- Sunday, 12 July 2009
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Intel can't compete with charcoal - Bob Colwell, former Intel chief architect
South Korea puts boot to cyberspace addiction
OK, IF YOU'RE reading this one you probably have it. Cyberspace addiction, that is! So quick, get your airline ticket to South Korea and enter the Jump Up Internet Rescue School. There, you will learn to get up from your keyboard by going “through military-style obstacle courses," where counselors lead group sessions, and ... "even therapeutic workshops on pottery and drumming” says the International Herald Tribune.
INQminds have a simpler and less expensive suggestion: take a long walk around your local neighbourhood.
South Korea appears to be breaking addictive behaviour pattern with lots of regimented drills. They are a major part of what the South Korean boot camp is suggesting you do. South Korea has a checklist for diagnosing the addiction and its severity called the K-scale (K for Korea). The government claims 2.4 million people under 18 in South Korea are at risk (We're all doomed – Ed).
More young men all over the world would have this addiction if their local ISP worked as fast as the average South Korean high-speed broadband. Ninety percent of the country has blazingly fast, 3-megabits-per-second broadband at home, and similarly high-speed wireless connections on the road. Much faster than the Turks think USA's broadband is capable of. The telecom market in korea is fiercely competitive, and broadband service costs the Korean consumer less than $20 a month.
The South Korean government is such a believer in its fix for this addiction that it has built a network of 140 Internet-addiction counseling centres along with treatment programs at over 100 hospitals. Obviously there is either a problem or a booming business model was sold to the public. American youth Boot Camps have a rather poor track record for assisting anybody. Do the Koreans have a better plan? µ
See Also
China
weans teens off the Interweb
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I wonder if this checklist is like our governments checklists.

i.e. if you have two pints after work your an alcoholic, because you have more than 10 units a week.

or if you drink more than 4 pints (in one night) you're a binge drinker (if i only drank 4 pints in 1 night i'd be home by 8pm)
The fact people have become a bit glued to computer monitors is not due to addiction, it is due to reliance.

Some people work with computers, they shop with them, check mail, read news, schedual meetings, play, meet like minded people, watch pay per view, check sports statistics, download music, order a custom super camp cover for their mobiles, anonymously shop for things they would be embarraced to buy in a store, post a zillion pictures that no one cares to see on MyFart etc etc....and many many more uses.

If a cigarette could give you all that without the nicotine, would you still call it an addiction?

Honestly, should we sue PC makers and the internet governing bodies for being too useful?

P.S.
Don't blame the PC, it does what its told...the fault is on you. Blame yourself, bury that feeling deep deep inside and become a miserable recluse, goodluck.
Wow Internet addicts.....
to some degree almost all of West civ is an internet addict.
We rely on the internet for so much, can I live with out it.... yes....have I before...yes...
addicted? no
would I rather live with or without it?

With...but a break from connectivity for a week or three a year is quite relaxing.
so take a vacation.
don't pay for therapy.
Thanks, John. 
Now I'll go do the dishes.
Hi , I wake up to the inquirer everyday and I like it that it brings humour as well as news with it.

Anyway , most of the terminology you use I have come acustomed to and some I am still learning . Then yesterday I quoted a reference from your website as I normally do on other websites and they started to flame your website for it because it was about AMD being refered as DAAMIT which I thought ws what they were called .LOL.

Then I checked on wiki :-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Inquirer

Anyway , I love your articles , keep it up guys
Having walks in my neighborhood only makes me run to my comfy house and computer even more.
But I'm in an EU city.
(EU people will know enough)
And it's wintry
Comprehensive resources for those looking for recovery from addiction. <a href="http://www.addictionrecovery.net">http://www.addictionrecovery.net</a>
I have gone through your article which is forced me to think a while..internet addiction is really bad for the elementary students..everything have limits and have to be under control.. article is really truthful.thanking you for a such awareness..
--------------------------
karmath
Addiction treatment and recovery resources for the addict and their families. 
http://www.addictiontreatment.net
more than one out of eight Americans exhibited at least one possible sign of problematic Internet use. The findings are consistent with results from previous, less rigorous studies that found a significant number of the population could be suffering from some form of Internet addiction.
http://de-adiction.blogspot.com