Inside A Korean Rehab Camp For Web Addiction

caffeinemessiah writes "The New York Times has a story about a Korean kids' camp for 'curing' Internet addiction. 'Seventeen hours a day online is fine,' said one such kid at the camp. From the article: 'Drill instructors drive young men through military-style obstacle courses, counselors lead group sessions, and there are even therapeutic workshops on pottery and drumming ... this year, the camp held its first two 12-day sessions, with 16 to 18 male participants each time. (South Korean researchers say an overwhelming majority of compulsive computer users are male.)'"

Fris!

[Harmonious Botch]

I've cut back to only 4 letters a day now. I'm almost cured!

NY Times

[Sillygates]

you will need to login [roachfiend.com] to see the article.

Re:Fris!

[Odiumjunkie]

>I've cut back to only 4 letters a day now. I'm almost cured! Then I appreciate your effort in writing this post, seeing as it must have taken you twelve days.

Re:

[Harmonious Botch]

I had a relapse.

Re:Nothing to see here

[Hognoxious]

Do you have to attend in person, or is there an online version available?

pfft.

[ndelta]

Seventeen hours? Amateur.

Re:

[Anonymous Coward]

Yeah. They probably run Windows and the other 7 hours in the day are spent defragging, virus scanning, updating, and rebooting. If they ran Linux they would be Free to troll the the interwebs and advocate Free software 23.99976 hours a day like I do.

-twitter

Re:

[microcentillion]

It's actually pretty sad that someone took the time to do this. Clearly pottery and drumming are far more entertaining than... whatever these guys do all day.

16 to 18 male participants

You are missing two key words

16 to 18 year old male participants

fixed.

Re:

[dank zappingly]

I'm not even awake for seventeen hours a day.

Re:

[HeroreV]

Is it bad that I've done this? I mean certainly it's bad to do it every day, but every once in a while is fine, right?

Re:

[vertinox]

Seventeen hours? Amateur.

Actually, if you think about it (depending on your job) many of us are on the internet 24/7 even though we aren't addicted to it. I mean I spend 8 hours a day on the internet at work (maybe because its part of my job) and then when I get home I get on the internet to do other things business related (not my day job) and then maybe if I have an hour or two before I go to bed I'll play some online games.

Then of course there is the cell phone connection to the internet... Which I suppo

CRT exposure

[British]

Here's how I look at it:

1. I'm at work for 8 hours a day: staring at a monitor
2. I go to the gym after, which have CRTs staring at you(at least for cardio)
3. I watch my shows after the gym, which is once again in front of the CRT.

I wanna get away from the CRTs. Ugh.

Actually I do. I work on the car in the summertime.

Gold Farming...

[Kedjoran]

If all the Koreans are cured of their internet addiction, where will we get our gold farmers? China? They aren't nearly as dedicated! I bet they only get 15 hours of gold farming a day! Sleep they say! Who needs that?

Re:Gold Farming...

[Kyojin]

Funny as that was, Korea is not where you'd usually find gold farmers. Korea is too developed for gold farming to be financially viable.

Starcraft as a national sport is another matter altogether, one that is financially viable.

Re:

[sunami]

Training 17 hours a day for football? A-Okay!
Training 17 hours a day for Starcraft? NOT OKAY!!!

Re:

[One Childish N00b]

Training 17 hours a day for football? A-Okay! Training 17 hours a day for Starcraft? NOT OKAY!!!

Dude, I'm from the UK so I've never played American Football, but I used to play rugby, and if you were to train at that for 17 hours a day, you'd be dead pretty soon. Give me Starcraft any day!

Re:

[Rebelgecko]

Dude, I'm from the UK so I've never played American Football, but I used to play rugby, and if you were to train at that for 17 hours a day, you'd be dead pretty soon. Give me Starcraft any day!

Sure, you say that before the Carpal Tunnel.

Re:

[Hatta]

If they cure all the old people, who will use Email?

So let me get this straight...

[FlyingSquidStudios]

You can either be an extremely powerful wizard ruling your domain with an iron fist or you can make pots and drum. Yes, that's a terrific alternative.

