February 22nd, 2007
China Has a Shock in Store for Internet Addicts
By Michael Santo
Executive Editor, RealTechNews
It’s no secret that Internet addiction is rampant in China and other Asian countries. Well, a recent survey which indicated that up to 14% of teenagers in China faced addiction problems has alarmed the Communist Youth League … and they have taken stern steps.
The clinic in Daxing, a suburb of Beijing, the capital, is the oldest and largest, with 60 patients on a normal day and as many as 280 during peak periods. Few of the patients, who range in age from 12 to 24, are here willingly. Most have been forced to come by their parents, who are paying upward of $1,300 a month — about 10 times the average salary in China — for the treatment.
Led by Tao Ran, a military researcher who built his career by treating heroin addicts, the clinic uses a tough-love approach that includes counseling, military discipline, drugs, hypnosis and mild electric shocks. Source: MSNBC
We Say: Electro-shock therapy. Whoa, that’s heavy-duty. However, in the past China has had great success dealing with both drug and alcohol dependencies … but has also been criticized for its harsh treatment, as well.
dogger says:
this has made me think maybe i have an addiction to the internet.
more often than not i find myself awake at 2am still browsing the web and chatting to people then sleeping for a few hours then off to work.
how would you know if you did have an addiction to the net, because i think it really would be torture to go a week without the web.
February 22nd, 2007 at 8:48 am
Michael Santo says:
I’m no doctor, I can’t say for sure.
But common sense as a layperson would seem to indicate that if you feel you have the same sorts of “withdrawal” cravings and symptoms as someone say with alcohol dependency, you might, and should see a professional for advice.
Now here’s the disclaimer … I’m no psychologist, so anything I just said is just my opinion and I and RTN are not responsible for any actions you might take in response to them.
February 22nd, 2007 at 9:02 am
John Corliss says:
Say hello to your new Chinese masters, America. This is what the future holds for us thanks to our allowing them to become the major industrial and military power in the world.
February 23rd, 2007 at 5:23 am