China Says Six Hours A Day Online Makes You An Internet Addict

from the seems-a-bit-extreme dept

Tue, Nov 11th 2008 12:27pm — Mike Masnick

While there are some doctors who are pushing to make internet addiction an official disorder, most folks recognize that internet addiction has been shown not to be a clinical addiction, but rather a sign of problems elsewhere (depression, family problems, etc.). However, over in China, where folks have been treating internet addiction with shock therapy for years, it appears that the government is getting set to officially recognizes internet addiction as a disorder. However, the definition is raising some eyebrows, as apparently it's based on some "research" that says someone who spends more than six hours a day online is an addict.

Of course, it's worth pointing out that the Chinese doctor who set the definition that the government is expected to approve just so happens to have built China's very first internet addiction center. In other words, he stands to personally benefit quite a lot by having internet addiction made official, as it will drive "business" to his treatment center. It's difficult to see how you can claim that an addiction is based solely on the amount of time one spends online as well, considering that plenty of people have to spend that much time (or more) online for work, and others spend much more time online but don't have it negatively impact other areas of their life. Once again, this seems like an attempt to call something an addiction just because it helps get some doctors business, rather than a real attempt to look at the underlying issues of said "addicts."

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Filed Under: addicts, china, internet addiction

25 Comments

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VitaminCM, 11 Nov 2008 @ 12:46pm

Internet Addiction?
Screw China, what do they know about me?
Now, let me get back to StumbleUpon.
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Guy One, 11 Nov 2008 @ 12:52pm

Cant... stop... Internet... Too much.... Good stuff.... Cant stop... Internet...
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Buzz, 11 Nov 2008 @ 12:56pm

Hahaha
I would consider myself an addict back when the Internet was starting to boom with content (around year 2000). I really did do nothing but sit on the Internet all day as a teenager.

Now, the Internet is just a part of society. I am comfortable knowing I can look up virtually any piece of knowledge from my computer at any time of the day. I don't surf as much as I used to.
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Porkster, 11 Nov 2008 @ 1:45pm

Thats nothing
I'm on the internet 25 hours a day and I'm not an addict.
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Donald Moore, 11 Nov 2008 @ 1:49pm

this makes sense from china's perspective
someone using the internet for any length of time per day consumes knowledge whether they realize it or not. Just like bartenders with salty peanuts to drive up drinks to quench the thirst, wouldn't the same be true for newer and more details morsels of knowledge. Wouldn't this need to consume more information contradict china's ability to control it's populace?
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Oliver Klosov, 11 Nov 2008 @ 1:56pm

Hey welcome to the future archaic society.
The internet has already changed everything about how society interacts, works, meets, lives, plays etc. for a gigantic portion of the 1st world. I love watching change instill fear. Too late China...welcome to the next revolution don't screw it up this time.
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SpacePirate, 11 Nov 2008 @ 2:04pm

Jobs
But what if you have a job? That's like 8 hrs online right there, does that mean I'm addicted to my job, the internet, the food & water i buy as a result or all 4?
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TX CHL Instructor (profile), 11 Nov 2008 @ 2:16pm

Comic about internet addiction...
http://www.gocomics.com/wetherobots/
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Potato Head, 11 Nov 2008 @ 2:26pm

Wheew!
Good thing I use the interwebs instead.
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jollyc, 11 Nov 2008 @ 2:48pm

IA Meetings?
Is there an Internets Anonymous meeting we can attend then, preferably online?
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Anonymous Coward, 11 Nov 2008 @ 3:16pm

What's the internet?
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Mogilny, 11 Nov 2008 @ 3:47pm

By that standard, i'm so screwed beyond help.
Buuuutttt you can do so many things online that replaces offline stuff. Like going to work, or watching TV, reading the newspaper, visiting the adults-only store, hanging around people you don't really like but you have to....
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Michael Witt (profile), 11 Nov 2008 @ 4:02pm

Re: this makes sense from china's perspective
I must say, I'm quite perplexed by your logic.

Sure, bartenders may use salty peanuts to make someone thirstier, but alcohol is a diuretic, and will make you thirstier anyways (although I would concede that peanuts will make you thirsty faster). Yet this doesn't matter, because knowledge is not consumed as you say, it doesn't just go into the brain and into a black hole, the knowledge is stored (for a time at least), and may make someone realize that they know less than he or she thought. And even that pales in comparison to your question: "Wouldn't this need to consume more information contradict china's[sic] ability to control it's[sic] populace?" That question makes no sense whatsoever; how does information lead to an inability to control your populace?
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Paul, 11 Nov 2008 @ 5:09pm

And you disagree?
So, Mike, let me get this straight, you disagree that spending 1/4 of your life on the internet makes you an internet addict?
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Anonymous Coward, 11 Nov 2008 @ 5:48pm

What if you read books for six hours a day ?
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Anonymous Coward, 11 Nov 2008 @ 5:55pm

As part of the great fire wall, doesn't China employ people to continuously monitor their "internet"?

So, these monitors will be considered addicts and be given shock treatment. Film at eleven.
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Killer_Tofu (profile), 12 Nov 2008 @ 6:04am

Re:
Re #16
Thank you for all your hard work.
Bzzzztttt!!!
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Anonymous Coward, 12 Nov 2008 @ 7:04am

Addicted to escaping from reality. Can they be blamed?
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Chad, 12 Nov 2008 @ 7:19am

Same goes for people who read 6 hours a day, watch tv 6 hours a day, go to the office 6 hours a day, drive a car 6 hours a day.... The internet is a tool that happens to be EXTREMELY entertaining. If it's the same site for 6 hours straight without a break that might be cause for concern, but the average user who is browsing around for 6 hours including breaks every 15-30 minutes has nothing to fear.

I spend a lot more than 6 hours a day on the internet, I can assure you of that.
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Crabby (profile), 12 Nov 2008 @ 11:47am

Re: this makes sense from china's perspective
Yup.
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another mike, 12 Nov 2008 @ 3:53pm

more than half my day
some of the reported symptoms are anxiety, depression, boredom, and "an overwhelming urge to be online." sounds like a weekend at the in-laws.

but seriously, i can spend an entire weekend online, something like 60 hours straight. do i need help? yes, i know, but i mean for this specifically.
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Anon Cow, 12 Nov 2008 @ 3:55pm

If you spend six hours online, you probably have a p0rn addition, not an Internet addiction.

People aren't addicted to cigarettes, they are addicted to nicotine.
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Charming Charlie, 12 Nov 2008 @ 9:47pm

China doesn't control it's populace. The government just smacks down people who cause it problems. People culling information on the internet, where the most subversive material is difficult to get to, is not something the government cares about.

Claiming the people of China are controlled does nothing more than demonstrate your American arrogance to comment on things you really only know hearsay about. Don't let your conclusions exceed your evidence, and don't comment if you don't know shit.
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ioana leontina santa, 25 Nov 2008 @ 10:27pm

Re: Re: this makes sense from china's perspective
thelack of information makes people easy to manipulate, here's the connection between information and manipulating people
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Man in China, 13 Dec 2008 @ 6:21pm

Re:
You say not to let people's conclusions exceed their evidence,yet you have concluded that everyone posting here is American and you have no evidence to back that up.

As far as China controlling it's populace.. it depends where you are in China and the STATUS of those involved.
You know, often now there are students who go to internet cafe's all night and the parents who both work really can't put a stop to it,this would seem to be aimed in that direction,more student control.
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