Re:

[Citius]

No, no, no, you've got it completely all wrong. In game, they're farmers who make pots and drums. Out here, they're...farmers who make pots and drums. I suppose that trading WoW and MMORPGs for Real Life is the big thing here...The only question that remains is: who profits from the 'gold' that they're farming?

addiction

[timmarhy]

addiction is a driving force in humans, you never get rid of addiction you just replace it with something less destructive.... i mean lets face it these kids COULD be addicted to crack instead. i think computers are a pretty healthy outlet for such personalities.

Re:

[Kingrames]

The first step is admission.
Perhaps you should sign up.

Re:addiction

[The MAZZTer]

Healthy in comparison to cocaine, sure... but there are other things in life besides computers! Jobs, friends (and I mean as in real, social, face-to-face interaction, online friends can't count for that), school, exercise, and a whole lot more... if you're on the computer all the time you can't do any of these other things!

Well OK SOME of those things you can do but it's not the same as more traditional methods anyways, especially as far as social interaction is concerned. And don't even TRY to say you can eat properly and exercise without leaving your computer.

Re:

[Dunbal]

but there are other things in life besides computers! Jobs, friends ... school, exercise, and a whole lot more

Like onions.

Yes, the other day I planted some onion seeds, and I am thrilled to watch them sprout and I am excited because tomorrow I will have to transplant them... silly, I know. But it reminds me that there is more to life than NO CARRIER

Re:addiction

[The Sage Of Time]

I can't have real friends, with real social interaction online? Interesting, since I have known people online, people whom I consider very close.. for upwards to 12 years now. Well all talk regularly, we all know each other by name, we all care about one another.. Hell, you can even have a face-to-face interaction if you want with a webcam, or throw in a mic if you want to bitch about text being impersonal. (It really isn't, unless you type like a wild howler monkey or something, and none of us do.)

My online friends have counted for quite a bit, and likewise they feel the same on the issue. Why anyone thinks a computer removes some of (or all) the humanity out of a person on the other end of communication is beyond me..

Re:

[murdocj]

I can't have real friends, with real social interaction online? Interesting, since I have known people online, people whom I consider very close.. for upwards to 12 years now. Well all talk regularly, we all know each other by name, we all care about one another.. Hell, you can even have a face-to-face interaction if you want with a webcam, or throw in a mic if you want to bitch about text being impersonal. (It really isn't, unless you type like a wild howler monkey or something, and none of us do.) My onl

Re:

[Turn-X Alphonse]

Some of us prefer the lack of that stuff though, not everyone works the same.

Plus you put it like Autistic people can't be good friends as it's a similar thing in many ways.

Re:

[Some_Llama]

Who is to say what is the better way to spend your time? I say if it makes someone happy, isn't hurting anyone else.. let them do it?

Re:

[kraemate]

Is life really a series of addictions? I dont like that thought.
I am very easily addicted, and I definitely dont enjoy it. Being addicted to _anything_ wrecks havoc in a person's life, simply because you are spending so much time/energy on the thing you are addicted to, that other things in life are neglected.
What I really want to know : is addiction to substances any different from this kind of addiction (internet, games, slashdot)?

PS: I think i am an internet addict myself( over 15 hrs a day). Most of it

Re:addiction

[Dunbal]

Is life really a series of addictions? I dont like that thought.

      We actually are much less than what we give ourselves credit for. We consider ourselves to be above our basic biochemical urges and impulses, however it's a constant struggle. Yet we choose to delude ourselves into believing that denying our desires to others somehow makes us a better human being. And we cast out from our society those that decide to act on them.

      Where is our intelligence? Truly you have hit the nail on the head. Perhaps you don't like to think that often you don't know why you act in a certain manner, but more often than not this is the case. We can choose to believe that we are cool, rational beings, however often the reason behind a specific decision we make comes from deep inside some primitive part of our identity. Anyway, this gives us something to blame when things don't turn out the way we wanted...

Re:

[fbjon]

however often the reason behind a specific decision we make comes from deep inside some primitive part of our identity

This is so true it's almost saddening. Logic is only a part of a larger brain. Imagine if it were universally easier to overcome our instincts, and people were just 5-10 IQ points smarter on average. My god, so many of the world's problems could just melt away. Sometimes I feel like humankind is just teetering on the edge of intelligence, having barely tasted it.

