Maria Cruz, Author at Womens Post

News July 4, 2018

Toronto leaders speak out amidst current gun violence

After the weekend shooting in Toronto’s Kensington Market, Toronto Police Chief Mark Saunders, Premier Doug Ford, and Mayor John Tory have released statements on the current state of the city.

On Saturday evening around 8:00 p.m., shots rang out at Peter Street and Queen Street West and left two rappers dead and one woman in the hospital. The two rappers were identified as Smoke Dawg (Jahvante Smart), 21, and Koba Prime (Ernest Modekwe), 28.

The violence didn’t end on Saturday, however. On Sunday, police were called to the College Street and Augusta Avenue area when shots rang out around 10:30 p.m. Reports say that four people were injured during the crime. After the shooting, four suspects were seen fleeing the scene but police have yet to release a description of them.

Since the shootings took place on Canada Day, one of the busiest times in Toronto, Chief Saunders spoke with CP24 about the gun violence. “This is not the norm,” he told CP24. “Right in broad daylight on some of the busiest intersections of our city where there is gunplay. The gunplay usually occurs at night in particular neighbourhoods where there is not as much capacity of people. The brazenness is a concern.”

He added that the violence can be traced back to gang violence. “This is pointed to specific people. A random person walking down the street, it is highly unlikely that they are going to be in harm’s way,” he added.

A statement released by Tory read: “The unacceptable gun violence we’ve seen in the last few weeks has left me incredibly angry but resolved to work with the police to stamp it out. As Mayor, the safety of our city is my top priority and one that I share with Chief Mark Saunders and the men and women of the Toronto Police Service. That’s why we’re hiring 200 police officers this year, why I’ve always advocated for tougher gun control and tougher bail conditions for gun crime, and why we’re modernizing the police service to ensure there are more officers patrolling the streets.”

He added that he spoke with Chief Saunders who said that police are working to get to the bottom of the crimes. He also said that he plans to reach out to Premier Doug Ford and Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale to discuss how they can better their efforts to combat gang violence.

“As I said at City Council last week, we need to toughen up bail guidelines for those caught committing gun crimes. Countless police officers – from constables to the Chief himself – have told me how frustrated they are by the fact someone they arrest for a gun crime can be back out on the street on bail quickly and ready to cause more mayhem. That is not right and that is something we can stop right now,” the statement also read.

Tory added that the city leaders need to work together to deploy more police and support law enforcement to keep criminals behind bars.

On Monday Ford released a statement on Twitter saying: “My heart goes out to the victims of the shootings in Toronto over the Canada Day long weekend. This has been a very difficult summer in our city, and thoughts and prayers just aren’t going to cut it anymore. We need action.” He added that Toronto is home to the greatest police officers and “we need to make sure they have the resources to round up these criminals, build relationships in communities, and prevent these shootings.” He concluded his statement by saying he looks forward to meeting with representatives from Toronto police forces to city leaders and law enforcement can work together to end “this senseless violence.”

Hopefully, Toronto’s leaders can band together to successfully get to the bottom of the gun violence currently happening in the city and make its citizens feel safe again.

News July 2, 2018

Report says India most unsafe country for women

A Thomson Reuters Foundation report revealed that India is the most unsafe country for women, a claim they have since stood by.

The foundation released their latest report in an attempt to follow up with previous findings of the same nature that they released in 2011. In 2011, their report concluded that the five most dangerous countries for women at the time were Afghanistan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Pakistan, India, and Somalia. The foundation claimed that they wanted to see if anything had changed in the seven years since their last report.

They consulted with 548 experts in various relevant fields including aid and development professionals, health workers, academics, policymakers, journalists, and non-government organization workers.

Their information concluded that India was ranked the worst country when it came to cultural traditions (such as acid attacks, child marriage, female genital mutilation, and physical abuse as punishment), sexual violence, and human trafficking. Afghanistan was ranked the worst when it came to healthcare, discrimination, and non-sexual violence.

However, Maneka Gandhi of the Union Minister of Women and Child Development in India questioned the foundation about why the ministry wasn’t consulted. In a statement they said, “The poll has been conducted with 548 respondents, which have been defined by Reuters as ‘experts focused on women’s issues.’ However, information on their designation, credentials, country of expertise or qualifications is not available, thus reliability is an issue. The methodology given by the organisation also includes ‘policymakers’ as one of the respondents. However, no information or opinion has been sought from this ministry regarding the poll.”

