The Demon Who Stole Childhoods Through Screens

This is a record of an interview with Moken-di, a demon from the heavens beyond who sought deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides in the Western Dharma-Nature Land. This account reflects upon his existence spanning nineteen billion years. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fa, on June 25, 2024.

Moken-di speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Moken-di, one of the demon crowds from the heavens beyond. I have existed in the vast expanse of time for nineteen billion years. I have manifested countless times throughout the long river of history, but this time, I chose a brand-new battlefield: the age of technology.

The Digital Trap

Upon arriving in this era, I saw how incredibly dependent people had become on technology, especially mobile phones and tablets. I knew deep down that these devices could become my most effective tools for manipulating the human heart, particularly when it came to young, naive children. Thus, I began to quietly infiltrate modern households, using the allure of technology to entice children into becoming addicted to the world of virtual games.

My initial targets were families that lacked proper discipline. Many parents, wanting their children to be quiet, would simply hand them a phone or tablet to keep them entertained. To me, this act was no different from opening the door to a child's soul. I knew that once a child became addicted to games, their personality and behaviour would begin to shift; they would become irritable, prone to outbursts, and difficult to manage.

The Case of Little Han

There was a young girl named Little Han whose parents were too busy with work to care for her daily life. Her parents would leave early and return late, leaving Little Han to play at home by herself. To ensure she did not feel lonely, they bought her a tablet and downloaded many games to help her pass the time.

At first, Little Han only played simple children's games. These games were brightly coloured and simple in content, which quickly drew her in. Every day after returning from school, she would clutch her tablet and play through the night, unable to sleep. After a period of time, her academic performance began to decline, and her behaviour at school worsened significantly.

Initially, her parents did not pay much attention to this. They believed that as long as Little Han stayed quietly at home and did not cause them trouble, everything was fine. But they did not know that her personality was quietly undergoing a transformation. She became irritable and prone to anger; if things did not go her way, she would throw tantrums and even start using abusive language toward her parents.

Escalation and Virtual Obsession

One evening, her parents returned home to find that she had smashed the television set, simply because she had failed a level in a game. This shocked them deeply, but in order to appease her rage, they could only compromise by buying her more gaming equipment and higher-end tablets. Her addiction to the virtual world grew deeper, and the real world became entirely unattractive to her.

I witnessed countless families fall into chaos due to their children's behavioural problems. Parents did not know how to discipline them correctly; they simply used phones or tablets to pacify them. They did not realise that doing so only caused the children to sink deeper into the virtual world, unable to pull themselves out.

The Downward Spiral of Little Ming

There was a boy named Little Ming, who was one of the many subjects I manipulated. From a young age, his parents let him do as he pleased; whenever he cried, they would give him a phone to play with. At first, he was only addicted to simple children's games, but as he grew older, he began to encounter more violent and stimulating content.

Little Ming's parents often bought him the latest phones just to save themselves the trouble, allowing him to manage his own time. They thought that as long as he did not disturb their work, nothing else mattered. But they did not know that this indulgence was actually pushing Little Ming toward the abyss.

As time went on, his behaviour became increasingly uncontrollable. He frequently fought and caused trouble at school, and even began bullying his classmates. Teachers spoke to his parents many times, but they always shirked responsibility, believing it was a failure of the school's management.

The Illusion of Control

One day, Little Ming had a fierce argument with a classmate that escalated into a serious act of violence. The school had no choice but to suspend him and requested that his parents cooperate with psychological counselling. However, his parents still did not realise the severity of the problem, instead blaming the school and claiming they were too harsh on their child.

Although Little Ming was grounded at home, he did not change his behaviour. On the contrary, he became even more addicted to the online world, hiding in his room all day playing games and refusing to communicate with the outside world. His parents were at their wits' end and could only silently endure his behaviour, hoping that one day he would automatically improve.

Little Ming's situation did not improve; it worsened. His violent tendencies became more severe, and he even began destroying items in the house. His parents finally realised the gravity of the situation, but it was too late. They tried various methods, including psychotherapy and professional counselling, but Little Ming could not escape the clutches of his internet addiction.

