China’s Techno Boot Camps

09/20/2007

Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature – the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter.”
Rachel Carson

China's government, calling the Internet addiction among children under 18 “a grave social problem,” has, according to Asia Times (July 4, 2007; www.atimes.com/atimes/China/IG04Ad01.html), set up 8 “rehabilitation camps” around the country to address the special needs of juvenile Internet addicts. According to Asia Times...

“The majority of the patients are between 14 and 18 years old, although the youngest to have been treated at the center was 11. Ninety percent are male and most are addicted to online games, although Internet chat and online pornography and gambling have also been known to cause addictive behavior.

“The centers are part military boot camp, part hospital, and part juvenile detention center. Treatment consists of a mixture of psychological counseling, drugs, and enforced military-style discipline.... The treatment period can be tumultuous, since the majority of addicts are involuntarily committed by their parents. The dormitory areas are cordoned off with prison-style metal grilles and hefty padlocks....

“Critics have charged that this campaign meshes a bit too conveniently with China's broader efforts to control the Internet. Access to many major online international news sites is blocked in China, and an estimated 50,000 personnel are employed to monitor Internet traffic, censoring information that is deemed too politically sensitive by the government.”

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