The Boston Herald reports that 49-year-old Angela Mejia, a single mother of four children, was forced to call the cops on her 14-year-old son over Grand Theft Auto. According to the police report, the "addiction" has been a growing problem for quite some time, leaving the woman overwhelmed and exasperated. Mejia finally snapped when she discovered her son playing a Grand Theft Auto game at 2:30 a.m., long after he was told to go to bed.
Infuriated, Mejia unplugged her son's PlayStation console (the model wasn't specified). As most gamers know, unplugging an active console is a big no-no--might was well thrust a knife into our back--thus a heated argument ensued between the two. The mother eventually dialed 911 and asked the police to help with her obsessed son.
The two officers who responded to the call told the Herald that they were "surprised" that there was more involved than just cooling down a family feud. Ultimately, they diffused the situation, telling the son to chill out and go to bed. The report didn't reveal any details about what happened to the console and games, or if any therapy would be involved.
Lawrence Kutner, former co-director of the Center for Mental Health and Media at Massachusetts General Hospital, told the Herald that the police call spoke more about the mom's frustration than the boy's so-called addiction. He also added that adults see videogames as isolating experience, whereas young males see games as a means of gaining social acceptance.