Re:

[timmarhy]

substance addiction differs from say, internet addiction, in that the reward chemical is supplied by a needle and not by the brain.

the level of addiction only ever varies from person to person, but an addictive personality will always be addicted to something at all times.

myself for example, I am not a very addictive personality so i don't find i need to go back to something again and again. I've also never had an trouble drinking or with any other substance i've tried. One of my friends on the other hand

Re:

[Hognoxious]

Is life really a series of addictions?

Not at all. However it's a superficially profound sounding statement that's likely to get modded up by shallow emo wasters.

Re:

[rpillala]

I think the clientele of these boot camps might have some kind of predisposition to addiction. Depending on how "addictive" your personality is, one may need to replace one addiction with another, at least as a first step. I find myself to behave in binges. So there are some activities I would never try because I would never want to be addicted. It could be silly of me, but I guess everyone handles risk their own way.

So I think the answer is that some lives are a series of addictions, or at least have

Re:

[Dunbal]

Several notable human "addictions" include food, air, sex (alone or with others)...

Except for air, these things stimulate the release of dopamine (the "reward" neurotransmitter) when acquired. Take them away and expect a violent response from the subject. I'd say those were pretty solid "addictions".

Oh wait, the plebs think "addiction" only implies "negative" things...

I wonder what this camp's relapse rate is.

Re:

[usrcpp]

You see eating, breathing and having sex as addictions whereas I see excessive eating, excessive breathing and excessive sex as addictions, not because they have negative side-effects, which they may or may not, but because they take an action to an extreme. I drive to work every day and get a nice fuzzy feeling inside when I get there, but that doesn't mean I'm addicted to driving.


I speak as a layman; you've been warned!

Re:addiction

[MoralHazard]

I like how you put the word addiction in quotes, cleverly re-defining the word to mean something completely different from what the word *actually* means. And by that, I refer to the medical definition of addiction in the DSM-IV and the literature, which is used by psychologists and doctors (including psychiatrists) and pretty much the rest of the human race. Except you--you have a fondness for the methods of Lewis Carroll, perhaps?

I'll boil it down for you: Addiction is a psychological phenomenon wherein an addicted subject comes to focus on some external, directly reward-inducing activity to such a degree that it attenuates normal behavior, and the compulsion continues even in the face of negative consequences. In this usage, the term "normal" means the behaviors of the subject prior to the introduction of the external activity, but it also includes social and statistical norms, to some extent.

In other words, you're addicted when the particular activity or substance dominates your behavior, modifying the way that you live your life to a significant degree, and you don't stop the activity even when the bad consequences build up. An illustrative thought experiment is to take the addict and consider the opinion that his or her past self might have, looking forward in the future from the early days of use. If a guy who had maybe done coke once or twice had a vision of the future a la "A Christmas Carol", and saw himself five years later missing mortgage payments and losing his family because all he wanted to do is blow lines up his nose, how would he view the situation? Granted, this game doesn't model a lot of specific cases (such as adolescents), so take it with a grain of salt, but I think the point is pretty clear.

So, you see how the sex, air, and food examples don't really work, here. Consider that:

* I am generally receptive to sex, and sexual thoughts often enter my (male) mind.
* The act of sex causes me great pleasure when I engage in it.
* I would express disappointment at being denied sex, if I had some expectation of it at a particular time.

But also consider:

* I don't compulsively pursue sexual activity to the exclusion of working, socializing or engaging in other activities.
* My sexual activities don't cause large negative consequences to me, like my GF leaving me because I can't stop having casual sex with other women, or the cops picking me up for soliciting prostitutes.
* I'm pretty confident that my peers who share my general values regarding sexual activity (i.e., not hard-core Christians) would be OK trading patterns of sexual activity with me. Other people (caveat as given) don't generally look at my sexual behavior and go "Eew, that guy needs help."

