Source: Tom's Guide US | Keywords: Internet, Addiction, Bootcamp, Washington, eStart | Themes: The Internet, Smartphones, Laptops and Notebooks, Digital Entertainment, Desktop Computers
An Internet detox center has established itself right down the road from Microsoft.
If memory serves correct, the last article describing an Internet bootcamp of sorts reported that one of its enlisted "addicts" checked in alive and wound up beaten to death. Granted this incident took place in China, the thought of any need for a bootcamp or "detox" center seems a bit outlandish. Yet when World of Warcraft consumes gamers or cellphone owners are spending more time texting than actually talking, the term "Internet addiction" comes into play.
TechFlash leads to an announcement that an actual Internet "detox" center has established itself in Fall City, Washington, just miles away from Microsoft's main headquarters. The 45-day program itself is called the reStart Internet Addiction Recovery Program, and costs a whopping $14,500 that supposedly helps Internet and video game "addicts overcome their dependence on gaming, gambling, chatting, texting and other aspects of Internet Addiction."
According to the reStart press release, 5 to 10-percent of the online population is dependent on one or more aspects of cyber technology and the Internet. Gamers are apparently the biggest addicts of them all, playing life-leeching titles such as World of Warcraft, Age of Conan, and other involved MMORPGs. The press release also points out that both China and South Korea have already established similar Internet bootcamp programs, and slates Internet addiction as a #1 public health danger.
"The mission of this innovative program is to help adults, addicted to video games and the internet, detach from their high-tech distractions, find balance, and reconnect to the real world," the press release stated.
To find out if you need these "detox" services, check out this questionnaire. Three or four positive responses indicate Internet abuse; five responses suggest an addiction. While my wife passed the inspection with flying colors, evidently I will die from Internet addiction any minute now, as I agreed with every sign and symptom listed. Yikes.
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It costs over 14 grand?! That's more damaging than the actual gaming addiction.
Screw the detox. I rather spend that money toward a new car, or a a great vacation with my family.
Society itself is dependent on technology and the internet, so by reStart's definition we're all addicted.
Hey guys, if you give me a mere 12 grand, I could lock you in a room for a few weeks until you're cured.
I play Age of Conan, nice to see them getting some press here
any 'Internet' addict just needs something more interesting to do.. like a hobby. wow addiction is slightly different
All you need is a nice cabin in rural America. A few weeks on dial-up would cure them.
Chatting with your friends via text message is considered an internet addiction? This is a bad thing? "Stop talking to your friends so often." What does "actually talking" mean?
Please spend $14,500 so we can cure you of the problem you have of chatting with your friends too often.
So based on their own definition of what a addiction is, any hobby is a addiction. So watching TV, reading books, driving, and even work is a addiction.
Rofl... Please everyone, LAUGH AT THEM!
I'm sorry, but I see nothing wrong with "large" amounts of time spent on the internet. By large I mean enough that you could be called a bit of a nerd, but nowhere near quit-your-job amounts.
Instead of going somewhere with friends, you can sit around and relax. Same interactions you'd have on a golf course, just without the club or the bill. That's not to say you should completely replace it, but that it's not a bad alternative. You can talk to strangers and meet new people just like at the mall. Sure there are the jerks, but so-what? On the internet you have the shield of anonymity, meaning you're much more likely to act like your true-self. They might not act like that at the mall, but if they're like that deep-down do you want to be friends with them anyway? People on the internet exist without age, skin color, nationality, or religion. You're judged by your words and actions, not stereotypical bias. Is the internet really such a bad thing to be addicted to?
I mean there IS a difference between text and using the web all the time, and playing a MMO so much because you have a addictive personality and/or weak willpower.
Bah, like I said, LAUGH AT THEM. This is riduclous. I mean over $14,000. WTF, I can understand spending that much for gambling, but gaming and text? Wow, that would be half to a quarter of the average's American yearly salary probably right there. Yea it's SOOO worth it to stop my "gaming addiction."
So watching TV, reading books, driving, and even work is a addiction.
Yeah, in that case I sure know a lot of addicts. Count me in too.
My wife used to give me crap sometimes about always being on the computer. I told her it's no different than somebody who comes home and sits in front of the TV all evening (like her parents, or her for that matter), it's just that I don't like much of the junk that's on TV anymore. On the net I can check out things that I actually have an interest in, on TV I have to wait and hope somebody puts something on the air that is interesting enough to suffer through. Also I can watch TV on my computer any time I want, so if it wasn't for my TV watching wife I would tell the cable company to piss off in a second.
I play Age of Conan, nice to see them getting some press here
+1
How will they "cure" the other 95% (online porn addicts)? Castration camp? Eunuchs for dummies?
May be I spend to much time reading articles and comments on this site.
Like anything else, moderation is the key. If other aspects of your personal life are suffering due to too much time on the PC, then you probably need to make some changes. I agree with FSXFan, though. It's really no different than sitting in front of the TV. After working all day and doing my workout, I find it relaxing to come home and browse some interesting web sites. It also depends on the individual. When I was single, I would think nothing of spending the entire weekend playing Diablo 2, eating and going out to the clubs.
This guy got his PHd for a Devry Reject School. 14.5K... I think if you go here and pay that, it shows you addicted to stupidity.
W00t 4 yes's I'll save thousands....
Yeah, $14K to beat an addiction that costs less than $100 month ($50 to $60 for Internet access, $16 for MMORPG access, plus a little left over for misc Internet expenses). Assuming you don't give up the Internet entirely, but just the gaming addiction, then you'd save around $200 a year. So in just 70 years, the camp will have paid for itself!
Seriously, though. If they think people are addicted now, just wait until we have some sort of direct neural interface with full sensory feedback. You really will have people plugging in and never coming back to reality.
I was addicted for a while to EVE Online and then Perfect World. But as soon as I hit a major accomplishment (in EVE it was getting a battleship, in PW the level 60 TT weapon), I suddenly got tired of playing. I think the accomplishment made me realize that the game was never going to end, and that made me so apathetic about the game that I quit. I believe in some places like Japan they call this May-sickness, but in this case I guess you could call it a cure? In any case I saved myself a buttload of money, $14,500? Yeah right.
Sure I get pale, shaky and can't eat when I've been away from Tom's for too long, but that's just a physiological reaction man. Besides it isn't like its really addictive, I just use it recreationally anyway. I'm sure I'm not not addicted. I can stop whenever I want. It isn't a problem... No really I could stop right now - I just don't want to.
^_^
I scored 6 on the test