Should the government restrict how much internet you can use per day?

[Gerrin]

I just read this article about a man who died after 72 hours of playing Diablo 3. I have played for 18+ hours before myself and did not realize how dangerous this was to my health. Do you think that the government should at least educate people, or restrict how much internet they can use in one day? Like shut their internet off every 2 hours for 30 minutes so the person can get up and stretch their legs?

Take all the warning signs off of everything and let Darwin work his magic.

[Grizzly Willy]

Right.

That was immoral then, and it is now.

Also: we're not Ancient Greece! Funny, that.

[Rooflesstoofless]

Tobacco is still legal.
Cars are still in production that go well beyond any legal speed limit in the US.

...wont happen.

[Myrrar]

1st off, I'd be out of a job.

Secondly, the internet has never killed anyone. The D3 debate was over someone with existing health problems. He could have not played D3 at all and still died. If someone is sedentary enough to sit on their ass so long that it kills them, they would do it even if they couldn't be on the internet. They would have to regulate how much people watch TV, or play consoles, or read books. Telling people how long they are allowed to do a leisure activity in their house would never happen, thankfully.

It really doesn't need anymore 'education' either. Anyone who would not feed themselves or move for days isn't paying attention to health warnings. Anyone with a brain that cares about their body, even at a young age, knows not to sit in one place for days until they starve themselves to death or make themselves sick.

[Mirrass]

As others have put this is just natural selection at its best. Why should the government tell us we have to get off our asses after X amount of hours of sitting its not hard to be a gamer and stay in shape. If you are too damn stupid to not realize you might need to eat or sleep after a ridiculous amount of time sitting at your computer I am proud to say the gene pool just got a little smarter by their death.

[TheBeardedOne]

True. If I want to weigh 400lbs and smoke a pack a day that's my business. Regardless of how much people get righteous and indignant over those things doesn't mean the government should be able to stop me from doing those.

Sure you can do that to yourself but when you wan tax payers to pay your medical costs to save your life you can go pay you own medical bills, I all for doing what you want with your own body but when you need helping cause of your terrible choices don't come crying and don't block up the public health systems with your self given problems. OT o government should ahve no say in the internet apart form hunting down and blocking child porn

[nixcookies]

It's a great shame this young man and others have died like this and I do think the dangers of extensive gaming in a short period should be promoted more, but this is an occasion were I do not think the government should intervene especially not in the manner you presented. I think their should be an increase in awareness of the dangers by both the Games Industry and possibly government.

This may sound a little harsh but I think it really depends on the person and whether or not they're even willing to listen, if they are quite addicted to a game it's highly unlikely they will.

[Nathiest]

No. Control your own damn life.

[Deleted]

No. As someone quoted and I agree, if you can't tell you need food/sleep so bad you're dieing, you deserve it.

Also, if Diablo 3 didn't exist, he'd have died playing a single player game. Then what? Restrict electricity usage? Then he'd probably die playing a handheld device, then what? ban all technology?

[Magpai]

No, the government does not need to make this choice for me and the government does not need to take this liberty away from me for my own good.

Get your government-centered religious dogma out of my life.

---------- Post added 2012-05-26 at 07:06 AM ----------

Sure you can do that to yourself but when you wan tax payers to pay your medical costs to save your life you can go pay you own medical bills, I all for doing what you want with your own body but when you need helping cause of your terrible choices don't come crying and don't block up the public health systems with your self given problems. OT o government should ahve no say in the internet apart form hunting down and blocking child porn

The problem with this is it assumes that government paying -- excuse me, using other people's money to pay -- for a person's healthcare is the right thing to do and the only question is how to restrict liberty to make this less costly. Government subsidizing bad choices is the problem, not the goal.

[thatbezoguy]

To address the topic title:

Fuck no.

Absolutely not.

Ever.

And if they ever try that shit, I will find a way around it.

[ishootblanks]

I just read this article about a man who died after 72 hours of playing Diablo 3. I have played for 18+ hours before myself and did not realize how dangerous this was to my health. Do you think that the government should at least educate people, or restrict how much internet they can use in one day? Like shut their internet off every 2 hours for 30 minutes so the person can get up and stretch their legs?

no.. no.. no.. no.. no..

in case I was not clear..

@#$%ING NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

stupid people will always find ways to kill themselves.. we don't need even more nanny-state garbage hanging over our lives..

[Clockwork Pinkie]

I just read this article about a man who died after 72 hours of playing Diablo 3. I have played for 18+ hours before myself and did not realize how dangerous this was to my health. Do you think that the government should at least educate people, or restrict how much internet they can use in one day? Like shut their internet off every 2 hours for 30 minutes so the person can get up and stretch their legs?

No, failed logic, would conflict with way too many businesses that require you to do more than 3 hours of work on a computer connected to the internet. Next.

[Khanjin]

This story is incomplete, because other variables are not there. You can't say that 18 hours of straight gameplay is dangerous to YOUR health, because other variables apply, like your physical condition. It's like saying that a few glasses of wine is dangerous to your health, when some guy down the street died of alcohol poisoning. Yes, 72 hours is ridiculous, but to die off of it there must have been another negative variable, because if you place a healthy guy on a chair with food and drinks for 72 hours, he won't die.

Think before saying "this is dangerous to my health", it's a generalisation that is dangerous in any subject.

As for the government restricting internet access, no. I am all against few bad apples spoiling the bunch.