SHOCKING: China’s Way Of ‘Treating’ Teenagers Who Over-Use The Internet

anonnews (59)in #news • 6 years ago

There are 632 million internet users in China and 24 million of its children are web junkies. In 2008, China declared Internet addiction to be a clinical disorder – a top health threat to its teenagers. According to Chinese psychologists, an Internet addict is someone who skipped lessons at school, spent more than 3-6 hours online, couldn’t go two days without the Internet, rarely left their bedrooms and inhabited an almost entirely virtual universe.

In late 2013, Shanghai approved new laws demanding that parents take action to “prevent and stop minors smoking, drinking alcohol, roaming the streets, or being overindulgent with online and electronic games”. So now in the hope of weaning their offspring off the web, desperate parents are sending them to military-style boot camp designed to rehabilitate Internet-addicts.

‘Addicts’ are required to spend a minimum of three months at the center, and treatment consists of exercise drills, therapy sessions, reading, and games. The center seeks to promote the socialization of its residents, to counter the sense of isolation associated with this type of condition. Parents too learn how to best support their child during their rehabilitation from ‘Internet addiction’.

Tao Ran, an army psychologist who runs a well-known Beijing rehab centre for Internet addicts, says, “Internet addiction leads to problems in the brain similar to those derived from heroin consumption. But, generally, it is even more damaging. It destroys relationships and deteriorates the body without the person knowing. All of them have eyesight and back problems and suffer from eating disorders. In addition, we have discovered that their brain capacity is reduced by eight per cent, and the psychological afflictions are serious". He feels children below 7 should be kept away from the Internet and online games while those below 18 should be forbidden from stepping inside internet cafés.