Boot Camp for the Internet Addicted
I was listening to a story today on the BBC about the 14 million teens addicted to the Internet in China and that many of them are sent to boot camp for up to 3 months to treat this “disorder”. Apparently, teens are turning to crime to pay for their habit which feeds their 10-12 hour/day Internet habit. It is not just the teens boys. Many teen girls have become obsessed with virtual worlds, have multiple husbands and homes and live for their virtual lives instead of the real world.
The boot camp is run, military style with regimented, rigorous routines of exercise and games to help teens interact with real people doing real things and to break their internet addictions. Apparently it also includes electric acupuncture. (read: electric shock therapy) They even have sex education! Parents are also treated at the same time as it is thought that these teens are reacting to the intense pressure to succeed that parents place on their only child. Parents learn to remove shoulds and musts out of their vocabulary!
…sexual predators are not the only thing we need to worry about!
