Tuesday, January 29, 2008 Ledesma: New menace: Net games addiction By Jun Ledesma Sunbursts
MY MOST recent column about the menace of Internet and video games drew a very angry reaction from a certain Ronald Tan. That item actually stemmed from the interview granted by City Councilor Tess Matas Maranon to DXAB's Estong Caballes.
In that interview she revealed that she would sponsor a council measure that would curb the menace of Internet games on the grade school and high school children. I pointed out that in the last council there was a similar move but obviously this failed. This time it's Councilor Maranon turn to fight the eight-headed monster. I appreciate her enthusiasm but expressed my misgivings in that I doubted whether her idea would succeed.
In the same column I said that aside from Internet cafes, which generally offer Internet games there are those, which pretend to be Internet cafes but offer nothing but games. They do not have personal computers but just TV monitors and controllers. What also escaped Councilor Maranon is the more addicting video games. These suck the "baon" of the kids who end up malnourished and school dropouts. I suggested that if we are truly in earnest to ban school children from these joints maybe let's do it the other way around. Remove the games software from the PCs.
In the interest of fair play, I am quoting the e-mail sent by Mr. Tan:
"Hello.
It seems to me that Mr. Ledesma knows a lot about Internet Cafe operations, which leads me to conclude that he might have been an Internet cafe owner once. Meaning, he's one of those who lost and is now sourgraping against us. Another thing, who is he to judge the integrity of all the members? Does he know each and everyone of us? It seems to me that he himself is a businessman for he seems to have a lot of money in the bank. Does he pay his taxes correctly? Of course I can go on and on but it's useless arguing against someone who is judgmental, opinionated and immature. Shame on him!!!
Regarding the issues raised by Marañon. In my opinion, there's no need for additional legislation. What we need is enforcement of the present laws and not more laws. What's the use of having so many of them if there's no enforcement? Why are they picking on us? In the Sun.Star report, it says there that there's a boy who went to the cafe without their parent's noticing it. What kind of parents are they? Irresponsible, isn't it? Maybe what we need is child-rearing education for ignorant and irresponsible parents! And not more regulation.
It is also irresponsible for the reporters and the editor of Sun.Star to blame the irresponsibility of that parent on the Internet cafe. It seems that they are casting us as a menace to society for the offenses of some unscrupulous Internet cafe operators. But isn't it the papers on which the Sun.Star is printed came from trees? And isn't it that our environment is now in peril because of lack of trees? Then we also need a legislation banning all forms of newspaper! Let's all get together, more so this time that we are being branded as a menace to society, for we know that not all of us are. I believe there are a number of us who will play fair if only the rules are properly implemented.
Ronald Tan"
I fully understand the outbursts of Mr. Tan. Obviously he is an Internet operator. If he follows the regulations then he has nothing to worry. I am on his side. The menace I am talking of is not him or other Internet operators who follow the guidelines. If I know something about Internet operations it's because my publisher says we should study our subject before we write anything for or against it. I leave it to my readers to judge me for what I wrote about the subject. Some of the items I touched on came from parents whose children were hooked to Internet and video games.
By the way, Mr. Tan, I pay my taxes diligently. Between me and my wife, according to former BIR Assistant Regional Director Muss Gandarosa, we pay more taxes than what a big mall owner in Davao who has a Chinese family name like you. Yet we are both just employees. I am retired now but still paying taxes. Nope, I don't have that much money in the bank as you badly guessed. Don't be fooled by my family name.
