China Facing Growing Web Addiction Problem

Internet addiction appears to be a large and growing problem in China. A PC World article reported that the number of young Chinese individuals addicted to the online world has jumped to 24 million last year.

This finding is from a survey by the China Youth Association for Network Development. They survey also highlighted that online games are targeted as the main cause of Internet obsession among adolescents in China, causing the state media to blame them for their contribution to problems such as teen pregnancy and violent crime.

The China Daily reported that the number of Web-addicted youths in the country has nearly doubled since 2005. These individuals also account for one in seven young Internet users and nearly half of all young people use the Web the play games.

An official with the youth association referred to the report as highlighting the worrying situation of the ever-growing number of young Internet addicts.

Parents and officials continue to worry about Internet addiction and it has fueled a boom in treatment centers throughout the country where parents send their children for rehabilitation that has been referred to boot-style type treatment centers.

The issue has gained national attention and sparked controversy when reports emerged last year that one center was using shock treatment on its subjects. This treatment was later banned by China.

Reports surrounding treatment also made reference to beatings at the treatment camp and specifically highlighted an instance where one boy was killed.

According to the latest statistics on the country, China has 384 million people in the country using the Web in the second half of 2009. With this figure, China has more Internet users than all of the people within the United States.