One in 10 Hong Kong primary school pupils face video game addiction
Survey finds young Hongkongers spend eight hours a week playing video games on average, and experts have warned it can lead to health problems
One in 10 upper primary school pupils in Hong Kong is either already addicted to video games or at risk of becoming an addict, according to a new survey.
Psychologists warned of problems such as obesity and poor eyesight as well as emotional problems among gaming addicts, and called for educating both children and parents on the subject.
The survey of more than 2,000 primary four to six pupils, carried out by the University of Hong Kong from March to May this year, found that about one-tenth of them spent more than 21 hours a week playing games on computers or smartphones. On average, they all devoted eight hours a week to gaming.
Cecilia Cheng, project leader and psychology professor at the university, said addicted children tended to become anxious and sad when they had to cut down on gaming.