SHANGHAI — In an attempt to curb the trend of “Internet addiction” in young people, China will open an experimental summer camp to treat children who abuse online games and Internet pornography.
About 2.6 million, or 13 percent of China's 20 million Internet users who are under 18, are considered to be addicts.
According to the state newspaper China Daily , the camp will host a 10-day program for 40 young people between the ages of 14 to 22, after they have received psychological evaluation. The campers will then be treated for depression, fear, unwillingness to socialize with others, panic and agitation.
The camp is a result of a rise in juvenile crime and several high-profile incidents associated with the Internet. A number of suicides and deaths from exhaustion by online players unable to tear themselves away from marathon game sessions have been reported.
The new program is considered a softer approach than methods used at the Internet Addiction Treatment Center in Beijing where young people are treated with a c
View the full story