Internet addiction among minors has long been recognized as a social problem in China. But some adults may find it hard to control their net surfing desires too. Do you have a friend who hangs out at internet cafes way too much? How can we prevent ourselves from going online too much?
Our feature correspondent Michael Lee tells us more.
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Internet Addiction Disorder has long been recognized as a social problem. The first person to coin the phrase is an American psychologist.
According to psychological counselor Li Jianling from the Yang Guang Hua Ren Psychological Service, if you have the following symptoms, it is likely that internet addiction has begun to infiltrate your life.
"Internet hypes loose track of time, and spend less and less time on meals at home or at work. They are used to eating in front of a computer screen. Also, they deny spending too much time on the net. They can't help logging online when already busy at work, and they sneak online when family members aren't at home, with a sense of relief."
It's a common known fact that internet addiction can have a devastating effect on peoples' health and social lives. Adults may lose the most important years for their career development and students may waste too much of their youth in front of a computer screen.
But why is internet addiction so prominent in China? Li Jianling explains:
"Most minors who were born in the late 1970's or 80's lack father figures, because that is the time Chinese society began making big changes. Economic development resulted in many single parent households. Actually a father's love symbolizes safety and respect. Lacking a father figure makes some kids indulge in cyber games."
Li Jianling adds that many youth are the only child in their families. They don't have enough chance to associate with parents and relatives.
Also, the lack of activities for adults can lead to internet addiction. When people grow up, if they don't spend time on sports or other positive interests they often turn to the internet to kill time.
How do we deal with this problem? Li Jianling says associating more with family, friends and nature can really help internet addicts kick the habit. Everyone understands that parents nowadays are busy, but if they just spend more time communicating with their kids, they can help avoid their children from becoming addicted to the internet. But more than this, all of society should become concerned about the negative sides of the internet.
"Thoroughly eradicating the problem of internet addiction involves many branches of society. We need more positive cultural products, we need to communicate with others more in the real world, and we also need to think about balancing economic prosperity with the futures of our kids."
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Director: Liu Chi