Now, there ARE people who have sexual addictions, that have exactly that last set of problems I just mentioned. These aren't just people who like to have sex a lot, or who have high sex drives--these are people who are constantly trolling bars or cruising for hookers several nights a week, who lose their jobs after being warned about looking at porn at work and keep doing it. These are people who are ashamed of their actions, even in the company of generally sexually-liberated folks, and who often want to change their behavior but don't see a way out of it.

It's the same with booze, coke, heroin, gambling, cigarettes. Virtually everybody in college (in the US, anyway) engages in binge drinking, where you get blackout, puking drunk with your pals several nights a week for four straight years. Some of these people don't go to class, don't study, and fail out, while others finish up just fine (maybe not summa cum laude, but well enough) and graduate. When they leave college, some people grow up and start drinking more responsibly, while others keep doing it and end up sacrificing relationships, job performance, finances, etc. The bottom line is, some people who do it are addicted, and (usually) most people who do it aren't, a

Re:addiction

[Dunbal]

As a physician I am well aware of the textbook definition of "addiction".

      However this is one of those terms that eventually will be modified, as it has turned into a "label" and fails to identify the psychological conditions that usually drive "addiction" and addictive behaviour - anxiety disorder, depression, and bipolar mood disorder. "Addiction" is a symptom, not a pathology. Not everyone who smokes crack or shoots heroin or goes online becomes an instant "addict". Like everything else in medicine, pathology usually requires several predisposing factors.

      My bending the term "addiction" to include common, every day acts (which happen to stimulate the same pathways in the brain) was an attempt to ridicule this "label". Just as we no longer say that patients are "retarded", soon the term "addict" will be used less frequently among health professionals.

Mod parent up. (no text)

[Non-Huffable Kitten]

no text

Re:

[Non-Huffable Kitten]

Hmm I just decided to write a real reply in addition to the suggestion to upmod.

You totally hit the nail on the head there. People like to tell the "it releases dopamine and thus mechanically makes you take it again"-story. But IME, that's only one side of the story, and temporary relief of mental states such as depression is at least as strong a motivator.

IMHO, when your life is going well, it's relatively easy to avoid reinforcers; but if your entire day is bleak and anhedonic, anything that changes that

Re:

[xouumalperxe]

While quite evocative, your counter argument fails to address the first and probably most important of the items the GP used to define addiction: I don't compulsively pursue sexual activity to the exclusion of working, socializing or engaging in other activities.

In fact, I'll counter your counter arguments with something else: smoking is well known to be addictive, yet, except for the most hardcore cases of chain smoking, it's a socially accepted addiction. So social acceptance of your behaviour is an ai

True, but [was Re:addiction]

[kaiwai]

Lets remember the couple of guys who have died after going on an internet bender; for me, its all about balance; sure, I spend a few hours on the internet, but I tend to watch no television, what I do on the internet is reading articles or related to university study.

The problem I think also happens when people use the internet to replace human interaction; like I said, I use the internet for a few hours each day, but watching no internet and social during the day, it balances out eventually.

The question th

Pot,/Kettle

[lobiusmoop]

I'm _meant_ to be on vacation just now. The fact I'm reading this on my laptop in the Hong Kong Central Library, with a trip to Seoul tomorow, is probably some kind of sign. More time in the Big Blue Room required!

They should look at the bright side

[JudgeFurious]

Those people who become addicted to the internet and spend all of their time online will be less likely to breed. That should eventually lead to an "internet resistant" strain of human being capable of using the internet to accomplish tasks and then walk away.

Re:

[Tablizer]

Those people who become addicted to the internet and spend all of their time online will be less likely to breed.

You mean physically breed. You forgot about digital mental mitosis (called viruses in some circles). Bwaaa ha ha ha ha...
       

Re:

[tabledesk]

I'm going to conceive many, many children in spite of you.

Re:

[jagdish]

I'm going to conceive many, many children in spite of you.
I think you mean inspite. Or do you procreate when you are angry ?

Re:

[oddfox]

The guy was right actually, inspite isn't a word.

Re:

[OGC]

Have you seen the crowd at a Korean Starcraft tournament lately?

Re:

[theheadlessrabbit]

star craft is more than a national sport here, its a national obsession.

My cable company has recently added a SECOND star craft channel.

