Nubs

Just read an article on Edge on-line, which you can read right here. The article explains that about 10 percent of all internet users under the age of 18 are addicted in some form or another to on-line games (read: WoW), and how the government is undertaking measures that regulate the number of hours someone can play a game before it automatically logs the player off, and fun stuff like that. I think a couple of months ago, I heard something where they put a cap on the number of levels someone could gain in one 24-hour period. Fun!

So yeah, government-enacted counter-measures in place to curb obsessive gameplaying? Doesn't work. It doesn't take into consideration human nature, the role of a parent in an adolescent's life, and a growing child's own ability to act in moderation in all avenues of their life. It doesn't get to the root of the problem. It doesn't fix a fucking thing.

The Chinese are a people that care the world about "mian zi" or "face." In addition to that, their nationalism is way strong. How about a family-based initiative that puts stress on a parent nurturing their child not just in the way of academics, but also imparting knowledge in the way of acting like a functioning human being instead of a bin that gorges on KFC, McDonalds, and epic purples on a daily basis? Call parents out for being irresponsible and put an emphasis on betterment for the future of a harmonious Chinese society and I guarantee you results, goddamned widespread societal changes across China. Stop externalizing the blame and force people to face the issue at hand. In WoW terms, stop bracket-camping in 19 Warsong Gulch and face 70 Arena like a man.

This isn't going to work because of the same reason jailing drug addicts in America doesn't work. To paraphrase Bill Hicks, "These people aren't criminals, they're s-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-ck."

China, you have a beautiful country. The people are amongst the nicest I've ever met, and the food? Oh my dear lord. But this control? This censorship? You guys are straight nubs when it comes to effective leadership techniques, no doubt.