I think a lot of times, the term "addiction" is tacked onto problems to absolve the person of any responsibility. They are claiming internet addiction the same way one might say their kids is addicted to TV, video games, etc. Media is not an addiction- it's a luxury that can be overindulged, especially when parents allow their kids too much access or don't monitor what they do/watch or how much time they spend doing it. Simply transferring the problem another addiction is hardly a solution.

Best idea, take the kids offline and give them a constructive alternative. Let them throw a party, have them join an after school club- anything that gets them away from a screen and out in the world with people!

Once again, I call bull. I may be biased, spending a good deal of time on the Internet myself, but honestly. The Internet is NOT comparable to addictive drugs. Everyday life, more and more, involves it. You can't say that about cocaine.

I'm also seeing a suspicious lack of scientific studies on the subject.

a term he defines as anyone who spends more than six hours per day for three months or more on nonwork- or study-related Internet use.

Phew! I'm only an abuser and not an addict! (I only spend 4 hours or less on the internets during the weekend.) How fucking arbitrary is this, though? I don't think I even HAVE 6 hours of leisure time a day with work and sleep and other various things that I do -- although I suppose that I don't make that 6 hours a day to spend on the internets means I don't have a problem? What if I make 4 hours every day though, without fail? Addiction is not defined by how much one uses a substance, or in this case activity, but how far one will go out of one's way to attain and participate in that substance or activity.

I know I'm not an alcoholic because, in a world without booze, I'm not going to spend my leisure time seeking it out. I know I'm not addicted to any illicit substances because if I can't get them easily (or free) I don't really care about them. I'm pretty sure that I'm not addicted to the internet because when it's not available I find something else to do... like actual work, or art, or reading (I was without my laptop for a whole week and I spent most of my time reading rather than on my boyfriend's laptop reading Feministing).

Point being, I think some of this is an over-reaction. These kids aren't addicts, they're fucking lazy. The internet is really easily available and it's ALWAYS THERE, so lazy people spend a lot of time on it (lazy people like me). If it wasn't the internet, it would be the teevee. If not that, something else that was readily available. Face it China, capitalism has turned your populace into lazy Americans. Shame. (Tongue-in-cheek for those not familiar with my style.)

Maybe some are just being lazy, but I think you can be addicted to nearly anything, physical or non-physical. My boyfriend will be the first one to tell you that he had an addiction to World of Warcraft. It interfered with his life and prevented him from developing socially and mentally. He tried for a year to quit and failed every time except for the last, a few months ago. Having experience with substance abuse as well, he sees no difference in the addictions. An addiction is an addiction, and there are people addicted to the internet. True, there's no magic number of hours online that makes you an addict, but if it's interfering with your life and you just can't quit- you've got a problem. I'm glad they're offering these people some help.

If you're still not convinced that people can have an internet addiction, try reading these news articles:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/2499957.stm

http://www.gamespot.com/news/2895569.html

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4137782.stm

I don't know, I'm inclined to think that internet addiction, while maybe not as physically severe as a drug addiction, exists. There are vast tracts of my time that I don't know where it went because I was on the computer, and not even doing anything! Just doing things like checking, checking, re-checking websites and email and blogs, very occasionally actually reading something; but really, I hardly know, because I can think back on a day and realize that despite the fact that I was home all day I did pretty much nothing except for buzz around the same few sites for hours on end. When I'm away from the computer, but especially when I'm nearby one or working on something offline on one, I feel a constant nagging to click the Safari icon and check to see if there's anything for me to do or read online.

I'm probably in no position to comment on this, considering the vast amount of time I spend using the internet, but I don't think that an 'internet addiction' often exists. Here's why: 'Using the internet' is not an activity!

When you 'drink', you ingest alcohol. When you watch TV, you sit in front of it and observe. When you play video games, look at porn, or any other possibly addictive activity, you are doing one particular thing. What are you doing when you are using the internet? You could be reading news, reading fiction or non-fiction, watching several kinds of video, writing any of several sorts of work, playing a game, collaborating with others on any of millions of projects, listening to music, writing software, uploading original paintings, communicating with others, etc., etc. ad infinitum.

When someone asks me what I did for the last two hours, I never say, "I used the internet." Instead, I'd say, "Well, I read today's news, wrote to a friend, researched a project I'm working on, and contacted my congresswoman." To be sure, I was using the internet to do all of these things, but I could also do them offline. Is reading a physical newspaper really much better for me than reading a blog? I doubt it.

You can have an addiction to Worlds of Warcraft, to flash games, to obsessively checking your email, etc. Not to the internet itself. The internet is merely a tool, a medium. It's what you use it for that matters.

In fact, the linked article states that the people in question are addicted to particular games, not to the internet in general! And given China's record on internet matters (censorship, anybody?) I doubt that they are taking appropriate action here. The Washinton Post article goes into more detail on the treatment - drugs and electroshock.