When I am teaching my students, I often have to use a star craft analogy before they get it.
"Very: A Zealot rush is VERY effective early on".
"Extremely: The Yamato cannon is extremely powerful."
"Good, Better, Best....Hae Wan is GOOD at starcraft, Yeong Jae is BETTER, but I am the BEST, and if you disagree, I will beat you with my love stick!"

Re:

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Pffftt!

[Tablizer]

Just outsource control of your body to some guy in Timbuktu and wire your head directly the 'net.

Can they help Slashdot addiction!?!

[Tiger Smile]

No really.

Internet rehab

[Ethanol-fueled]

When I was young, my parents had a solution for Nintendo and TV addiction.
It was called "playing outside". It worked wonders!
But these days, in Soviet Amerika, toys play with YOU!

A better solution...

[grahamd0]

What they really need to do is create some sort of VR goggles for all of these kids that put glowing exclamation points above the heads of their parents, bosses and teachers. They'd be the most productive people on the planet.

It wouldn't cost too much, either. Some electronics and a pair of giant, gaudy shoulder pads for each kid. Well worth it.

Hmmm...

[Frosty Piss]

Inside A Korean Rehab Camp For Web Addiction

Old people?

so? what else is there to do?

[partowel]

ok...I am gonna get flamed.
So here goes.
Addicted to computer games. Games that let you do more than any gov't/religion/philosophy will
ever let you do in "real" life.
I've played many computer games. virutal sex, virtual violence, virtual GOD, virtual CEO, etc, etc.
Did "real" life show me any of these things? FUCK NO!
"real" life taught me I'm nothing. That I would be better dead, or not born at all.
"real" life taught me that being "different" is a fucking shit crime.
"real" life taught me that speaking out against authority is SO evil its called terrorism.
"real" life taught me that people who drink are more powerful than non-drinkers.
Real life is a joke. Real life can kiss my fucking ass.
The computer, aka simulator, aka simulacrum, enables me to do what "real" life would never
let me do.
I have learned that everything is possible outside "real" life.
"real" life is SO limiting. You can't do this without $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ Money.
what? oh? SO you are a fucking dictator.
I see.
You can't do this without permission? WHAT THE FUCK? Since when do I need your permission?
Nothing but power games. Some people think freedom is here.
Freedom isn't here. It isn't anywhere.
The prisoners of capitalism, democracy, communism, dictatorships, moderators, religion, etc.
Humans are prisoners of their own BRAIN.
Humans are bred to be authority driven. Its so easy to boss people around. Its not enough funny.
You are addicted to computer games? Oh, so?
Your addicted to "real" life. Your addicted to systems of slavery that have been here for at least 10 thousand years.
Your still addicted to food, air, sex, social gatherings, sleep, etc.
"real" life is slavery.
Games allow you to do what you want. Period.
Good or Evil becomes totally fulfilled.
In "real" life you have to fit in with the society. Be it cannibalism, stupid laws, stupid festivals, stupid mating games, etc.
Do you want to know the next "real" disasters?
Nuclear war is one of them.
Most of California will FALL into the ocean. lol. suckers.
Japan, New York, South Korea : ALL underwater. Gone. Obliterated.
War, Famine, Death, Plague : They will return with vengeance.
I forgot the superbugs. Heh heh. The weak will perish.
you want "real". You got it.
Lets see how you handle "real".
When these disasters become a reality, no one will say "I was right".
No one will be alive. rofl.
You can keep your "real" world.
I'm so glad Washington is on the soviets nuke target list. At least something good will happen.
ahhhh...no more white house. bwah hah hah.
Back to the topic :
addiction to computer games is far superior than addiction to the "real" world.
Freedom cannot be found when the chains of Man hold you down.
Freedom is not found in Man, homosapiens, etc.
Break free of the human brain.
FREEDOM!

Note : You are all slaves of space-time, matter, and this universe.

A prison you can see and taste and hear, yet are blind to it.

You accept this prison as "real".

Grow the fuck up.

Five human senses tell you everything ? Yeah, and ten fingers can hold 10000000000 tons without breaking.

Limited human intellect can tell you everything? Yeah, and I can make money on slashdot. LOL.

Let the flaming begin.

