Japanese Mother’s Refusal to Buy Game Console Sparks Viral Online Debate
A 60-year-old Japanese mother’s newspaper submission about refusing to buy video game consoles for her children has ignited a major online discussion, accumulating over 27 million views and thousands of comments. The mother wrote about her decision during her sons’ elementary school years, when home consoles were at the height of popularity. Despite her children pleading that “everyone has one” and they were “falling behind in conversations,” she stood firm in her refusal. After her younger son eventually bought a console with his first paycheck and reportedly said he “got bored quickly” as an adult, the mother maintained that her original decision was entirely correct. A user sharing the story simply commented that “the son just wanted to play the popular games of that time.”
Among the thousands of responses, three comments in particular captured the sentiment of many readers. The first pointed out that the mother misinterpreted her son’s smile — describing it not as genuine happiness but as a resigned acknowledgement that the joy of childhood gaming could never be reclaimed. The second comment observed that what the child truly wanted was not the machine itself, but the shared social experience with friends. The son’s own words — “everyone has one” and “I can’t keep up with conversations” — suggest his desire was for belonging rather than hardware.
The story resonated strongly with Chinese readers born in the 1990s and 2000s, who recognized their own childhood experiences in the Japanese mother’s account. Many recalled a time when video game consoles were viewed negatively by parents, often blamed for any decline in academic performance. Unlike the son in the story who could openly ask his mother for a console, many Chinese children reportedly felt unable to voice such requests at all, anticipating lectures rather than discussion. This shared history of denied access to gaming has created a recognizable generational experience across different cultures.
The article notes that many who grew up without gaming consoles have, as adults and parents themselves, chosen a different path. An increasing number of former gamers are now actively buying consoles for their own children and playing alongside them, seeking to provide an experience they were denied. The discussion drew a parallel to Lu Xun’s early 20th-century essay “The Kite,” in which the author reflects on having forbidden his younger brother from flying kites — a childhood joy he later came to recognize as a legitimate form of play. This comparison highlights how perceptions of play and entertainment continue to evolve across generations.
