Chinese prof brands gamers no better than drug dealers

A Chinese newspaper has managed to offend most of the nation’s gaming community by quoting an addiction “expert” who likened gamers to drug dealers. Guangdong-based Communist Party mouthpiece the Southern Daily spoke to a “distinguished” university professor Tao Hongkai for the rent-a-quote outburst, in a piece of reporting …

[Florida1920]

As Confucius said: Never put gamers in charge of therapy centers.

[jake]

Uh, duh?

Games aren't RealLife(tm), never have been, never will be.

Nuff said.

[Pascal Monett]

So true.

Unfortunately, there are people who are not intelligent enough to make the difference.

[Anonymous Coward]

I concur with Professor Tao

Drugs are just as dangerous as video games.

[Fihart]

Sorry, I'll Read That Again.

I initially read the headline as Chinese Prof(essional) Brands (Huawei, Foxconn etc) no better than drug dealers.

Well, given that both companies have been deep in controversy at times, you might forgive the mistake.

[Robert Ramsay]

Drug dealers?

Drug *users* shurely?

[John Tserkezis]

"In one such centre a 15-year-old boy died after severed “therapeutic” beatings – leading to a crack down on physical violence at such facilities."

And that's the way it should be, we can't have gamers running around amok, society will crumble. Now excuse me while I do some more "scientific research" on GTA.

[John Savard]

The Cure

The Communist Party of China should give up its grip on power, and turn China into a free country like the United States of America. Then the Chinese people, including the youth, will be able to lead meaningful lives, and video games will take their proper place as a harmless form of recreation, instead of escape from a bleak existence.

[Captain DaFt]

Re: The Cure

"turn China into a free country like the United States of America."

Congratulations on reviving from your long coma!

(PS, You've got a lot of news to catch up on!)

[Pascal Monett]

Re: The Cure

The way things are going now, it looks like the US will turn into China before China turns into a free country.

Oh, by the way, there are no more free countries. There are only countries where you are not finger-searched every time you board a plane, and the USA.

[Nuke]

@John Savard - Re: The Cure

Wrote :- "The Communist Party of China should give up its grip on power, and turn China into a free country"

This is either an off-topic rant on the pretext of the word "China" being mentioned, or you have misread TFA. This is not about the Chinese Government, it is about the opinion of one individual who got some news coverage. Wouldn't be hard to find such opinions being reported in the West either.

[Sheep!]

"China was one of the first country’s to countries in the world to recognise this very ...."

Come on El Reg, the odd spelling mistake slipping through is one thing, but a whole sentence?