Gaming Addiction: A Difficult Journey - Part 1: Boy Falls Asleep at Hospital

In Hanoi, a 14-year-old boy identified as K. sits letharging in a hospital waiting room, his mother by his side. He's been admitted to the Institute of Mental Health at Bach Mai Hospital for treatment of severe gaming and social media addiction.

K.'s mother, N.T.H., a single parent working as a fruit vendor, described her son's behavior as a "real war." K. neglects eating, school, and personal hygiene, spending all his time gaming. When his phone is taken away, he becomes aggressive, with bulging eyes and flailing limbs, frightening his mother.

“

He plays games too much, stops eating, stops going to school, and just lies in a corner of the house. If I take his phone away, he becomes defiant, stares at me with bulging eyes, and his hands and feet thrash as if he wants to hit me. I am very scared and worried about his behavior. I can't keep him at home any longer; no matter how busy I am, I have to take him to the hospital for treatment.

His academic performance has suffered, failing to pass entrance exams for high school and now attending vocational school, where he reportedly sleeps through classes. The addiction has made him withdrawn and irritable, especially towards his mother, whom he resents when she tries to intervene. His condition has deteriorated over the past two years, leading to his hospitalization.

Doctors have diagnosed K. with addiction and prescribed mandatory treatment. His case highlights the escalating problem of screen addiction among Vietnamese children and the challenges parents face in addressing it.

“

For the past two years, his personality has changed. When I remind him, he hates me. Once, I confiscated his phone and didn't let him use it anymore, and he stopped eating for many days to protest.