Strange: Internet Addiction Rehab

News reported that about 700 million Chinese people access the Internet every day, and more and more teenagers are suffering from Internet addiction syndrome.

Internet addicts in China spend up to 17 hours a day online. Some even wear diapers to avoid having to go to the bathroom and disrupt their browsing.

China has become one of the first countries in the world to recognize Internet addiction as a clinical condition. Hundreds of special camps have been opened across the country to help young people overcome their Internet addiction.

Students must follow strict military-like regulations, receive treatment and use prescribed medication. Photo: Pannos

Unable to pull their children away from the lure of the Internet on their own, Chinese parents have spent a lot of money to enroll them in rehabilitation centers. Dr. Tao Ran, who runs the Daxing Internet Addiction Treatment Center in Beijing, said the center began accepting Internet addicts in 2008. There, he was responsible for being a prison guard and had many other duties. "I had to look after students like a babysitter, educate them like a teacher, and treat them like a psychiatrist," said Mr. Ran.

Assessing Internet addiction as even more dangerous than drug addiction, Mr. Ran said many Internet addicts often skip meals, even hold back on going to the toilet, and disconnect from the world around them. In many cases, they lock themselves in front of the computer screen and do not see the sunlight for months at a time.

A student participating in Internet addiction treatment has his brain scanned for research purposes. Photo: Supplied

Here, students are separated from all electronic devices and forced to follow strict military-like rules, starting with exercises every morning at 6:30 a.m. They must stand up straight and hold their heads high to improve their posture. In addition to outdoor exercises, they attend psychology lectures. They are often held in solitary confinement and are required to take anti-depressants.

According to VNE