> They told each other he needed space, that surely there were some things that gave him pleasure, and that he had a knack for computers. But on days he never left his screen, it was hard not to despair. More than once they wondered: “Should we pull the plug?”

There was a lack of rules and enforcement in his home life. If you read the rest of the piece carefully, you'll see other moments where the parents failed to set boundaries before he was sent to Rehab.

Also, this is parents wondering about where the correct lines are. That does not proves general lack of discipline everywhere. Them wondering back then about what they should do is not proof of no one tried discipline either. They did seen gaming addiction as sign as him being interested in at least something. Plus, even in this discussion you have HN members horrified over parental suggestion that computer in his room might have been mistake. It is not some kind of obscure unusual line of thought.