Internet gaming and it's dangers

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100528/ap_on_re_as/as_skorea_internet_addiction

South Korea has always been known for it's enthusiasm towards online gaming, as thousands of Koreans will pour hour upon hours into games like Starcraft, World of Warcraft, and other computer applications. While these new online communities can provide much entertainment and perhaps another cultural space to explore, it can also be taken too far. I understand that with the advancement of such games like WoW there is much you can do and the game can now provide a level of immersion unheard of in the past decades. But sometimes it can be dangerous to immerse yourself too deeply. In Seoul, South Korea, a South Korean couple were convicted of abandoning their newborn daughter and subsequently starved to death. What is surprising is that this supreme act of negligence and cruelty was lightly punished. The parents only had to go to jail for 2 years, and the wife did not have to because she was pregnant again. What a prime picture of responsibility. They only bottle fed her once each day and would beat the poor child if she cried out. I understand that these new cultural spheres can be exciting and invigorating, but therin lurks a quiet and pervasive danger: addiction. It can be a slippery slope, and it seems there is a growing number of people who are not able to handle this internet and online gaming addiction. It poses to ruin their lives, but more importantly it can affect others lives as well.