Assuming the ass moderators don't delete everything here. I wouldn't be surprised.

Censorship is rife throughout the world. Including the USA and Canada.

Freedom my ass.

Re:so? what else is there to do?

[Smordnys s'regrepsA]

You have a great point. People might actually listen, if you stop ranting for a second and say your views in a clear, concise manner.

That being said, I don't believe you deserve a negative score. I was forced to stop and think for a second.

Re:

[Turn-X Alphonse]

I'm very much with you on this, his point is pretty much how I feel about life, he's hit the nail on the head for me, but he's too ranty to get that point across without the anger drowning out his point.

That being said, the anger does add a nice "Fuck you world" edge to it no less.

Re:

[Anonymous Coward]

First, I would like to say that i liked your post.
However, while i agree with you about "real" life, I have to ask, computer games? For fuck's sake, 99% of them make you feel good because of a small sensory prize they give you for completing some task. You object to the limitations of the five senses, yet games are the greatest example of such, the fact that most games today try to improve their graphics rather than gameplay signifies my point. I mean, take your average strategy game, a simple set of rules,

Re:

[Hognoxious]

virutal sex

Should have worn a condom.

Re:

[thebigo195]

spoken like someone that hasn't gotten head in a while.

Re:so? what else is there to do?

[garompeta]

So here is the deal, we reinsert you in the matrix if you give us the codes of Zion...

Opiate of the masses

[stormguard2099]

... was the first phrase to come to mind from your description of gaming/internet. You complain about how messed up the "real" world is and since you don't like it you choose not to participate in it. It sounds like through your videogames you are completely trying to escape from this society and the "real" world. Unfortunately by not participating you are consenting to the will of the world and lose all of your voice.

My only thought is that maybe you should try and improve the "real" world so that it

Re:

[Indefinite, Ephemera]

I'm so glad Washington is on the soviets nuke target list. At least something good will happen.

Hmmm. A subtly hidden point about the side-effects of complete disconnection, or a sign that this was originally written quite a long time ago? Well, it's no less relevant now...

Re:

[tuomas_kaikkonen]

IF the government decides that the "internet addiction" poses too great risk to the functioning of the society, they will limit the usage and access to the "internet". That may be come in the form of taxes on equipment, making certain activities illegal, criminalizing the "internet cafes". But it is a long way. Did books ever get banned, because they can be addictive too, or movies? The key issue here is, does the addictive activity have big enough negative effect on the productivity of the citizens, or doe

Re:

[brkello]

I don't agree with everything you say. I think you make a few good points. But you come off as completely nuts the way you write your post. If you want to get your point across to other people than maybe you should calm down and speak rationally. Otherwise, "real life" people are going to think you need the help of a psychiatrist.

Re:

[GammaKitsune]

Unfortunately, the virtual world is presently controlled by the system. In essence, it's all dictated by what people want in "real life", and staying in a video game will only cause you to end up following the pack. If the cattle don't all come to graze at your virtual community of choice, it will all dry up, just like that, leaving you to follow them or lose your pasture. They make the rules, and any small respite from their tyranny will be wrested from your grasp in due time. There is no escape. If you wa

Does this mean I can use the Web to cure my...

[Tablizer]

...Korean addiction? [youtube.com].

Asia

[proudfoot]

Much of the reason Asia is obsessed with MMORPGs is because they provide a form of escape from everything. Students are pressured much harder to succeed there, and failure really isn't tolerated. As a result, children are disinclined to try new things, because they might not be very good at them.
The need for such treatment camps is perhaps symptomatic of this underlying issue - that, life is so dull/boring that a virtual world is far more entertaining. You can take risks their, and noone will think less of you for it. (Noone out of the game, at least)

Different from Vacation?

[ZeroNullVoid]

The only difference from this and going on a true vacation, is on a true vacation you usually are relaxed and get to enjoy life. With the rehab camp, it sounds like you will hate life and yourself. Vacations involve technology such as computers. True vacations may include conveniences, but should contain a void of computers, cell phones, or any other wide-scale communication device. You can have them, but only use them during extremes. Just my thoughts, although I do not feel I have had a true vacation

should be an easy job.

