How China Deals With The Epidemic Of Internet-Addicted Teens Is Kind Of Shocking | 7 Min. Documentary
https://withinreachglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/how-china-deals-1024x571.jpg 1024 571 Within Reach Global Within Reach Global https://withinreachglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/how-china-deals-1024x571.jpgIn 2008, China declared internet addiction to be a clinical disorder, saying it’s a top health threat to its teenagers.
“Some kids are so hooked on these games that they think taking a restroom break will affect their performance at these games. So they wear a diaper. That’s why we call it electronic heroin.” – Tao Ran, addiction specialist, director of Daxing center
The idea of treating a teen for an “addiction” to the Internet may seem a bit silly. But as this video shows, it goes way beyond some kid texting too much at dinner. Debilitating compulsive behavior can be destructive in whatever form it takes, even if it’s in digital form. But while the fact that China’s addressing the problem head-on seems like a good idea, the slightly barbaric and harsh way in which they’re going about it probably wouldn’t work too well in the U.S. (and it remains to be seen if it even works there).
“Since my son started playing online games, he changed to another person,” one mom said. “He became very cruel. I’ve tried many ways, but nothing helped. So we had to drug him with sleeping pills first to bring him here to the Internet Addiction Treatment Center.”
“This generation of Chinese youth has no shared struggle, no defining life and death experience. In spite of the attention and material prosperity these youth enjoy, this generation is perhaps the most alienated. Today’s youth describe themselves as increasingly distanced from their parents and teachers. Browbeaten by unrealistic pressures to succeed in a highly competitive society, many retreat to the security of internet chat rooms or spend hours playing online games with friends. While many in the church are today awakening to the need to reach out in new ways to youth, successful models for such ministry are hard to come by.” – China’s Next Generation
Please pray for the youth that we are reaching out to in China. They need to know the power of God, and understand that he is wildly in love with them.