Nowon-gu Holds Parent Academy to Prevent Game Addiction

Online Parent Academy on "Children's Game Addiction and the Role of Parents" to be Held at 10 AM on the 25th

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Nowon-gu (Mayor Oh Seung-rok) will hold a lecture titled “Children’s Game Addiction and the Role of Parents” for parents who have children addicted to games or are interested in preventing game addiction.

The lecture will be held online on the 25th at 10 a.m. to maintain social distancing due to COVID-19 and to allow many residents to easily participate.

The speaker is Professor Hong Seung-gwan of the Korea IT Vocational School, an expert in youth guidance and cyber psychology and a specialist counselor in internet addiction.

Today’s youth, a generation highly dependent on smartphones and media, are exposed to smartphones and PCs for long hours as schools conduct remote classes due to COVID-19 and social distancing restricts outdoor activities.

As the time spent on smartphones and PCs increases, parents’ concerns are also growing.

This lecture aims to ease parents’ worries by discussing how parents should respond in a situation where it is impossible to completely block games, which are affinity activities that circulate emotions for children whose activities are inevitably restricted.

The lecture will cover ▲ youth gaming culture ▲ causes of game addiction among youth ▲ educational methods to prevent game addiction ▲ characteristics of games requiring special attention from parents ▲ ways to form healthy gaming habits ▲ and coping strategies for game overdependence.

This lecture was directly planned by the Nowon Innovation Education District Parent Committee, composed of actual parents who empathize most with the issue and face it realistically.

It draws attention for selecting the topics that parents practically need the most.

As face-to-face lectures have become difficult due to COVID-19, the district will conduct the lecture non-face-to-face using a video conferencing app. Unlike general live streaming, the video conferencing app allows smoother communication with participants during the lecture. A Q&A session will be held during the lecture.

To participate in the lecture, visit the Nowon-gu Office website or the Nowon-gu Office Facebook page “Nowon Residents’ House,” click on the parent special lecture post, and enter the application page via the QR code in the notice.

After filling out and submitting the application form on the application page, a link to participate in the lecture will be sent the day before the lecture. Any parent in Nowon-gu can apply, and there is no limit on the number of participants.

Oh Seung-rok, Mayor of Nowon-gu, stated, “We deeply empathize with parents’ concerns about our children for whom gaming has become a daily routine. We hope this lecture will help parents gain a correct understanding of their children’s game addiction and improve their relationships with their children.”