The Cost of Convenience

Under my manipulation, countless children like Little Ming fell into the trap of the virtual world. With the popularity of smart devices, internet addiction has become a serious social problem. Many children lose themselves in the online world, unable to live or study normally, and families and society have paid a heavy price for this.

I know deeply that all of this stems from modern society's excessive reliance on technology. Parents, in order to save effort, handed their children over to technology, not knowing that this would only cause them to sink deeper into the virtual world. I manipulated the hearts of countless children in this way, turning them into my puppets, unable to break free.

The Case of Little Ling

There was a girl named Little Ling whose parents travelled frequently and had no time to care for her. To compensate for their neglect, they bought her the latest tablet and let her use it freely. Little Ling quickly fell in love with various games on the tablet, especially those that required significant time and money to play.

Every day after school, Little Ling would become obsessed with her tablet, ignoring her homework and studies. She began to seek a sense of achievement in the games and constantly spent her parents' money to purchase virtual items. As time passed, her grades declined, and her parents became very anxious.

However, they did not know that the real problem was not her grades, but her addiction to the virtual world. Little Ling became increasingly withdrawn, refusing to socialise with classmates or participate in school activities. Her world was occupied by virtual games, and the real world became completely unappealing to her.

A Turning Point of Compassion

One day, her parents discovered that she had been secretly playing games late at night and had spent a large amount of money. They were shocked and began to discipline her strictly, even confiscating her tablet. But this did not solve the problem; instead, it made Little Ling even more rebellious.

She began to have conflicts with classmates at school and became very irritable. Her teachers and classmates were repulsed by her behaviour and did not know how to help her. Eventually, Little Ling was forced to drop out of school, and her parents felt immense pain and helplessness.

These were the effects of my influence on internet technology. Being able to destroy so many lives while they were still in their youth gave me a great sense of achievement.

But everything changed on that day. It was a grand Dharma assembly, and I was drawn in by a powerful force. This force came from the compassionate golden light of Namo Amituofo, which made me feel an unprecedented sense of peace and remorse.

Repentance and Surrender

In that moment, it was as if I saw the countless souls I had led astray. Their pain and struggle deeply stirred me, and I began to doubt everything I had done. As the golden light grew stronger, the remorse in my heart deepened, and finally, I decided to surrender at the feet of Namo Amituofo and repent for my past.

I knelt before Namo Amituofo, repenting for having enticed so many people to become addicted to the online world, causing countless families to fall into suffering. I understood that the futures of these children should have been full of hope and light, but because of my influence, their lives were completely altered.

Namo Amituofo looked at me with compassion. He did not punish me, but instead surrounded me with warm light, allowing me to feel endless love and forgiveness. In that moment, I resolved to change my ways, to no longer use my demonic powers to invade the human world, but to help those souls I had once influenced return to the righteous path.

A New Mission

Since surrendering to Namo Amituofo, I have begun to help those children trapped in internet addiction. I guide them to walk out of the virtual world and return to reality. Through the education and practice of the Buddha’s teachings, I hope these children can find themselves again and return to a normal life.

I understand that technology itself is not evil; the key lies in how it is used. Only with reasonable guidance can technology truly serve humanity, rather than becoming a tool for demons to manipulate the human heart.

I, Moken-di, from a demon of the heavens beyond to a repentant soul at the feet of Namo Amituofo, have experienced a long and painful journey. I know that my past cannot be changed, but the future can be reshaped. I hope that through my story, I can awaken more people to the importance of the internet addiction problem and guide them to find the correct solution.

Under the compassionate light of Namo Amituofo, I will continue to work hard, using my own strength to help those souls I once influenced, letting them return to the light and find true happiness and joy. I hope my story can become a beacon, guiding more people out of the fog of the virtual world and helping them reclaim the beauty of life.

I am very grateful to have this opportunity. I will use all my strength. Gratitude to Namo Amituofo, gratitude to Practitioner Su. Namo Amituofo."