[427_ci_505]

The camps job should be pretty easy. Just provide the internet addicts with girlfriends. I'm completely serious here.

Re:

[wizardforce]

The camps job should be pretty easy. Just provide the internet addicts with girlfriends.

Of course once she finds a way to escape, the addiction will be back... A lot of people who are "addicted" to the internet don't really have any alternatives that they consider better than browsing the web except of course, finding people that understand them in real life. They'd do just as well fixing the problem by finding friends for addicts if nothing other than to hang out with and actually do something in real l

Re:

[Antique Geekmeister]

This helps fix the next generation: dating your average internet addicted geek will likely prevent such a girl (or boy, for that matter!) from ever wanting to have children.

Re:

[Renraku]

Personally, I wouldn't spend as much time on the internet if I had a girlfriend. Its not particularly difficult to get one, but society has taught most women that unless they're showered with compliments and gifts, then they should feel worthless. As a result, when someone with a little common sense who isn't desperate for sex starts hanging out with them, they get all offended and either put them squarely on the friend's list or stop talking to them altogether.

Combine this with the lack of real-life soci

Re:

[dintech]

society has taught most women that unless they're showered with compliments and gifts

Complements will come naturally when you genuinely appreciate someone. Also gifts don't need to be monetary - try running a bath or a massage. The best things in life are free, right?

Re:

[garompeta]

What was first the egg or the chicken? Well the answer to that is the same answer to your proposed solution. First, girls don't like an antisocial man, this is fundamental for survival in our species. We are programmed in that way deep in our dna, the more sociable we are the more chances of surviving in our society, paraphrasing to Darwin. Secondly, even the nicest and warm hearted girl may understand the lack of humor, but at least wants to have an interesting and intelligent conversation. Discussing abo

TCP/IP over drumming?

[Glowing Fish]

Some clever kid is going to figure out a way to get his drum to transmit information to a waiting microphone, that will encode the data and upload it to the internet.

Re:

[dan dan the dna man]

You are teh late [eagle.auc.ca] my friend :)

Seventeen hours a day?

[rice_burners_suck]

Seventeen hours a day? What the hell is wrong with that kid? Nobody should have to endure being away from the computer for the remaining seven hours.

Re:

[mdwh2]

Although note that seems to be a rather extreme example. What does the Korean Government consider addiction? From TFA:

They spend at least two hours a day online, usually playing games or chatting. Of those, up to a quarter million probably show signs of actual addiction, like an inability to stop themselves from using computers, rising levels of tolerance that drive them to seek ever longer sessions online, and withdrawal symptoms like anger and craving when prevented from logging on.

Well, it's probably bet

Treat the symptom, ignore the disease

[Opportunist]

As usual with addictions.

Folks, people don't get addicted because it's funny. People don't shoot heroin into their veins because it's such a swell feeling. Neither do people spend 24/7 on the internet because it's their kick.

In either case people get addicted because it's an escape from something. And unless that something is solved, they will eventually end up where they are now. You have to replace that addiction with something sensible. Now, what does that bootcamp offer? Drill sergeants and getting a kick in the nuts? Yeah, that's something I wouldn't wanna escape from.

Now, internet addiction is probably more of a problem than heroin addiction. Especially when it becomes a widespread phenomenon amongst youths. Generally, it means that there's not something wrong with them but with the world around them. My money would be on insane pressure to perform.

But to change that, we'd probably have to change society. And ... well, it's easier to just stuff those kids into boot camps. No solution, but gives us that fuzzy warm feeling we're "doing something".

Re:

[canuck57]

Internet addiction sure curred my TV addition. After too many years of TV, it sucks. I am much better off too. I want to change the channels, I can do it instantly. I read something I want to know more about, I can drill into it until satisfied. I can read others opinions, not just those from a government sponsored TV/radio station.

The real problem is parents are looking for government sponsored baby sitters to take care of rearing problems. The Internet will not fix dysfunctional upbringing but is a

Re:

[ceoyoyo]

Actually I rather thought people shot up heroin because it DOES feel good.

People get addicted to things for several different reasons. Some things (like heroin) are physically addictive. If you take someone with a completely fulfilling life and give them heroin or any of a number of other drugs including caffeine and nicotine, they'll get addicted.

