It’s out with videogames and in with TV for miners trapped by a cave-in in a Chilean copper and gold mine.
The 33 men trapped in a collapsed mineshaft in Chile might have been given PSPs, but apparently, they’re not allowed to use them due to fears that it will isolate them from their fellows.
With weeks remaining before the men will be able to leave the mine, keeping them focused is of the utmost importance. The rescue effort’s lead psychologist, Alberto Iturra Benavides, said that the plan was to leave the men with “no option but to survive,” and that meant sticking to a routine and working together. Handheld videogames have been banned from the mine, along with portable music players, as the rescue team considers them to be too solitary.
Instead of games or music, the trapped men spend their relaxation time in front of the television, watching a mix of news programs and movies for up to 13 hours a day. The support team picks what the miners watch, sticking with action movies or comedies and avoiding anything that it thinks might depress the men.
Source: Washington Post via Kotaku