A father seemingly forced his 11-year-old son to play video games for 17 hours without sleep after catching him playing on his smartphone as a punishment.
The boy, from Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China was made to play video games for 17 hours 'until he vomits' after his father found him gaming at 1am.
The boy wrote a heartfelt note promising he won't play before going to bed, reading: "So my dad found out. Then my father punished me. Let me play enough. Play until vomit.
"From 1 am to 6 pm. Just played for 17 hours. I promise: After school home, after dinner, began to write the day, the teacher assigned homework, and dad assigned homework.
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"After doing exercise, and reading for half an hour, finished after eating fruit, shower, brush teeth sleep. I promise must go to bed before 11 o'clock.
"Promise not to play the phone before going to bed, not to read. Not to lay with toys."
The exhausted boy can be seen in the video wearing pyjamas, and is shaken awake to continue playing, even as he sinks into his chair.
He added: "Well I was woken up several times. It's going to be all day anyway. From 1am to 6pm. Just played for 17 hours."
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His father filmed the lesson and shared it on Douyin - China's version of TikTok, saying that he called off the punishment when 'his son broke down in tears and agreed to a new pact limiting his playing time'.
He also claimed the punishment was a 'last resort' and advised other online parents against it.
Twitterati had mixed reactions to the incident, where some approved of the punishment while others thought it was harsh.
One Twitter user said: "As a game publisher, I approve his punishment."
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While others mocked the whole situation and quipped: "He clearly knows nothing about 11yr old, mine would love that, he'd be living his best life."
Another one said: "Tha wouldn't bother my Nephew."
Another one questioned the habits children should inculcate with and said: "Aha,,,Harsh lesson,,,,, Should children be allowed to take a phone to bed. As a parent I no its wrong because they be up all night using it.. So really the father should have been made to play it for 17hrs."
Last but not the least, one Twitter emerged as a winner when he gave the viral incident an interesting name, saying: "The Bruce Bogtrotter punishment"
Rashi Agarwal