From Guardian Unlimited:
Shanghai has opened mainland China’s first shelter for internet addicts to help them bridge the gap between their virtual world and dysfunctional family homes.
The inauguration of the halfway house yesterday highlights growing government concerns about the explosive growth of the web in China, where one in eight young net users are reportedly addicted.
The aim is not to stop young people going online but to provide an alternative to gloomy cafes and an opportunity to discuss why they spend so much time in them. “None of the teenagers are forced to come here,” Wang Hui, the chief social worker at the house, told the Shanghai Daily. “We wander around in internet bars at night and bring them to the halfway house if the teen agrees.” [Full Text]
