China Bans Physical Punishment for Internet Addicts
The Chinese government has banned the use of any physical punishment in Chinese internet addiction clinics:
Many of the camps are imbued with a military atmosphere. Patients are forced to replace hours in front of the computer with arduous physical drills or even more extreme “treatments”.
“When intervening to prevent improper use of the internet, we should … strictly prohibit restriction of personal freedom and physical punishments,” the ministry said in a draft guideline for internet use by minors… The latest guidelines suggest officials in Beijing do not think that those with unhealthy internet habits should be forced offline permanently.
“The goal of intervention is … to urge the target people to use the Internet in a healthy way,” the guideline said. “It’s not to stop them from using the Internet.”
See also past posts on internet addiction.