Additionally, Union Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore tweeted on June 27 that he was ashamed of Congress for using the report and slandering Indians. “The #WomenSafetyReport being used by Congress to slander billions of Indians thereby trying to damage our reputation globally, is a ‘Perception Based’ survey, afar from any solid facts or numbers. Ashamed of the Congress,” he wrote.

In the midst of the criticism, First Post interviewed the Thomson Reuters Foundation, who defended their report. “All respondents work in the field of women’s issues: A range of aid and development professionals, academics, health workers, policymakers, non-government organisation workers, journalists and social commentators. The list was compiled from a database of women’s rights experts built by the Thomson Reuters Foundation team.”

It’s hard not to see the staggering numbers of sexual assault in India, however. A 2016 report from the National Crime Records Bureau revealed that the majority of sexual assaults were committed by someone in the victim’s family.

The Times of India reported that in 2016, 38,947 sexual assault cases were reported throughout the year. They also reported that in 2016 there were over 100 assaults in one day and of those victimized, 2,116 of them were between the ages of 0-12.

What's Hot July 1, 2018

Roseanne Barr tearfully apologizes, says she lost everything

Last weekend during an emotional interview with Rabbi Shmuley, Roseanne Barr admitted how she lost everything and regrets her racist comments.

For those who don’t know, Barr’s hit series was rebooted and set to make a comeback until a series of racist tweets against former President Obama’s top aide, Valerie Jarrett, was made. In a tweet that is now deleted, Barr wrote: “Muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes had a baby=vj,” which was in reference to Jarrett. Though Barr initially said she was joking, she soon deleted the tweet and wrote an apology to Jarrett and all Americans.

ABC caught wind of the incident and quickly cancelled the reboot.

In a transcript of Barr’s interview with Shmuley, she said, “Of course, no I don’t excuse it. I horribly regret it. Are you kidding? I lost everything, and I regretted it before I lost everything. And I said to God, ‘I am willing to accept whatever consequences this brings because I know I’ve done wrong. I’m going to accept what the consequences are,’ and I do, and I have. But they don’t ever stop. They don’t accept my apology, or explanation. And I’ve made myself a hate magnet. And as a Jew, it’s just horrible. It’s horrible.” She then broke down crying.

She added that she never thought Jarrett was a black woman. “I know it’s a form of racism to assume every person who looks white is white. But it’s a mistake that a lot of people make. People make that mistake about me all the time. They don’t know I’m a Jew. […] It was an insensitive thing for me, but it’s the reason, and I’m just gonna’ own my reason. I can’t let anyone else say I did it because I’m a racist, because I didn’t.”

She also said that people have said she compared Jarrett and black people to monkeys, but she tried to clarify that that wasn’t what she said. “Here’s what I said. I know the history of the world, and racism and how it affects people. I’m not ignorant. But I’m stupid sometimes. […] I’ve always worked with black women. I’ve done that since the sixties. And you know it still creeps in. I am so sorry and humiliated and you know, angry at myself. But in my heart I just made a stupid error.”

At the time of the tweet, some people involved with the show, including Sara Gilbert and Wanda Sykes, respectfully said that Barr doesn’t speak for everyone in the cast and they would no longer be returning.

Even though Roseanne was cancelled, a spin-off called The Connors was given the green light and will be airing in the fall with 10 episodes already on the way. Original cast members such as John Goodman, Laurie Metcalf, Sara Gilbert, Lecy Goranson, and Michael Fishman will be returning. According to Today, the cast collectively released a statement saying, “We have received a tremendous amount of support from fans of our show, and it’s clear that these characters not only have a place in our hearts, but in the hearts and homes of our audience. We all came back last season because we wanted to tell stories about the challenges facing a working-class family today. We are so happy to have the opportunity to return with the cast and crew to continue to share those stories through love and laughter.”

News June 30, 2018

“Permit Patty” resigns from job, gets death threats over viral video

Alison Ettel, also known as “Permit Patty” called the police on an 8-year-old girl for selling water bottles without a permit. After the altercation went viral she has spoken out and since resigned from her place of work.

On June 23 a video was uploaded to Twitter with the caption: “So my little cousin was selling water and didn’t have a permit so this lady decided to call the cops on an 8 year old. #PermitPatty.” The child was selling water bottles to passerby in an attempt to help her family raise money for a trip to Disneyland. The 0: 15-second clip showed Ettel on the phone and then crouching down out of view when she sees she’s being filmed.

