I Need Rehab

My name is Laura. Hi Laura. And I'm an addict.

Internet addiction is on the rise in the world's largest 'Net market, and now Chinese doctors have officially defined it as    an ailment.

Users who spend six hours or more per day online, and exhibit at least one symptom including difficulty sleeping or concentrating, yearning to be online, irritation, and mental or physical distress are classified as meeting the definition of addiction.

Being hooked on the Internet has been considered a problem in Chinese society as early as 2005, when the first clinic dedicated    to Internet addiction opened in Beijing. It began accepting patients who exhibited dependency symptoms for those of substance    abuse.

China also has "boot camps" designed to help addicts kick the habit by helping to change their routine.

Comments

[Laura]

What do you mean? I can quit anytime.

[Lisa V]

Hi Laura.

Feel free to smoke, and there is donuts and coffee in the back.

[Ben Brumfield]

I have heard -- perhaps it was at SXSW this year -- that "internet addiction" in China correlates directly with visiting disapproved political websites and use of anonymizers. In other words, it's a dysphemism that an authoritarian regime finds especially useful.