China Internet Addiction

China Internet Addiction – China has cemented its position as the world’s largest Internet population, with the number of Internet users reaching a staggering 300 million at the end of 2008, according to the China Internet Network Information Centre. But there is a downside. At a newly created Internet addiction treatment centre, Cheng Jiawei had to finish one last exercise of arranging toy figurines in a sandpit, a way her doctors could understand how her mind worked. Once spending 15 hours a day in Internet cafes, Cheng’ arrangements toned down after two and a half months at China’s largest Internet addiction treatment centre. [Cheng Wei, Patient]: “When I played video games, I believed that I was one character in the games. I made ‘friends’ playing video games that I couldn’t make in real life.” Cheng’s family spent 3700 dollars on the treatment, while some 60 children are in the treatment centre. Tao Ran founded China’s biggest Internet addiction treatment centre, and is now looking for additional space as more people knock on the door for help. [Tao Ran, Director]: “There are more than 200 organisations offering treatment for internet addiction in China now. If it weren’t for the fast increase in the number of these hospitals, we would have many more people coming here for help.” The treatment does not come cheap – each patient pays about 1500 dollars (USD) a month, sometimes staying for up to three months. Many are referred to psychotic hospitals for various medical conditions, including …