Opinion | Hong Kong right to move to extend long arm of the law to claw machines
You can’t buy happiness, they say. But we “buy” dopamine fixes all the time. Just whip out the smartphone and we easily go down that rabbit hole of endless doom scrolling, falling into the addictive trap of instant gratification, chasing likes, shares, comments and followers as rewards.
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that plays a key role in our experience of pleasure, focus, reward and motivation. It propels us to put in effort, devote time and feel good about our achievements.
Before the internet, the primary way we got our dopamine fixes was through hobbies, such as exercising, reading, writing or other offline creative tasks – activities that needed sustained effort and delayed gratification. Sure, people in those “prehistoric” times probably reached for their favourite snacks for instant fixes, too. But the problem with doom scrolling is that it’s passive consumption. While minimal effort is required, it misses opportunities for deeper conversation and social engagement.
We can become addicted to activities that get dopamine flowing. While very few would call a triathlete who just can’t stop training an addict, there are quite a few obsessive pursuits that are typically shunned, especially if they’re clearly unhealthy.
For some, claw machines have become their dopamine fix. These devices have become all the rage, especially after the Covid-19 pandemic. Claw machine pop-up shops are also short-term income fixes for landlords trying to fill empty retail space. They’re essentially slot machines recreated in pastels; instead of spitting out coins, they send out plushies or toys.
While there have already been plenty of reports of adults addicted to them, we are still seeing claw machines in children’s play spaces. Given what these type of short-fuse dopamine fixes do to our brains and our mental health, and the easy accessibility of the devices, our government has finally woken up to the need for regulation.
Children play crane games at a claw machine store in Mong Kok on December 26, 2024. Photo: Dickson Lee
Cigarette butts will be considered “strong evidence” of a possible breach under a proposed construction site smoking ban, Hong Kong’s labour chief has said, even as he sought to reassure contractors that preventive measures could shield them from the maximum HK$400,000 (US$51,070) fine. Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-Han revealed further details about
Hong Kong Disneyland has released a new denim collection of plushes of Duffy and all his pals. They’re all sporting their own variation of the denim look. Duffy and Friends Denim Collection duffyfanstasy_hkdl/Instagram All seven of the beloved, cuddly characters are wearing the new denim looks. Duffy, for instance, is wearing a vest as well
For Hong Kong-based artist Apple Tong Wing-yin, Wang Fuk Court has always been more than a home address. It was a library of her life’s work. Tong, a prominent deaf illustrator and graphic designer who communicates through what she calls her “silent language” of art, kept the many canvases that spoke for her inside her
It begins with a transcendental “sunburst” motif associated with divine light, which gradually dissolves into fields of poppies laced with both a sense of beauty and underlying violence, recalling the British coercion that drove Chinese opium trade and registering its darker consequences of pleasure and addiction. Across the shifting sequences of the nine-minute cycles, the
Illustration: Liu Xiangya/GT As a prequel to an iconic Hong Kong film franchise, Cold War 1994 has attracted widespread attention since its release during the May Day holidays, not merely for its star-studded cast including Daniel Wu, Tony Leung Ka Fai, Chow Yun Fat, Aaron Kwok and Louis Koo, but more for its in-depth portrayal
Hong Kong’s smaller grocers are bracing for pressure amid a fresh wave of price cuts by supermarkets and big retail chains, but some economists say their “neighbourhood connection” could help them stay afloat. A lawmaker also said it was unlikely the big local chains would monopolise the market citing strong competition from online shopping platforms.
Hong Kong researchers say they are developing what would be the world’s first AI app that detects intoxication through real-time Cantonese voice analysis, helping users decide whether they are fit to drive after drinking. A team from the Hong Kong Metropolitan University (HKMU) said on Sunday that the self-assessment tool could not only help safeguard
Hong Kong police have arrested two drivers linked to a viral video depicting two trucks cutting lanes and allegedly racing each other, the South China Morning Post has learned. A source familiar with the matter confirmed to the SCMP on Sunday that two drivers had been arrested for suspected dangerous driving after the footage was
When Law Yin-ping moved into a village house in Yick Yuen Tsuen, Hung Shui Kiu, in northwest Hong Kong more than a decade ago with her granddaughters, it never crossed her mind that they could one day be homeless – and forcibly separated. The Tuen Mun village falls within the government’s planned Hung Shui Kiu/Ha
Mother’s Day business at many traditional Chinese banquet restaurants in Hong Kong has been weaker than last year, with diners increasingly opting for lunch and afternoon tea celebrations or non-traditional meals such as hotpot, industry representatives have said. Busy areas such as Causeway Bay were bustling with families on Sunday, as residents flocked to restaurants
Multiple residents of Hong Kong’s fire-ravaged Wang Fuk Court have reported problems with registering for an online meeting hosted by the estate’s administrator, with the company saying it has stepped up arrangements to enhance cybersecurity. A resident received an SMS from Hop On Management on Sunday saying he had not completed registration for the May
Hong Kong authorities have stressed that an operational glitch at a nuclear plant in neighbouring Shenzhen involving the closure of a cooling water isolation valve earlier this week posed no risk to public health or the environment. The Security Bureau said on Sunday that Guangdong’s Nuclear Emergency Committee Office had notified it of an operational
Hong Kong customs has arrested a woman on suspicion of illegally importing seven animals worth around HK$4,300 (HK$549) including a sugar glider and a chinchilla, into the city. A spokesman for the Customs and Excise Department said on Sunday that officers intercepted a 46-year-old passenger at the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line checkpoint the day
Hong Kong recorded a 17 per cent growth in investment in the first quarter of the year driven mainly by machinery purchases and construction-related activities, according to the city’s finance chief, reflecting a steadily improving property market. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po on Sunday acknowledged a gap in perceived economic growth among residents working in
Gasgoo Munich- Qianli Technology is accelerating its push for a Hong Kong listing. The company recently resubmitted its application for a main board listing to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, aiming for a dual listing on the A-share and Hong Kong markets. Market sources suggest it could complete its Hong Kong IPO as early as
Britain has warned it will not tolerate attempts by foreign states to intimidate or harass individuals on its soil, as it summoned China’s ambassador after two men linked to Hong Kong’s London trade office were convicted of spying on activists. The United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office confirmed on Saturday that Ambassador Zheng Zeguang
Authorities will negotiate with operators of popular care homes in Guangdong province to secure more places for elderly Hongkongers to meet rising demand, the welfare minister has said, amid a ninefold surge in city residents moving into such facilities across the border in recent years. Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han said in
Amid the crackle of vinyl records and the nostalgia of Cantonese golden oldies, Holy Lee Hau-yin, a Hong Kong mother of three young children, is spinning a new narrative as a professional disc jockey and turning a page on her troubled past. After suffering an abusive marriage and the exhaustion of a decade of childcare,
Hong Kong’s West Kowloon is poised to emerge as the second-most important office sub-market after Central with the completion of new buildings that will accommodate banks and insurance companies, according to industry officials. However, there was expected to be limited demand from newcomers or via corporate expansion, with leasing activity dominated by relocations and higher
After sterling service at the Hong Kong Golf Club, Ian Gardner and Andy Kwok have stood down from their roles as General Manager and Club Captain respectively. Hong Kong SAR, China: Ian Gardner has retired after almost 12 years as General Manager at the Hong Kong Golf Club (HKGC), among Asia’s most revered golfing institutions.