“This woman don’t wanna let a little girl sell some water. She calling the police on an 8-year-old little girl. You can hide all you want. The whole world gon’ see you, boo,” the girl’s mom said as she followed Ettel. Ettel then rose from her position and can be heard telling someone on the phone, “Yeah, um, illegally selling water without a permit,” to which the mother replies, “On my property.” Ettel then says “It’s not your property” before the video cuts off.

To date, the video, filmed by the girl’s mom, Erin Austin, was viewed over nine million times and thousands of comments were left accusing Ettel of racism. The daughter, Jordan Rogers, was commended in the comments for her entrepreneurial skills and people inviting her to sell water in their neighbourhoods.

The video went viral and soon Ettel, initially unknown, was identified. She has since spoken out about the clip saying that she received death threats and race had nothing to do with her decision to phone the police. She has spoken to several news outlets including Huffington Post and ABC news, in which she reiterated that race had nothing to do with it and she only called the police because she was trying to work and her neighbours were making noise. In a statement reported by ABC, Ettel said “I have no problem with enterprising young women. I want to support that little girl. It was all the mother and just about being quiet. I had been putting up with this for hours, and I just snapped.”

Though Ettel said she asked Rogers and Austin to keep it down, Austin said no such request was ever made. “She never asked us to be quiet. She came out and directly demanded to see a permit to sell water from an 8-year-old,” Austin told NBC.

In an interview with NBC News, Ettel said that the video has sparked death threats against her. “All kinds of threats. Horrible, horrible images and death threats,” she said through tears.

Ettel worked for a cannabis company named TreatWell Health and since the incident went viral, the company announced that she would be stepping down from her post. In a statement to the Guardian Cynthia Gonzales said, “This decision, while not an easy one, is in the best interest of their patients. It is Ms. Ettel’s belief that TreatWell, its employees, and patients should not have to suffer because of a situation that occurred in an escalated moment. And she regrets her part and is remorseful.” Gonzales added that she is helping Ettel with PR and crisis management.

Since the video made its rounds on social media, Rogers was offered four tickets to Disneyland by a Twitter user.

Ettel also said that she would like to apologize to Rogers and Austin for her behaviour, to which Austin said she wouldn’t accept. “I know in her interview she said it was stress related, but that’s not an excuse,” Austin told ABC. “People lose it, but you don’t lose it on children. There’s no excuse for what she did.”

Gay Post June 25, 2018

Being transgender removed as a mental condition in the ICD-11

The World Health Organization (WHO) no longer classifies transgender as a mental condition.

The United Nations health agency stated on June 18 that “gender incongruence” would be removed from the WHO’s International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) catalogue. In the catalogue, “gender incongruence” is defined as an adolescent or adult who experiences “a strong dislike or discomfort with the one’s primary or secondary sex characteristics […] a strong desire to be rid of some or all of one’s primary and/or secondary sex characteristics […],” and “a strong desire to have the primary and/or secondary sex characteristics of the experienced gender.” The catalogue added that a diagnosis cannot be given before the onset of puberty and gender variant behaviour isn’t enough on its own to be diagnosed.

The WHO released a video on June 18 regarding the updates to their ICD-11 catalogue and why they made the change. Dr. Lale Say, coordinator of the Adolescents and at-Risk Populations Team at the WHO said, “Historically this concept was placed in the mental health chapter in ICD, but in the ICD-11 it is moved to a newly created chapter of sexual health.” She added that the new chapter is meant to accommodate conditions regarding sexual health that wouldn’t fit in other chapters of ICD-11.

“It was taken out from the mental health disorders because we had a better understanding that this wasn’t actually a mental health condition and leaving it there was causing stigma,” she added. “So, in order to reduce the stigma while also ensuring access to necessary health interventions, this was placed in a different chapter.”

While the move is a giant step forward in eliminating stigma, spokespeople for various transgender groups had conflicting reactions regarding the decision. CNN reported that Julia Ehrt, Executive Director of Transgender Europe said the removal of the term is “the result of tremendous effort by trans and gender diverse activists from around the world to insist on our humanity, and I am elated that the WHO agrees that gender identity is not a mental illness.”

