The internet does \u201cmore harm than good\u201d and should be switched off for \u201cweeks,\u201d a Communist MP has said<\/p>\n
Russians should be forced off the internet on weekends or even entire weeks, Nikolay Arefyev, an MP with the Russian Communist Party (KPRF) has proposed. Doing so would have a positive impact on people\u2019s health, he argued.
\nThe legislator floated the idea on Thursday while speaking to the news outlet Abzats. While acknowledging the importance of the internet for work and easy access to information, Arefyev argued that it should be restricted for extended periods of time.
\n\u201cThe internet currently does more harm than good,\u201d the MP stated. \u201cThe thing is, it seems to me that 70% of the internet is used to harm one\u2019s own health, because people sit there for hours, days, years, ruining their eyesight and nerves.\u201d
\nThe lawmaker also lamented \u201cgaming addiction\u201d that is plaguing \u201cmillions of people.\u201d Many end up in mental institutions due to playing games, Arefyev claimed.
\n\u201cTherefore, we probably need to shut [the internet] down for weeks at a time, or [do it] on weekends so people can rest,\u201d he suggested.<\/p>\n
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Arfeyev\u2019s remarks have prompted fears of an imminent internet shutdown on Russian social media. The concerns were addressed by Arefyev\u2019s fellow MP and a member of the parliamentary committee on informational policy, Anton Nemkin, who explained that his statements did not reflect the official position of the legislature and that no plans to switch off the internet exist.\u00a0
\n\u201cThe internet today is not only about communication and entertainment but also about work, education, healthcare, government services, and commerce. It\u2019s effectively the infrastructure without which economic and social development is impossible,\u201d Nemkin told Russian media.
\nHaving faced a social media meltdown, Arefyev somewhat walked back his remarks, accusing Abzats of misrepresenting his statements.\u00a0
\n\u201cThe idea was to shut down the internet for at least an hour a day so people don\u2019t strain their eyes and brains. Journalists are simply making words up. I wasn\u2019t suggesting completely depriving Russians of the ability to work online, but simply giving them a break,\u201d he told the outlet Info24.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The internet does \u201cmore harm than good\u201d and should be switched off for \u201cweeks,\u201d a Communist MP has said Russians should be forced off the internet on weekends or even…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":18464,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[4,6,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18463","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-economy","category-environment","category-politics"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t