It's weird. I like the internet, but I think it changes social interaction in ways that aren't necessarily good. I know there's an equation out there for internet jack-assery: regular person+anonymity=troll/internet idiot.
I think it's possible to use the internet to acquire all sorts of good critical habits and to get a lot more information than you could otherwise, but it also encourages a lot of idiocy.

If this is feminism, I'm not sure what isn't.

"I see the problem, I get it, but this doesn't seem like a very ethical ... solution for the long-term."

Hey, that's never bothered the Chinese government!

As someone who has lived in China for several years, often surrounded by college students and having a strong background in mental health, I can assure you that this is indeed a serious problem.

The nature of addiction is the undermining of will power. That is, being addicted to something means you can't stop doing that thing in question. It is compulsive behavior.

These kids I've observed will spend 24+ hours a day holed up in an internet bar, no food or sleep. They know they should be concentrating on their studies and responsibilities, but they just can't stop. From what I've seen, it's not all that different from alcoholism or other more well known addictions.

I do believe a lack of alternatives can contribute to this problem. However, I believe the root of the problem has to do with a lack of social skills and social support. These kids are often failures in other aspects of their lives, and turning to the internet (mostly gaming and chatting) can bring them some form of easy gratification and escape, where they don't have to feel absolutely worthless. This is a clear recipe for addictive behavior if you ask me.

As for the link to feminism: Most addicts are males, though the number of females is growing as well.

The males I've observed who are addicted spend countless hours playing violent, misogynistic games. Not to mention porn.

Those who are well versed in the relationship between media and culture will realize how dangerous this can potentially be. Especially given that the male-female ratio in China is something like 120:100 at this point...

Understanding this topic needs some insight into Chinese culture which (judging from some of the comments) a lot of people here probably don't have...

Femphil, I think, is about the only one to understand the situation in China.

I'm writing this from China at the minute, and I agree with Femphil when I say that the internet culture there is altogether different. Few people have have the luxury of computers in their own homes here, so a lot of surfing takes place in internet bars where cigarettes and alcohol frequently accompany internet usage. The deaths of 2 students from fatigue (50+ hours straight gaming) lead to measures which mean there are 'licensing hours' for internet bars. The result of these measures is that there are now lock-ins - 30 minors died after being in an all-night lock-in when the building caught fire. You can sometimes see middle-aged ladies going from bar to bar looking for their son/daughter, because they know their child must be in one of the internet bars, they just don't know which. I really do think that in this case there can be an addiction to a medium because that medium has so much accompanying culture. Also, reading the article properly (not just the albeit well-chosen extract) you can see that gaming forms a much greater part of internet culture over here: in effect, gaming _is_ the internet for many young people.

I think the issue here is also, as Femphil suggests, one to do with pressure from home and school. Studying and grades are valued here a lot more than home (UK) and, particularly after the one-child policy, these children have even more pressure to succeed, since they are now the only hope of their parents. In the internet/gaming world you can take on a new persona and do as you please, in the same way a sex addict might do so to constantly live a life different from their own.

This problem should very well be treated as addiction as it's taking up a significant amount of the time that should and could be used much more productively.
But different cultures see things in different lights, so it's up to the Chinese to deal with the problem as they see fit.

Just going on what Tramliner said. I am a Chinese/Japanese mix, so am always interested to see what Westerners think about news from Asia (unfortunately, most of their reactions are very knee-jerk, considering some of the comments here).

In general, Asian countries, in terms of computers and mobile phones tend to be ahead of Western countries. When I went to Australia, all the models of phones and laptops that were just being sold would be considered out of date in many parts of Asia.

The love for technology is not as stigmatized as in Western countries. Someone who is great in computers or spends a lot of time online or plays games for hours online is not necesarilly refered to as a nerd. Knowledge and intelligence is very valued in Chinese and Asian culture. And mastering the internet is the newest currency in the knowledge market.

South Korea is known as the Birthplace of Starcraft for one very good reason...it is almost a national sport. Teens spend many hours in cyber cafes (noraebangs) online, playing Terrans, Zergs and Protoss and a myriad of other online games. There are tournaments where adoring fans can take pictures with PROFESSIONAL Gamers who even do endorsements for products and get million dollar deals. And the South Koreans have always seens their neighbours China as very involved in gaming as well, and there are various tournaments between China and South Korea between various gaming "Groups".

Life in China and most other Asian countries are very competitive. If you think Americans work hard, come to China, Singapore, etc any time. Young graduates from such countries often go overseas to work because they work less hours than back in their home countries.

"Important" professions are seen as giving status. Unlike in the West where parents are more congenial towards study choices, children here are taught to favour certain jobs (Doctors, Lawyers, Accountants, etc) because these jobs are prestigious and add status to the face of the family. Competition for places in universities and the best workplaces are fierce, and you would not believe how many students go for tuition after school hours. I seriously never want to go to that period of my life again. Imagining going to school at 8 in the morning and taking tuition classes all the way until 10pm at night. That and the regimented studying system which in most Asian countries focus more on a spoon-feeding type system that encourages rote memorization rather than exploration of ideas and critical thoughts.

