Principal releases song for game addicts
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Ahyeon Polytechnic School principal Bang Seoung-ho
By Lee Kyung-min
Ahyeon Polytechnic School principal Bang Seoung-ho, 54, who became famous after releasing the song “No Tobacco” to help students quit smoking, has released another to help students addicted to online games.
“I believe that love and respect would greatly solve most teenagers’ deviant behaviors, including smoking and online game addiction,” Bang said.
Students are under enormous pressure not only because of their studies but also from bullying by peers and from the authority of their parents and teachers, who demand blind obedience, he said.
“They reach for cigarettes and get addicted to online games to forget about reality for a moment,” he said. “It’s all about dealing with stress brought on by feeling helpless as a teenager.
“That is why educators need to guide young people in the right direction by showing more affection rather than invoking fear.”
His belief in this approach became stronger after he produced “No Tobacco” in 2014, when he was the principal at Junghwa High School in eastern Seoul.
Lyrics such as “I know you are looking for what you are denied: love and care. I’m sorry for not loving you sooner. Don’t worry. I believe in you. Let’s do it together,” spread positivity among students and teachers, and accomplished what no corporal punishment or verbal warnings could do for the past few years: reduce the school’s smoking rate to below 10 percent at Junghwa and Ahyeon.
For the new song, Bang was inspired by support from parents after he solved game addiction among Ahyeon students by setting up computer rooms where the students can play online games freely.
“I tried to combine games with education by introducing games through which players learn about English words, Korean grammar, or Korean composition,” he said.
“When I first announced the plan to set up PC rooms inside the school, parents were furious, saying that I was spoiling their children. But after they saw their children learning responsibility and finding interest in studying through games, they ended up thanking me for my different yet effective approach.”
Rather than just banning games, it is more important to make sure students learn to keep their promises by limiting their game hours, he said.