AUDIO – TETRIS IT’S NOT –

Dec. 28, 2022 – “My only comfort is that he has been keeping his promise to stay offline overnight,” one father said, as another confided that their child had been attending a rehab day camp.

The group’s founder, Sakiko Kuroda, said children in Japan now start playing video games early in primary school, and pandemic restrictions mean many are playing for longer.

Many parents do not know how to deal with the issue, and there is “a lack of action by the government and the gaming industry,” said Kuroda, who started the group in 2019 as an informal meet-up.

“People come from across the country to take part, as this kind of self-help gathering is rare in Japan.”

The World Health Organization describes “gaming disorder” as behavior that results in “significant impairment” of areas like relationships, education or work, and lasts at least a year.

Click@JapanTimes