North Korean Newspaper Speaks Out Against Video Games

By: GooseNorth Korean newspaper Rodong Sinmun, has recently published an article speaking out against children and young adults playing video games. The newspaper has been around since 1945 and reaches roughly 600,000 people daily. The paper is often seen as a representation of North Korean views and practices, specifically those of infamous dictator Kim Jong Un, who has been ruling the communist country since 2011 after his father Kim Jong-il passed.In a recent article, the entire video game industry was called out. There was an emphasis on mobile games for cellular devices, specifically. Furthermore, every form of video games were described as corrupting “youth’s sound mind” and attempted to show the potential damages of gaming. The article claimed that a child who grew up playing video games wouldn’t be able to adapt socially, and that youth would have trouble thinking, growing up, and finding success in the real world.The article made inferences to Western countries such as the United States, and claimed specifically that,

“Most electronic games which flourish in capitalist nations destruct youths' sound mind,  and harm them ideologically and mentally. Mobile phone games are also causing serious problems worldwide.”

The article seemed to portray the video game epidemic as an outside issue, and also managed to avoid any recognition of the illegal importation of electronics in North Korea. Additionally, there was quite little evidence to back their claims. The only piece of factual information provided was from the World Health Organization (WHO). It read how the WHO recently described a gaming disorder as a “persistent or recurrent” problem where one has a “sufficient severity to result in significant impairment in personal, family, social, educational, occupational or other important areas of functioning”. Video games were put on the 11th International Classification of Diseases, all of which was highlighted by the newspaper as evidence. Despite their classifications, other science outlets have claimed video games are a treatment to ADHD, and some athletes have even gone as far as playing them as a way of rehabilitation for hand injuries. All in all, there is a great deal of proof on both sides.All of this seems to come as a surprise for many, considering recently an unnamed defector reportedly supplied major news stations with information on the electronics market in the streets of North Korea. The defector claimed that video games are a huge part of culture for teenagers and youth in the city of Pyongyang. The defector also claimed of a boom of illegally imported electronics such as cell phones, laptops, and other devices. The information given offers an outside look at the current environment of the country, and shows potential signs of citizens having the ability to connect with the rest of the world. Last summer, North Korean watchers reported that Kim Jong Un spent a great deal of his personal time playing World of Tanks, making this publication even more bizarre.The bigger picture, the claim of corruption in youth from video games, has been discussed in great detail all around the world, with evidence for both sides of the story. In my opinion, video games really do not have a definite impact on a person and their development. The impact of video games truly depend on the person and their mental capability to depict real and made-up environments. There are definitely ways of using video games as treatment for different problems. The best solution is to simply keep on researching, and to definitely avoid the elimination of these games. They’re an outlet and a way of life for many people, and they are certainly cemented their footprint in the steps of the technology world.