A disgusting fact about internet cafes in China (and probably everywhere else, too)

If you’re reading this site, I’d venture to guess that you’ve spent some time playing games in internet cafes. I know I have; although I’m now the proud owner of my own desktop gaming machine, I was no stranger to the hazy, dimly-lit internet cafes of China in my earlier days.

So it was with some revulsion that I came across this little tidbit in an article on Netease Games about Chinese gamers’ eating habits (my translation, emphasis added):

Previously, UNESCO and the [Chinese] Red Cross joined hands to investigation the sanitation level in domestic internet cafes. The investigation found that on average, internet cafe keyboards had 600 times more E. coli than was found in bathrooms. The reason is very simple: most bathrooms are regularly cleaned, but internet cafe keyboards are not.

Of course, there are lots of other unhealthy things about Chinese internet cafes, including the secondhand smoke. But when I think about how many times I sat in an internet cafe eating chips or instant noodles while surfing and gaming, especially during my first year in China…well, let’s just say it’s no wonder I had some digestive issues that year.

In any event, for those of you who visit internet cafes frequently these days, consider this post a public service announcement. It seems like you’d be better off not eating any time you’re gaming on shared hardware…and bringing some disinfectant wipes for the mouse and keyboard might not be a bad idea either!

(via Netease Games)