His family locked him in a cage because they were terrified of what he might do.

In the Philippines, an 18-year-old named Roy had to be restrained inside a metal cage by his own family. Not because he committed a crime, but because they feared he might hurt someone. Roy reportedly went on a three-day nonstop gaming binge, refusing to sleep or eat, spiraling after repeated losses. His behavior turned violent: shouting, punching walls, spitting, harming relatives, banging his head on concrete, smashing his phone. He made grandiose promises about becoming a monetized content creator who would take his mother to New York. With no access to specialized care, the family made a desperate choice.

His family locked him in a cage because they were terrified of what he might do. In the Philippines, an 18-year-old named Roy now sits inside a metal enclosure, not because he committed a crime, but because his own family is afraid of him. The image is heartbreaking. Not because his parents wanted to punish him, but because they felt they had no other option.
Roy, referred to by a pseudonym for privacy, reportedly went on a three-day nonstop gaming binge. He refused to sleep. Refused to eat. Spiral after spiral triggered by repeated losses in online games. What followed was terrifying for everyone around him.
His family described violent outbursts. Shouting that shook the walls. Punching until his fists bled. Spitting at relatives who tried to intervene. Head-banging on concrete floors. Smashing his phone in rage. And through it all, grandiose promises that once he became a “monetized” content creator, he would take his mother to New York and change their lives forever. Somewhere between ambition and obsession, something broke.
His mother, Elenie, shared how her son’s behavior transformed over time. Medication reportedly helped calm him briefly, but without consistent supervision and structured support, the episodes always returned. She expressed guilt over his lack of schooling and her long work hours, absences that left him alone with his devices and his demons.
With no immediate access to specialized care and fearing for everyone’s safety, the family made a desperate decision. They restrained him. They built a metal cage and locked him inside.
Roy’s case is not isolated. Studies suggest around 5% of Filipino gamers meet clinical criteria for Internet Gaming Disorder. Apply that to the estimated 29.9 million gamers nationwide, most between 10 and 35 years old, and you’re looking at roughly 50,000 individuals facing similar struggles. Internet cafés in some areas offer access for as little as 10 to 20 pesos per hour, about 18 to 36 cents USD, making long gaming sessions accessible even to low-income youth. Sessions lasting 10 to 12 hours are not uncommon.
Rehabilitation centers like Bridges of Hope have reported that around 70% of admissions now involve online gaming or gambling-related addiction, a significant rise compared to pre-pandemic years. Experts have linked excessive gaming with higher risks of depression, aggression, and social withdrawal. Government warnings and regulations exist, but enforcement and mental health infrastructure remain inconsistent.
What makes Roy’s story so painful is not just the violence. It is the dream behind it. He wanted to become a content creator to support his mother. He wanted to provide. Somewhere along the way, the dream became an obsession, and the obsession became a cage. Literally.
This is not about demonizing games. Millions play responsibly without incident. It is about recognizing when coping turns into dependency. When escape turns into isolation. When digital victories replace real-world stability. Roy lost that balance, and his family lost him to a metal box.
Families should not have to build cages to feel safe. What Roy needs is structured intervention, therapy, and long-term support. What families like his need is accessible, affordable mental health resources. This is not just a gaming issue. It is a youth mental health issue, and it’s playing out in millions of homes around the world, usually behind closed doors where no one can see.
For now, Roy sits in his cage, dreaming of New York. His mother sits nearby, wondering where she went wrong. And a nation of gamers scrolls past the story, hoping it could never happen to them. It could. It already is.