On the one hand, the Chinese government commends information technology for contributing to China's modernization. Yet, on the other, the government views the internet as somewhat of a threat. As outlined in a previous bigmouthmedia article, the country's government briefly banned Google from its nation's network in 2002 - only to strike a compromise with the search engine company to implement web censorship in accordance with Chinese law. This was done to avert the possibility of 'too much information' being relayed to the Chinese people - information which holds the potential to nurture any future challenge the government style or leadership.
But, even with heavy censorship, China's 120-million user internet industry continues to boom; in fact, somewhat of an 'obsession' has been developing in the country for some time. Gau Tier Juan, Director of the Shanghai Internet Addiction Research Centre, stated that:
"Within the last ten years, China has become...the country with the most serious Internet addiction [and] it is becoming worse."
It has been estimated that one in eight users in China is psychologically dependent on the internet, but statistics also show that young people are the primary constituents of this pool, with over 13% currently addicted to the online world.
Authorities and institutions are taking action to address the growing problem. To help remedy student addiction, one university in China banned broadband in dormitories, while another even prohibited first-year students from bringing their laptops in.
Last year, an internet addiction clinic opened in Beijing, and there are currently shelters and community centres in Shanghai which offer short-term stay for people who would otherwise spend their nights in all-night internet cafes. Psychologists and social workers even regularly frequent internet cafes late at night in attempts to convince young people to go home. One 'Net patient' at the clinic in Beijing stated: "I can't leave the internet. I live in a virtual world. It's like my life...a kind of life that's made me lose confidence". Another patient recalled that, "I had no way to solve my problems, and no place to release myself, so I went online". There have even been suicide attempts made by serious addicts who were cut off from the internet. Yet, while the clinic in Beijing claims to cure eighty per cent of its patients, one day's treatment costs a quarter of the average Beijing monthly salary - meaning that not many are able to afford it.
While China came to embrace the internet much later than Western countries, internet usage today is unbelievably high in relation. In fact, China boasts the world's second largest internet industry behind the United States. Gau Tier Juan thinks that Asian cultural values play a significant role in this growth and newly formed addiction, stating that:
"In Western countries, the cultural background is generally more open and children are more independent. The relationship between parents and children, or between teachers and students is better [with] more respect towards human rights and individuality."
Mr Tier Juan believes that the country's addiction is fixed in poor social relationships.
While many countries in the world have experienced the friendly 'invasion' of the internet, China may soon have to put up its guard if it does not take control of this 'addiction.' Juan says that a solution lies in a number of steps; but that among these, it is imperative for parents to teach their children self-discipline and, above all, to provide a healthy atmosphere for personal growth and development.
