Halfway House For Chinese Internet Addicts Opens

from the tell-me-about-your-non-WoW-related-problems dept

Thu, Aug 24th 2006 7:30am — Carlo Longino

Following the launch of a detox center for video game addicts in Amsterdam, a "halfway house" for so-called internet addicts has been opened in China. Following the adage that the flock won't come to you, you've got to go to them, the center's staff wanders around local Internet cafes looking for net-riddled junkies, then brings them in for counseling. In the case of one of its first attendees, a 17-year-old talked to a psychologist about his family situation, while social workers visited his parents to discuss proper parent-child communications. That sounds like it's got little to do with internet addiction, really, apart from the implication that the kid was trying turning to the internet as a diversion from his problems at home. In any case, it sounds much more reasonable than other Chinese treatments for internet addiction, like shock therapy or electric acupuncture and drugs.

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11 Comments

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Anonymous Coward, 24 Aug 2006 @ 7:55am

Tho it seems perfectly reasonable..
doesn't that seem a bit like "physical communications" spamming in order to obtain psychologists some more clients?

I really like the google ads on this page.
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Sanguine Dream, 24 Aug 2006 @ 8:43am

Well...
it seems like they have their hearts in the right place. Instead of just banning or putting heavy restrictions on these "net junkies" they are actually going out to face and solve the issue of said "junkies".
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- w1nX, 24 Aug 2006 @ 9:04am
  
  Re: Well...
  Shock therapy? They still use that? Damn... I hope his Dell laptop doesn't explode during treatment. =P
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Primo, 24 Aug 2006 @ 9:03am

crazyness
Wow how crazy is the world...at least its video games and not drugs....drugs are bad for your help...video games help your had eye.
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short ground, 24 Aug 2006 @ 9:34am

The Digital #@&* Life
I have been a part of a;fsdlkgh this program that sodifjda; shocks you at regular aosifd; intervals if you've been alskfdj; on the internet too long. LKJSD:KLs It seems to work until af;sdlkj you get used to the shocks.
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Anonymous Coward, 24 Aug 2006 @ 10:30am

I'm an Internet addict. I need a halfway house that is on a clothing optional beach that has lots of young women. That way I can keep my mind off of the Internet. The federal government should subsidize my beach house because I have a disease.
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Anonymous Coward, 24 Aug 2006 @ 11:34am

Short Ground
That was pretty funny.

I heard that the final step to curing internet addicts in China is parking a tank on your chest.
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oohhhgezzz, 24 Aug 2006 @ 11:38am

hmmmm
Now I can almost argee on that. i am a gaming addict and Internet addict, what do we do then. Take away PS2, xbox, or my PC hell no. At lest I am not hooked on drugs. At lest I truned my addiction into a carreer. Can't say to much in that.
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Tom O'Leary, 24 Aug 2006 @ 12:37pm

I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy.
Seriously. I imagine that one could easily become addicted to the Internet. I've probably come close several times. I'd say that most people who use technology regularly would feel disconnected with the world if they couldn't access the Internet anymore. I'd even say that some people are addicted to specific things on the web. Perhaps I should be the first to open a halfway house for YouTube addicts. There are probably some New York Times' addicts as well. What about Google addicts? They could well be onto something here fellas.
All the best
Tom O'Leary
Editor, The Messaging Times
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- w1nX, 24 Aug 2006 @ 2:57pm
  
  Re: Net Junkies
  Hey Tom, you forgot one - eBay junkies. If I open 30 "place new bid" windows with different amounts - im sure to get my item in the last nanosecond of the auction.
  
  By the way, I did buy a Dell Laptop off eBay, but it... snrfgn eems to ....aergergj... to have... asdnfgas... a sliiiiiight discharge... izzzzzuuuuu.... IT BURNS!!!! oh sorry - that was my rumble pak for the Xbox (love Halo2)
  
  I should ask for everyone's contact information to add to my new crackberry/cell phone/flash drive/mp3/gps device that I get free WiFi from Google. Heck - I dont need to ask for contact info - I'll use AOL search.
  
  All this hype and hullaballoo for a detox center. Amsterdam is the world's best place to get legal dope and they want a rehab center for Net Junkies. I say we get all these addicts to play online against all the terrorists, miscontents, governments, and anyone else who causes or creates global/national/local issues. Have one Hell of of LAN party or the world's biggest MMOPRG to solve the world's problems once and for all. AYB - best 3 outta 5 ??
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Saia Wong, 27 Nov 2007 @ 11:06am

Business Opportunity
All tools, information, and material are free
http://www.gaitwoodshopping.net
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