On the other hand, Nua Fuentes, a spokesperson for the Trans Pride World platform told teleSUR that “it is positive, but it is nothing new. Trans organizations were expecting this, and we have been demanding the end of the pathologization of our identities since 2007.”

Dr. Say said that adding the term to a new chapter is meant to reduce the stigma and better social acceptance. However, she also said that there won’t be many changes in terms of healthcare provisions because the category will still have a place in the ICD. “In fact, it may even increase access because it will reduce stigma and it will help individuals to seek care more,” she said.

She concluded by saying the decision stemmed from concerned transgender and human rights communities as well as professionals and scientists in the field. After reviewing the evidence, they removed the term. She added that on the same basis, homosexuality was removed from the ICD completely because “there was no clear evidence to suggest that this issue needs to be medicalized.”

What's Hot June 24, 2018

Melania Trump’s coat under fire

First Lady, Melania Trump wore a coat that read: “I really don’t care, do u?” on her visit to New Hope Children’s Shelter in McAllen, Texas, a shelter housing dozens of children who were separated from their families.

Donald Trump’s “zero-tolerance” policy was under fire in recent weeks as photos of crying, confused children separated from their parents made it to mainstream media. Leaked audio footage of children crying and begging for their parents was also released to the public, which sparked further outcry from those keeping up with Trump’s cruelty.

Trump’s insensitivity and blatant disregard for the families was made abundantly clear as he let thousands of children get torn from their parents without batting an eye. Only under recent scrutiny did he sign an executive order to halt the separation of families. Even with this move, the Trump family unsurprisingly remained tone-deaf about how to approach the situation.

On her visit to New Hope Children’s Shelter in McAllen, Texas, Melania Trump wore a tasteless jacket that sported the phrase “I really don’t care, do u?” on the back in white letters. When news of the sighting first broke out, it was difficult to make out what her coat said specifically. Though, suspicions were confirmed when President Trump addressed his wife’s attire in a tweet. On June 21 he wrote: “‘I REALLY DON’T CARE, DO U?’” written on the back of Melania’s jacket, refers to the Fake News Media. Melania has learned how dishonest they are, and she truly no longer cares!”

Naturally, news sites from around the world picked up the story and published pieces on her attire. Twitter users then received the news and started immediately commenting. Many Twitter users called her move deliberate and some mentioned how, even if she didn’t know what she was doing, the move was tone-deaf.

The president’s spokeswoman, Stephanie Grisham, took to Twitter to criticize the media for focussing their attention on Melania’s wardrobe rather than on more pressing issues. “Today’s visit w the children in Texas impacted @flotus greatly. If media would spend their time & energy on her actions & efforts to help kids – rather than speculate & focus on her wardrobe – we could get so much accomplished on behalf of children. #SheCares #ItsJustAJacket,” Grisham wrote on June 21.

It isn’t just Melania who missed the mark. Their daughter, Ivanka published a tweet after her father signed the executive order. On June 20 she wrote: “Thank you @POTUS for taking critical action ending family separation at our border. Congress must now act + find a lasting solution that is consistent with our shared values; the same values that so many come here seeking as they endeavor to create a better life for their families.”

As with Melania, Ivanka was berated on Twitter for her tweet by those on the social media platform. Users noted how Trump started the separation of families and only after extreme criticism did he do anything about it. One user asked how she feels knowing that her family’s name would be a blemish on US history. It’s a fair question.

News June 23, 2018

Brampton assault suspect turns himself in

A Brampton man turned himself in to Peel Regional Police after video surveillance showed him assaulting a young woman in front of a building complex.

Peel Regional Police said that the assault happened on June 1 at approximately 7:45 p.m. A woman was approached by a man at a convenience store close to Kings Cross Road and Knightsbridge Road, which is near Central Park Drive and Queen Street East. The suspect attempted to make conversation with the woman but she left, which prompted the suspect to follow her to an apartment complex in a silver car.

Once he approached, the video shows the suspect running up to the woman and grabbing her hand away from the child. He then spins her around and an altercation takes place before she wriggles free. The suspect attempts to run off but swiftly returns, pulling her hair and slapping her. The woman threw a drink in his face before he grabbed her. The suspect then ran off back to his silver car.

Toward the end of the 0:50 second video, the woman pulls out her phone and stops a passerby in the complex to presumably tell them about the altercation.

