In Dagupan, Philippines, a school shooting that left three students dead has led to the closure of all Pisonet shops, those hourly computer rental establishments. Authorities point to violent video games as the cause of the incident. The measure aims to protect young people, but it also leaves families who depend on these cheap computers for studying or gaming without access to technology.
Low-cost technology: the drama of the digital divide in the Philippines 🖥️
Pisonet shops are a key resource in a country where owning a PC at home is not common. They operate with coins, offering online games and internet access for minimal fees. Closing them eliminates a digital entry point for many children. The decision does not address the root problem: the lack of educational alternatives and parental supervision. Without these shops, the technological gap widens, and distance learning becomes nearly impossible for the poorest.
Banning Pisonet: the cure that kills the patient (and the gamer) 🎮
So, to prevent more bullets, the machines are banned. Impeccable logic: if a driver crashes, close the gas stations. Now young people, without Pisonet, will have to seek entertainment on the streets, where there is surely no violence. The authorities have pulled off a masterstroke: they saved the world from violent pixels while real problems remain in the background. Mission accomplished, Dagupan. 😤