Other addictions are psychological. That doesn't mean they're necessarily escaping from something. Exercise has some wonderful effects, including making you f

Re:

[another_twilight]

If you take someone with a completely fulfilling life and give them heroin or any of a number of other drugs including caffeine and nicotine, they'll get addicted.

Not necessarily.
see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rat_Park [wikipedia.org] (yes, I know, a wiki link, but it's the first I could find quickly)

Addictive behaviours provide something. Escapism is a big one, but things like web addictions and gaming can also be about feeling a sense of control where you feel powerless otherwise, or receive recognition and acc

Re:

[ceoyoyo]

Forgive me for being skeptical, but the guy wrote one paper which was not well received, lost his funding and the experiments were discontinued. On the other side is a LOT of careful research, including biochemical evidence, that some drugs are habit forming and cause physical changes in the brain.

Re:

[another_twilight]

Sorry If I have been unclear. I am not denying that they do.

But a person who is happy and generally well off is much less likely to find something (narcotics or an addictive behaviour) appealing enough to get to the point of biochemical change. It's for the same reason that successful rehabilitation programs stress the need of not merely adressing the physical dependency, but also attempting to help rebuild a successful life for the person.

Lock a subject in a box where their only escape or source of pleasur

That's not why people keep using heroin

[billstewart]

Most heroin addicts keep using it because withdrawal symptoms really suck, and taking more gets rid of the pain for a while.

People generally _start_ heroin because it feels good, or their friends tell them it's cool, or because they're stressed and it helps the stress, or because they're also using cocaine and it helps the jitters. But it doesn't take long at all to get addicted. An aquaintance of mine who was a writer found that the relaxation helped him with writers' block and also with coke jitters (

Yeah... right...

[denzacar]

From the TFA:

As a drill instructor barked orders, Chang-hoon and 17 other boys marched through a cold autumn rain to the obstacle course.
Wet and shivering, Chang-hoon began climbing the first obstacle, a telephone pole with small metal rungs.
At the top, he slowly stood up, legs quaking, arms outstretched for balance.
Below, the other boys held a safety rope attached to a harness on his chest.

"Do you have anything to tell your mother?" the drill instructor shouted from below.

"No!" he yelled back.

"Tell your mother you love her!" ordered the instructor.

"I love you, my parents!" he replied.

You see? The problem these kids have is really that when on the internetz they don't get to climb telephone polls shouting "Mom I love you!".
Riiight.
The problem, once again, is in the fact that kids, as they hit puberty, can't express their feelings of love towards their parents properly.
Not in the fact that it can be hard for a 50 kg teen to keep up with the pressure from peers and parents to be the coolest and best 24/7 IRL, while online they get to be who and what they want in 2 clicks of a

better, cheaper 'cure'?

[arclyte]

Wouldn't it be cheaper, and easier, just to get them laid? I mean, don't all the pron downloads go to show that we're only on the internet because we're not getting laid?

I'll start

[Dolphinzilla]

My names is Chris, and I am an Internet addict...

Do they really understand what they've labeled?

[darCness]

Ok, the headline says "web" addiction, but is that really accurate? The people who are addicted, what do they actually do online?

Read? Watch videos? Listen to music? Play games? Ok, let's say they spend 12 hours a day doing these things.

4 hours reading web sites
2 hours watching videos on Youtube
4 hours playing Counterstrike
2 hours listening to streaming music

Now, let's get rid of the Internet and say they did this instead:

4 hours reading books
2 hours watching a DVD
4 hours playing checkers
2 hours listening t

a wonderful place

[wikinerd]

The Internet (at least the one before the Eternal September) is such a wonderful place that being not addicted to it is incomprehensive.

What is a real solution?

[turing_m]

I'm addicted to the web. There are worse things I can addict myself to, and are more addictive than the web, primarily multiplayer FPS games. They tend to make me more aggressive and decrease my ability to concentrate, neither of which make my life "better" on average. Web surfing is better than that, but if I had better ability to control myself, I'd be more happy.

The curse of it is, I'm reasonably adept with computers, and I would say that I'd be more happier using them in work than not using them, being