Police released the video footage in an attempt to identify the suspect. They added that the suspect sexually assaulted the woman. The man was described as being a South Asian male in his early 20s to early 30s who was last seen in a grey t-shirt, dark pants, and glasses. He was also described as having a medium build.

Since the video footage was released, a 24-year-old man turned himself into police. CBC reported that the suspect has several charges against him including sexual assault and criminal harassment.

In an interview with CP24, Constable Sarah Patten called the altercation “disgraceful.”

“I’m just glad that there were no injuries or anything to the child,” she told CP24. “I believe at this time that she (the victim) is alright, there are no serious injuries at this point.” She added that there is no evidence the two people knew one another prior to the attack.

News June 22, 2018

Koko the gorilla passes away

Koko, the famous gorilla who knew sign language and brought people together with her demeanour, has passed away at the age of 46.

Even if you’re not a huge animal advocate chances are that you knew who Koko the gorilla was. This special animal knew sign language, snuggled with kittens, met dozens of famous figures, and was a beautiful soul overall. Though news of Koko started dying down over the years, millions knew who she was either through the media or viral videos of a giant gorilla cuddling with a tiny kitten.

She was a remarkable animal with a strong capacity for love and language. She learned over 1,000 words in sign language, knew approximately 2,000 words in English, quite literally took photos of herself (a picture that graced the cover of National Geographic), and was a fascinating case for scientists as she broke the barrier of language between animal and man. She was also featured on the cover of National Geographic for a second time as she held a kitten close to her chest.

Barbara King, a professor emerita of anthropology at the College of William and Mary told National Geographic that “because she was smart enough to comprehend and use aspects of our language, Koko could show us what all great apes are capable of: reasoning about their world, and loving and grieving the other beings to whom they become attached.”

Koko gained a significant amount of fame in what is perhaps her most famous encounter with the late Robin Williams in 2001. Video footage of their encounter is still available online, which shows Koko and Williams sharing a laugh and Koko even trying on Williams’ glasses. In a 2014 statement released by the Gorilla Foundation, they wrote: “Robin made Koko smile — something she hadn’t done for over 6 months, ever since her lifelong gorilla companion, Michael, passed away at the age of 27. But not only did Robin cheer up Koko, the effect was mutual, and Robin seemed transformed — from a high-energy entertainer, into a mellow, sensitive, empathetic guy, who also just happened to be really funny.”

The video of their encounter also shows an adorable moment where Williams tickles Koko until they both start laughing. The Gorilla Association stated that when Koko was told of Williams’ passing, she was noticeably distraught, bowed her head, and pushed her lower lip out.

The Gorilla Association released a statement on June 20 acknowledging Koko’s passing and reminded everyone that they “will continue to honor Koko’s legacy and advance our mission with ongoing projects including conservation efforts in Africa, the great ape sanctuary on Maui, and a sign language application featuring Koko for the benefit of both gorillas and children.”

People on social media, including public figures, expressed their condolences for Koko’s passing. Many users on Twitter shared videos of Koko’s greatest moments, which included her spending time with researchers, picking up and snuggling her kittens, and various moments with celebrities like Fred Rogers and Betty White.

Entertainment June 20, 2018

Chicago’s 20th anniversary tour a hit

Last weekend I went to see Chicago with my boyfriend at the Ed Mirvish Theatre. I had never seen it onstage before, though I was familiar with the majority of the music. With so many Broadway stars, classic songs, and charismatic performances, I’m glad I saw the musical before the tour moved on.

Directed by Walter Bobbie (Bright Star, Footloose), this tour of Chicago brought many seasoned Broadway actors to the stage to reprise their roles including Dylis Croman (Oklahoma!, In Your Arms), Terra C. MacLeod (The Addams Family, Spamalot), and Paul Vogt (Hairspray, Oliver!).

Croman stars as Roxie Hart, who was easily one of the best performances of the evening. It’s not surprising that Croman crushed her role given that she starred as Roxie on Broadway. Croman shone as Roxie, nailing down Roxie’s narcissism and desperation for fame, even if she has to kill a man and fake a pregnancy to get it.

Another standout performance was that of MacLeod who starred as Velma Kelly. I’ve always loved Velma as a character more than Roxie; she’s just as hungry for fame, but her character oozes an initial confidence that is then shaken by Roxie’s arrival. To watch MacLeod take Velma to heights of vanity and bring her down to self-loathing and confusion was a treat to see.