Also there is the concept of anonymity. Whereas most Westerners might see being being a celebrity as something to aspire to, to stand our from the rest, doing so in China might prove dangerous, given the political environment.

Hence with the pressure of succeeding in school, financially (getting a good job) and the need to try to source for more honest and sincere thoughts and ideas (for doing so in public might cause one to lose face), is it any wonder that there are more teenagers who go online in China than in AMerica (even percentage wise).

While online, gaming, engaging in forums and discussions with other online group communities, they can ask what they want, think what they want, say what they want, all behind an anonymous mask.

This might seem like a stereotype, but generally, Asians tend to be less emotive in public compared to Westerners. While in Western culture, the tendency to boast of one's accomplishments and to take credit for something might work wonders, here people emphaside more on how well you work with other people and praises tend to be more along the effort of the group/team rather than single individual. When Chinese go to other countries, they tend to view themselves as representing Chinese people. They pause to consider, how will their actions affect people's perception of Chinese people as a whole. This might appear alien to Western culture, but it is similar to when women resent that one woman is thought of a representation of all womankind. Therefore, the mask of anonymity that the internet provides is valued highly by the Chinese.

These are just a couple of factors which in my opinion might be why you may see more Chinese youths being "Addicted" to the online world, compared to American youths.

I'm a travelling Australian also writing from an internet cafe in China.
Without having been here long enough to fully understand the culture I have seen the living conditions of students in a university outside of the major citiesl. To be blunt, it's not pretty and I can understand why an internet cafe would seem like a good place to hang out.
Let me explain . . . ALL of the students are expected to live on campus in unheated dormatories (usually four to a room, but six isn't uncommon). They have no say in who their room mates are, and they don't change rooms from year to year. It would be easy to find yourself sharing a room with someone you can't stand (for your entire degree), and have no where to escape them. There are no common rooms that I could find, it's freezing outside, and people don't typically linger in restaurants. Needless to say, I can see why spending your spare time hanging out in a warm internet cafe, having time to yourself, away from potentially annoying room mates, would be an extremely appealing escape . . . (I could fill in some horrible stories that I've heard about bullying, but will spare you.)
Without going back to read the original article, I also can't say that more sex education is a bad thing . . . Not joking, the girls here are horrified when they hear that I've had not one, but three, boyfriends. Furthermore, one of the girls (19 years old) told me that her boyfriend wanted to kiss her at Spring Festival but she really wasn't sure about this, because it made her feel, "a bit shy".
These are just my perspectives from a comparitively small town, I'm told the situation is quite different in the major cities . . .

PS- From where I sit now, I can see nine people, all male.

Mental health problems are inextricably linked with culture, so that making cross-cultural comparisons are quite difficult, sometimes even impossible.

Some other facts that should interest feminists (these were taken from a national Chinese news source): 1) China has one of the highest suicide rates in the world, especially among rural women. 2) Suicide is the leading cause of death of people aged 15-34. 3) *China is the only country in the world where more women than men commit suicide.*

This is all related to culture, and in turn, also related to the media...

I have never been to China so I cannot comment on the internet culture there, but I can say that I consider myself to be a former internet addict.

In high school I was on the internet everyday, from the moment I could get on the computer and through the night. I often got no sleep, and instead slept thought classes. I was unhappy and spent most of my time thinking about my online games, friends and chatrooms, my next internet "fix". The internet interfered with everyday activities such as socialization, homework, nutrition, exercise and sleep.

In the summer of grade 11 I spent a camping trip with my parents, and the forced removal of the internet during that time made me realize I had a problem. From then on, I wanted to change. I researched internet addiction and while some of the stuff was silly, some of it was very helpful in getting a framework to help myself. Just knowing there WAS a term for what I was suffering was a comfort. I cut off all my old internet haunts and relationships, and I leaned to set guidelines for myself.

I cannot stop completely, as my work and school requires internet. However I have cut back considerably. I play no online games, and I only check a few blogs. I rarely comment on forums and have no online friends. It is a battle everyday, but a battle I know I must win for my own health.

In my opinion if you can be online a lot and have it be a healthy part of your life, then go for it. However there are some people (for instance, me) that for whatever reason cannot stop even when it is destroying their life. Just like gambling, drugs or any other type of addiction.

I guess I kind of fall on the other side of the fence. I'm a huge "internet addict", I spend nearly all day on it (granted, it being winter I'm not very enthused to leave the house). I don't see this as a bad thing either. The internet has not interfered with my life. Rather, it has become the gateway through which I live it. Of course, I'm kind of a deviant and would enjoy life more if I were a cyborg/robot who could be constantly connected to the internet, but that's sadly just a pipe dream.

I see the problem, I get it, but this doesn't seem like a very ethical or effective solution for the long-term.

The PRC doesn't always strike one as being extremely ethical or effective...