When "Internet Addiction" Turns Deadly

August 4, 2009 at 7:18 am PT

So-called “Internet addiction” among Chinese youths has led to a proliferation of clinics around the country that claim to be able to treat the recently defined disorder.

On Monday, police in the south China city of Nanning said that a 16-year-old boy died in at a boot camp for Internet addicts after being beaten by supervisors, according to the Global Times, in what would be the first reported case of a death at a treatment facility for Internet addiction.

The three adults who beat the teenager have been detained by police, his father told the Global Times, and the boy’s family is also planning a protest at local government offices to demand a full investigation and immediate closure of the treatment facility.

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Tagged with: Boot Camp, China, China Journal, digital, frontpage, Global Times, Internet, Internet addiction, Nanning, Sky Canaves, The Wall Street Journal

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