The Public Image Of I-Cafés
I know of an Internet café association (ICA) whose main objective this year is to build a good public image for its member i-cafés. The officers and trustees of the said ICA have to devise action programs that would project the functions of i-cafés in bridging the digital divide. The programs are aimed to extend free hands-on training for deserving students, teachers and civil servants in order to emphasize the fact that i-cafés are not for leisure only but also for productivity as well.
But what is really the image of i-cafés in the eyes of the public? Sad to say, it is not good. To majority of parents, teachers and local government officials, i-cafés are gaming dens that tolerates long hours of exposure of children of minor age to violent hackenslash online and network games. For them, i-cafés are where their children gets addicted to PC games to the point of neglecting their studies.
In view of the above impression, the local government unit (LGU) where i-cafés proliferate, various rules and regulations restricting access to i-cafés by children of minor age are getting enacted in the form of local resolutions and ordinances. There are towns and cities that do not allow schoolchildren to enter i-cafés during school hours (7:00 AM to 5:00 PM) and impose curfew hours for minors to as early as 8:00 PM. These and many more are the restrictions that get in the way of i-cafés whose business are different from those who cater purely the gaming crowd.
The above-described negative image of i-cafés plus the ever increasing oversupply in a crowded market are challenges posed to i-café owners who have productivity and education as their business motto. If you belong to this group of i-café businessmen, how can you contribute to the image-building that the industry rightfully deserves?
aside from trying to be supportive to my ICA, i start the image building with my own shop. i’m proud to say that i have good rapport with my customer’s parents.
catering to just my neighborhood makes this simple. unfortunately, for those in commercial buildings, parents seldom get to visit their shop. this should not be taken as an excuse though.
making a “decent” living should be the top priority of lanshop owners. the child’s education should be first and foremost, before income. otherwise, the shop’s owner is just exploiting the child’s love of computer games to make some money.
there are other ways to make money with your shop, aside from gaming. those relying solely on gaming to make their income are usually the ones who eventually goes out of business first.
There are still many teachers, parents and municipal officials who do not see the value of internet cafes. Hopefully, the programs of that ICA can help educate them on how computers can contribute to society. It is a sad fact that majority of ICafes do cater to computer gaming and hardly contribute back to the community, if not at all.
Yes, indeed, internet cafe is seen more of an entertainment area rather than a bridge to learning by many people. This is a sad fact that cafe owners must try to eliminate from people’s mind but the change must begin among them.
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