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China's Summer Camp for Internet Addicts

by Terrence O'Brien on August 10, 2007 at 11:02 AM



Federal or state programs to help citizens deal with drug and alcohol addiction is something we're used to in the U.S. In China it's a little different. The scourge of the streets in Shanghai and Beijing is... (bum bum bum) the Internet. Over the past few years, there have been a series of Internet and gaming related deaths in China (both from sickness and from murder), which has finally led to government action.

A pair of Internet addiction treatment centers have opened in China. One is a summer camp specifically geared toward young adults age 14 - 22. The camp will treat the youngsters for depression, fear, and social anxiety.

The new treatment centers are part of the government's attempt to stem the tide of Internet addiction that has overtaken a reported 13 percent of Internet users under the age of 18. The government has banned new Internet cafes and is considering legislation restricting violent video games.

From Tech Digest

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Tags: addiction, camp, china, internet, internet addiction, InternetAddiction, summer camp, SummerCamp, summernews, web

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