Shocking footage of a teenager being hand-fed by his mother while glued to a computer screen has gone viral online.
Thirteen-year-old Carlito Garcia is addicted to an online battle royale PC game called “Rules of Survival,” The Daily Mail reports.
According to his mother, Lilybeth Marvel, 37, the boy’s troublesome obsession with the game started two years ago when he began spending late nights at an internet cafe in Nueva Ecija in the Philippines. His habit has since spiraled out of control, leading him to skip school and sit alone “like a zombie,” playing the game non-stop for days at a time. In the footage, taken during a 48 hour marathon gaming binge in which the boy refused to leave the screen even to eat, the concerned mother can be seen bringing food to her son at the internet cafe.
Upon his mother’s arrival, Carlito barely acknowledges her before returning to the game. With his eyes glued to the computer, he opens his mouth as his mother shovels rice into him with her hands.
Later, he becomes visibly agitated when his mom attempts to deliver food at an inopportune moment in the game.
Throughout the video, Marvel can be heard saying:
“My poor child… Here, eat now.
“You have so much money, it might take till tomorrow for you to get home. Are you still needing to pee? My goodness, just feel sorry for my child. You are so irritating.”
She also asks if Carlito would like to take vitamins sent by his grandmother, as she is worried about him becoming malnourished. Marvel revealed that she and her husband, also named Carlito, have recently withdrawn the boy from school to try to deal with the addiction. “My husband and I decided that he should stop schooling first because of his addiction,” she said. “Now we’re trying our best to manage the situation but it is still difficult.” While some may view her actions as enabling, Marvel explained that it is something new she is trying after sterner tactics — including banning him from gaming — failed to curb the addiction.
“I used to just nag about his online games. But that didn’t work,” she said. “So I’m trying a different approach.
“I try to make him feel that whatever is happening in his life, I am his mother who loves him and takes care of him.”
Featured Image via YouTube / Viral Press
