delinquency among students hooked to online gaming. The incidents of students flunking subjects has reached very significant numbers, prompting academic institutions to act drastically.

Prominent institutions such as Zhejiang University, Nanjing University, and Shanghai Jiaotong University have recently taken action in the form of a total ban on freshmen bringing computers with them. This is supposed to help them restrain themselves from all-night gaming sessions that cause them to neglect their academics.

Other institutions have taken similar action in the past, but the problem does not seem to die down amidst pressure against it. It has been noted that freshmen simply turn to internet cafe services for their gaming needs. Others resume the habit when they reach their sophomore years.

Internet addiction experts say that the academe should re-think its policies and try to address the root cause of the problems than trying to stop or delay the inevitable. Tao Hongkai, one such expert, says that educators should try to motivate their pupils to get over their addictions rather than try to curtail their fixes on their vices.

Via Ars Technica

For a lot of students in the US and Europe, the first year in college signals a time of changes. If you’re a Chinese online gamer entering college, however, your world just might flip over.

Chinese education authorities have taken notice of rampant delinquency among students hooked to online gaming. The incidents of students flunking subjects has reached very significant numbers, prompting academic institutions to act drastically.

Prominent institutions such as Zhejiang University, Nanjing University, and Shanghai Jiaotong University have recently taken action in the form of a total ban on freshmen bringing computers with them. This is supposed to help them restrain themselves from all-night gaming sessions that cause them to neglect their academics.

Other institutions have taken similar action in the past, but the problem does not seem to die down amidst pressure against it. It has been noted that freshmen simply turn to internet cafe services for their gaming needs. Others resume the habit when they reach their sophomore years.

Internet addiction experts say that the academe should re-think its policies and try to address the root cause of the problems than trying to stop or delay the inevitable. Tao Hongkai, one such expert, says that educators should try to motivate their pupils to get over their addictions rather than try to curtail their fixes on their vices.

Via Ars Technica