Comments on: Reno couple blame Net for child neglect; bloggers blame couple

This week in Nevada, a new case for social workers and little tolerance for parents accused of abuse.

[TaintDeli]

Natural selection

It would seem to me that this is just natural selection eliminating these jagoffs from the gene pool.

Sucks for the kids though.

[hellsyes]

JAGOFFS!

Nice. You must be from Pittsburgh too!

[albatross83]

And bloggers can stop anytime they want...

Quote: "...if the so-called Internet addicted can't get understanding from people who spend much of their day on a computer, it's doubtful anyone else will buy it."

Nonsense. You'd get the same response from bar patrons regarding alcoholics, or gamblers regarding gambling.

I'm not saying addiction absolves responsibility in the least, nor am I at all in the anti-internet camp, but addiction is a clear and present danger, and there should be more of an awareness so people know what signs and symptoms to look for in friends and loved ones.

Addiction has two components -- the addict, and the fix. The internet, and MMORPGs in particular, are "the fix" for a great number of people. And much like drugs, they require ever-increasing participation to achieve (never quite) the same euphoria.

Or we can just continue along with our virtual heads in the silicon, pretending that stimuli have no effect on the psyche unless that stimulus has been chugged, smoked, or injected.

[devbost]

Addiction

You make a good point. Addiction is a mysterious thing. With drugs and alcohol, there's the physiological component whereby something foreign is introduced into a person's system.

However, we know that gambling is a recognized form of addiction, and there's no physiological component to that outside of what happens naturally in the brain to induce the high that keeps people coming back for more.

While I agree that there isn't enough research about so-called "Internet addiction" to determine if there's something really there or not, I suppose that it's possible in the same way that becoming addicted to gambling is possible.

All that said, these people should be in jail. "I was high at the time" isn't a valid defense for someone on trial for neglect when their small child falls into the swimming pool and drowns.

"I was playing video games" as a defense for neglecting your children and allowing them to become malnourished is, to me, even worse because unlike someone who has incapacitated themselves through alcohol or drugs, at some level there has to be some reckoning that the children aren't being taken care of. And that implies that at some level, there is a choice made to keep playing video games, knowing that you should instead be feeding the kids.

Seriously, these people need a kick in the butt for even trying this incredibly lame defense. Accept some responsibility for your (in)action, instead of ******** that the video games made you do it.

[andysr]

No excuse!

I am internet addicted myself, but I would not allow my children to be starved. I can step away from the keyboard long enough to take care of the children. These people like to make excuses that addictions make them enable to function normally. If they had one ounce of decency, they should realize that their chilren are more important than Dungeons and Dragons. I hope that they don't escape what is coming to them. It is so shameful what they did. I can't believe that there are people out there like them. They should be banned from playing on the computer or anything electronic. Also take away their stupid D&D games and araphernalia. Jack *****!

[chuchucuhi]

really no excuse

There really is no excuse for behaviour such as this. A cousin of mines, "babies daddy" spends most of their money on video games, high-speed internet, and subscriptions for games. There have been numerous occasions when she has asked her mom for food because there isn't money for any. My father used to work for the DSHS and ran into people who complained they never got enough to buy food for their children all the while they have cable television, money for alcohol, and cigarettes. Certain people I guess just can't prioritize human life as being the most important.

[slbridges]

Mother's MySpace page

http://www.myspace.com/ikstraw

Under heroes she wrote, "Um...me?"

[hackster52]

...and the father's MySpace

http://myspace.com/misfits180

[lyric76]

Class action anyone?

Basic principle of addiction: ANYONE can be addicted to ANYTHING enjoyable to that person. Why do people think that addiction only applies to alcohol, drugs, and cigarettes? What about food addiction? What about gambling? Just because online gaming wasn't covered by the ten commandments, doesn't mean it's not dangerous. It IS a problem. It's so much so a problem that China, an entire country is creating laws to limit online gaming. Basically, they are mandating that online games have a 3 hour cap. The current strategy is to take away all powers and abilities of the online character when the player has logged on for 3 hours and requiring 5 hours of break time between logging on. Maybe we should do the same. Forget that! Maybe these game producers should do it on their own accord for the greater good of society. Maybe companies that Blizzard, maker of World of Warcraft, and Sony (Everquest) should learn from what happened to mega corp phillip morris, before the almighty class action law suit mob pwn them where the sun don't shine.

[HolyJeebus]

Give me a break!

Maybe people should either learn self control or shoot themselves.

[rcrusoe]

It's never your fault

This case is just another example of the problems society faces when you take away the principal of personal responsibility.

"I've got an addiction", "my mommy didn't breast feed me", whatever. I'm old enough to remember when actions had consequences. That concept seems to be lost these days in the good old USA.

Today, everyone wants to blame someone or something else for their stupid and/or criminal activity. And all you have to do is turn over the nearest rock to find someone to represent you in court.

To steal a line from an ancient TV show:

"If you can't do the time, don't do the crime"

[WTFIGO]

Another defense...

It's just shocking how we can create reasons why people don't
take responsibility for their actions. Addicted to video games so
we didn't feed our kids? I'm going to start beating my wife every
day, then I'll just say that I couldn't stop because.....let's
see.....oh I know!....I was addicted to beating my wife!!!
Blame the Democrats and anyone else who can find sympathy
for these two young parents. Throw 'em in jail, throw away the
key, make an example out of them, then put the kids in a new
home with some new parents that will nurture them. Alot of
problems exist, and are exacerbated, because we just won't
punish people who step outside the law. We want a scapegoat,
someone or something to blame. Those two are to blame, no
one and nothing else. Addicted to being heartless, self-serving,
pathetic examples of parenthood.

[HolyJeebus]

What The?

I play the same game (DDO)..and before that it was Everquest..and before Everquest there was porn. My kids seemed to get fed and their fair share of attention. It wasn't by magic that they survived. Christ, people, these kids are probably still on formula and baby food..how hard is it to pop a can or jar and take 30 minutes to feed them or take a break for five minutes now and tyhen to change a diaper or 30 minutes to give them a bath? It's real simple..you get up go to work so you can pay for food shelter and games. Next you come home..see your family for an hour..sit down play your game a couple of hours..get the kids ready for bed, put them to bed, and the rest of the night is yours. And I really think that is even too much time on the game. These people are just retarded..lett'em rot.

[manojiitan12]

the Reno couple blame Net for child neglect; bloggers blame couple.Following this revelation, anyone with an opinion on first-person shooters, God or teenagers took to the keyboard and beat the devil out of it.Are churches advocating warfare? Are they training soldiers? Do they talk over the ethics of a just war with the youth? Do they talk about whether and when it's OK to kill another human being? Is God on anyone's "side" in an armed conflict?


mack


Addiction Recovery Nevada