Internet Cafes

Internet cafes are very convenient really, especially for us urban poor professionals without home-internet connections (ergo, kahit landline na telepono, WALA!). Those shops popping almost everywhere are blessings from heaven when you have to submit a paper, have to write someone or to just nag at somebody. But of course, there is a BIG BUT. In far away Valenzuela where we currently live amongst the carabaos and goats (kami sa bahay, sila sa bukid to make things clear), these internet shops are actually tambayans. Phew. Hindi naman sila marami kasi, far-away nga ang lugar namin na tipong kailangan mo na nga raw ng visa at passport pagpunta dito. Una, walang aircon. The owner of one of the shops I visited in our area seemed to think that enclosing a roomful of computers and people with only a ceiling fan for ventilation is more than enough. Gosh, the longest I stayed in that place was 10 minutes– I felt I was sitting inside a time bomb that is about to explode. Imagine all machines exploding for overheating or the connection of the shop overloading). Pangalawa, mabaho. There is this internet shop in a nearby village. Okay sana at mukha namang maayos. Kahit walang aircon, at least, maluwag-luwag. But no, hindi pa umiinit ang puwet ko sa shop eh sumugod ang isang herd ng adolescent males. Napaligiran ako ng mga kalalakihan, mga kalalakihang katutuli pa lang at nakow, nakalimutan atang maligo! Eh ang dami nila na nagaagawan sa mga computers para maglaro ng Ragnarok, kaya-sari-saring body smells ang naghalo sa hangin. Got a bad headache after that, promise. Third, Maingay. Dahil maraming adolescent males ang naglalaro ng Ragnarok and they all seem to be into the game (mind you, when youngs boys love the game they play, they squeal like girls hehehehehehehe) kaya its UBER NOISY. Actually this is okay pa for me. I can stand the shouts, the threats, the challenges made along the lines of the game because thats normal. Well, kinda. In an Internet shop a few blocks from this one, you will not hear shouts of battle but malulutong na mura. And these are not from adolescents but from 8-10 year old boys. Shocking. I was really shocked to hear one tiny boy scream (P.I.!!!!!!) and was half a mind to make palo that kid. Grabe, mas magaling pa siyang magmura sa akin. Hay……
Most of the times I go to these shops are weekends so that explains why these shops are being attacked by kids. Am just wondering if all these kids have their parent’s permission to play Ragnarok or if they know at all. Computer Rentals does not come cheap. An hour of gaming costs 25 php and kids sometimes play 3-5 hours non-stop. Group playing has become the practice though, to save money maybe. I heard kids pooling their money and 2 kids play in one computer and 2 in the other (they call this "bakas"). But still, even if some of the kids have parents who can spare a hundred pesos to burn for Ragnarok Gaming, not all of them can really afford it. And mind you, computer gaming attract not only young boys but young adults as well. I remember one time I was in a jeepney going home from work. 2 friends were talking about their friend who was not able to enroll because he spent all his money that was suppossedly for his tuition fee on Ragnarok. Tsk.Tsk.Tsk.
Am not really against Internet shops–why should I when I am so into net surfing and I don’t have internet at home? Im just bothered to see kids being used by other people to earn more money.I hope the gaming does not affect their studies (tho there have been studies that computer gaming affects the behavior, decision-making pattern and analytical skills of kids). Well, when you think about it, in our area, who would go net surfing? The college students, the professionals? Not many I suppose. Kaya siguro naisipang magpacomputer games. Mas madali ang kita.