VietNamNet Bridge – A new survey in Da Nang has put paid to a claim by the Institute of Sociology that only around a quarter of online gamers in the central city are aged 10 to 15.

Vietnamese online games off to faltering start

Online gamers join a competition in central Da Nang City. Results of a new survey has put previous studies in doubt. (Photo: VNS)

The department's chief inspector, Nguyen Chuong Duc, said the earlier survey done last week by the institute – which belongs to the Viet Nam Academy of Social Sciences – is unreliable because of the low sample size.

"The institute polled only 300- 400 gamers while there are tens of thousands of them at hundreds of internet shops in the city," he said.

"There are mainly gamers aged under 14 during the day. People from 16 to 25 only gather to play from 6-11pm."

Duc also thought that the earlier survey finding that only 5.2 per cent of gamers are addicted is lower the than the actual rate.

Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) has carried out a survey at high schools, colleges, and universities around the country on the damaging effects of online games on students.

The survey is aimed at finding measures to combat the pernicious influence of games many of which have violent and other harmful content.

Pham Ngoc Phuong, deputy head of administration at the MoET's school infrastructure and equipment department, told Tuoi Tre newspaper that 30 per cent of schools had sent in the survey results by the deadline on Monday.

Many schools had not been able to send in time due to the requirement of interviewing many student to achieve a comprehensive survey, he explained.

The poll covers a gamut of issues like the extent of violation of game management regulations, the situation of addicts, the frequency and intensity of fights in school, the effects of online games on the personality and conduct of students, and public opinion about online games.

The ministry wants schools to send in detailed reports on the management of the games and the bad influence they have on students.

It is also encouraging them to educate students about the potential bad effects the games have.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News