Young Man Dies After a Marathon Week of Online Gaming

BEIJING - February 28, 2007

Has online gaming claimed another victim? Reports from MSNBC say an obese 26-year old man from northeaster China collapsed and died Saturday after a seven day holiday video game binge session.

Reports say that the 330-pound man from Jinzhou, in Liaoning province, collapsed on Saturday, the last day of the Lunar New Year holiday, after spending "almost all" of the seven-day break playing online games, the China Daily said, citing his parents. Reports state that his parents found the young man already dead, whom they believed to have been playing online games the entire seven-day holiday.

In China, where the number of online gamers is higher than any other country, it is no surprise that so many people spend their holidays binging on their favorite games. Xu Yan, a local teacher, was interviewed regarding the incident and admits that it is common practice for young adults to play computer games to avoid boredom during the holiday.

"There are only two options; TV or computer. What else can I do in the holiday as all markets, KTV and cafeterias are shut down?" Xu was quoted as saying. With all the local stores, shops and businesses closed for the holidays, there is little left for young people to do for entertainment. Combine this with the proliferation of computers and gaming in China and there are an increasing number of teenagers and young adults playing for long periods of time. In fact, this is common practice for many young adults not only in China but across the globe.

However, this is a problem that China is all-too familiar with. China has reported a rise in the number of teenage and young adult Internet addicts over the past few years and has made attempts to restrict or limit minors from using internet cafes and playing online games perhaps in the hopes of reducing the numbers of stories such as this one.