China Prohibits Physically Punishing Internet Addicts

by Yuliya Talmazan | November 5, 2009 at 05:17 pm

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The government of China has banned physical punishment for Internet addicts. China is experiencing a growing number of Internet addicts, especially among younger children. But, the kind of rehab Internet fanatics are getting in China is very different to that in North America. While Internet addicts here are gradually disengaged from their activities on the Internet, people addicted to Internet in China are physically punished.

"When intervening to prevent improper use of the Internet, we should ... strictly prohibit restriction of personal freedom and physical punishments," the ministry said in a draft guideline for Internet use by minors, posted on its website (www.moh.gov.cn).

Many of the camps are imbued with a military atmosphere. Patients are forced to replace hours in front of the computer with arduous physical drills or even more extreme "treatments".

Just recently, the CEO of Google Eric Schmidt has said during a conference that in a five years time, Internet will be dominant by Chinese language. China has over 300 million Internet users.

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