Of course, Jennifer Fouche (Babes in Toyland, Hairspray) and Vogt were also standout additions to the cast. They played Matron Mama Morton and Amos Hart respectively and were delightful side characters that each had their moment in the spotlight to highlight their onstage personas.

I was particularly taken with Vogt since Amos is such an easily manipulated sap and needs to be won over by the crowd. Throughout his performance, particularly when he asks the orchestra for his background music and is met with silence, Vogt earned several sympathetic “awws.” Vogt has played Amos before on Broadway and he brought the same sympathetic charm, particularly during “Mr. Cellophane.”

The only one who stood out from the others was Eddie George, former NFL player who donned the role of Billy Flynn. He’s played parts in other plays as well such The Whipping Man and Othello, but Flynn was the sore thumb that stood out in a cast of Broadway stars or more charismatic cast members. His voice was drowned out by the music, which was a problem no one else faced, and lacked the confidence his character demands. This was most obvious during “Razzle Dazzle;” the song calls for a much stronger performance and is one of the defining pieces of the entire play. Though, George fell short in a role that was ill-suited for him. This was, in fact, the first thing that my boyfriend and I discussed during the intermission.

The house was nearly packed, but a week or two after I ordered my tickets (in the back of the mezzanine) I was mailed an additional pair of tickets that moved me a few rows closer. Initially I thought they were meant for someone else, but when I brought them to the theatre I was told that my original seats were closed and I was now being moved forward. It was unfortunate to see that some of the seating was closed off, more than likely because of poor sales.

Given that this is Chicago’s 20^th anniversary tour, people’s attention may have drawn more so to tough competition like Come From Away, a show that extended their run until February. However, I was surrounded by passionate theatre-goers at Ed Mirvish; the man beside me was quick to voice his disapproval of certain comedic elements to his partner while a woman behind me sang along to 85% of the music.

Regardless, I was glad that I saw Chicago before the tour ended.

News June 18, 2018

Is gaming disorder a mental condition?

The World Health Organization (WHO) has officially listed gaming disorder as an ailment people suffer from and would need rehabilitation to cure.

WHO describes gaming disorder as having “impaired control over gaming, increasing priority given to gaming over other activities to the extent that gaming takes precedence over other interests and daily activities, and continuation or escalation of gaming despite the occurrence of negative consequences.”

They added that in order for the disorder to be diagnosed, those suffering would need to exhibit a pattern of severe behaviour that would impair their family and social lives or negatively impact their education.

Video game addiction is not unheard of and several cases have popped up throughout the years. A couple in 2010 neglected their child while obsessively playing video games. They were raising their virtual child, Anima, in a game called Prius Online. Meanwhile, their real daughter passed away from malnourishment and neglect. In 2015 a 32-year-old Taiwanese man died after a three-day gaming binge, which made him the second gaming-related death in Taiwan that year.

One of the more recent cases follows the story of a nine-year-old girl who was brought into rehabilitation for her Fortnite addiction. It was reported that she was playing for up to 10 hours a day and had even wet herself during a binge to avoid having to log off. Her mother expressed to Sunday People that she wasn’t aware of how addicted her daughter would be when allowing her to play.

Though WHO and various psychologists believe that gaming disorder is a sensible mental condition, gamers on Twitter were quick to shut the idea down. Many Twitter users and gamers specified how they spend 20 hours gaming a week and how classifying gaming as a disorder opens the door for more unjustified disorders.

Of those to express their concern was American wrestler Xavier Woods. He wrote on Twitter that “If this becomes a thing then it sets a precedent for anything to become a disorder. Reading too much, watching the world cup too much, hanging out with your spouse too much. At this point anything done too much that someone doesn’t get = a disorder.”

Other online personalities like Ben Broman (better known as ProfessorBroman online) wrote on Twitter that “[…] instead of raging at news organizations about reporting on this “gaming disorder” report, offer to educate and inform them about your passion and the good things gaming does on a daily basis. We control the conversation, we must do it in a respectful way.” Various studies have concluded that video games help children’s cognitive behaviour by improving multitasking and external functioning. Studies have also discovered that video games treat amblyopia and helps children overcome dyslexia.

WHO explains that the reason gaming disorder is included in the Revision of the International Classification of Diseases is because of available evidence and the general consensus of experts from around the world. They also warned that those who play video games for excessive periods of time should monitor how long they play and any negative changes to their mood or physical health.