Internet addiction defined in China, entire Engadget staff now officially certifiable

While American psychiatrists continue to debate whether an unhealthy affinity for all things online is really an illness or just a passing fancy, their Chinese counterparts have made up their minds. After creating halfway-houses and clinics to wean netizens off of their dependency, doctors there have now drafted an official classification of internet addiction for people who spend six hours or more online daily. The affliction's symptoms include poor sleep, irritability, mental distress, and (surprise, surprise) a "yearning to be online" -- a condition that we typically call "visiting the in-laws." We're not entirely sure if this means that Chinese physicians can now subject anyone who is symptomatic to mandated shock therapy, but we've gone ahead and indefinitely postponed our 2009 Shanghai meet up just to be safe.

[Shinigami @ Nov 10th 2008 9:17AM]

I'm addicted to life but cure is bad for health...

[E71 @ Nov 10th 2008 9:29AM]

In mother Russia, Internet addicted to you.

[ybd @ Nov 10th 2008 10:06AM]

Wow. You guys are horribly unfunny.

[Shinigami @ Nov 10th 2008 11:01AM]

Its not funny, its sad. If you are reading this post, most likely you're an addict...

[Erb @ Nov 10th 2008 9:18AM]

Im'a PC and I'm an addict.

[John @ Nov 10th 2008 9:29AM]

I can't believe my mom posted that picture of me on the internet!

[Matthew Hilario @ Nov 10th 2008 12:00PM]

I know omg we didn't even finish the raid!

[Deeznuts420 @ Nov 10th 2008 9:19AM]

you know youre addicted when u tell your friends el oh el when you laugh.

[Hashbrown Hunter @ Nov 10th 2008 10:39AM]

You know you're addicted when you kill that friend you know that says el oh el when you laugh

[macfly @ Nov 10th 2008 11:25AM]

You know you're getting old when you need to go to urbandictionary.com to find out what the hell el oh el means!

[joe23521 @ Nov 10th 2008 12:20PM]

You know you're just pretending to be old when you actually know about urbandictionary.com.

[macfly @ Nov 11th 2008 5:08AM]

joe23521: at 39, i'm too old to know "el oh el" but young enough to know how to google "el oh el" ;-)

[Cole Mitguard @ Nov 10th 2008 9:19AM]

I think that there might be some credibility to an internet addiction. The way people grip there phones, checking their e-mail every two seconds, always needing to go on engadget to see whats new, aimlessly looking at youtube during class, and updating your facebook status every hour on the hour so all your friends who do the same thing know how you are feeling... wait... that's me, haha.

But, its going to be this generation that is going to pioneer the new fields of psychiatry that are sure to open due to excess stimulus and constant needing to be connected to "The Web". Haha... maybe I should change my major.. Psychiatry is starting to have promising job security looking at it like that...

[Valicore @ Nov 10th 2008 4:29PM]

Dude, I don't care if we go back to farming potatoes, there will ALWAYS be a need for psychologists and psychiatrists.

[Keroro @ Nov 10th 2008 9:21AM]

What a joke, I must be at least double internet addicted.

[joe23521 @ Nov 10th 2008 9:38AM]

I would have to think that the six hours they talk about must happen outside of your professional work.

[Joe Anstine @ Nov 10th 2008 9:22AM]

I would say online addiction applies more to playing online games more than it does surfing the web; surfing the web reading things and watching videos is the same as reading something on paper or watching TV so its not a new addiction; its basically the same except you are craning your neck and staring at a small monitor (or big one, depending) instead of a piece of paper or television screen. Hell, I'm laying down in bed as I write this, so I would say that Psyc majors are idiots....oh wait, off track there a bit

[GenBanks @ Nov 10th 2008 9:29AM]

I find the internet more addicting than any of the games I play... I considered giving up gaming for a while, but then I realised all the procrastination I do is on the internet. Gaming hardly ever interferes with work since I never feel right playing games when there's an immediate assignment to complete.

Case in point is right now... I'm doing an essay right now and procrastinating on engadget/youtube/forums/gamingsites/techsites/shoppingsites/facebook etc etc

[thedesolate1 @ Nov 10th 2008 10:18AM]

Have you ever seen some1 go through World of Warcraft withdrawal? Its a scary sight... I have played all kinds of RPG's but that is 1 mofo I would never go near...

[John @ Nov 10th 2008 10:18AM]

An information addiction is much worse, IMO (and usually why I can never get anything done when my iGoogle is my homepage). Once you finish reading a newspaper, that's it for the day. TV broadcasts hardly ever cover more than 3 stories at a time (they just keep repeating the same information over and over while trickling in developments). Chances are, if I hit refresh on my RSS feeds, something new will come in for my brain to devour.

And let's not get into the second part of the addiction, where I post the article to my tumblr and then right a short commentary on it. Followed by the twitter/pownce posts...on and on and on....

[Aaron P @ Nov 10th 2008 12:31PM]

@genbanks

I know what you mean.

I'm putting off a bunch of work right now, but I didn't feel right running around in WoW.

Yet here I am, procrastinating on engadget.

[MadMike @ Nov 10th 2008 9:30AM]

I love that picture!

[From My Cube @ Nov 10th 2008 9:46AM]

finally, Parents who know how to handle their kids

[Dr Shock @ Nov 10th 2008 9:40AM]

Don't worry guys seems to be a "local"problem: censorship and/or upcoming technology possibilities.
See also: http://tinyurl.com/5kprnf

[)law( @ Nov 10th 2008 9:33AM]

I blame the pr0n but then again who can't resist. Love hate releashonship

[chrisp @ Nov 10th 2008 9:35AM]

chrisp: Hi my name is chrisp and i'm an internet addict!
bambie_PlaTinum: LOL
MR3dwards: N00b
DragonnZ: Your mothers an internet addic
chrisp: screw you guys, im going to my home page...
DragonnZ: Your mothers a home page
bambie_PlaTinum: LOL

[Luigi193 @ Nov 10th 2008 11:23AM]

fanboiz: FIRST!

[thedesolate1 @ Nov 10th 2008 9:36AM]

In communist China internet owns you.

[htd @ Nov 10th 2008 9:40AM]

you mean china in early capitalism?

[nic @ Nov 10th 2008 10:13AM]

actually, the Chinese economy is in the early stages of capitalism, but the government is still a communist regime. Economic structure and government are not the same thing, though they do tend to work better when they aren't constantly at odds.

[r3loaded @ Nov 10th 2008 10:16AM]

Depends where in China you are. Apparently, it's more difficult for someone in central China to get to Beijing than it is for a foreigner to fly in.....

[thedesolate1 @ Nov 10th 2008 10:20AM]

http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/08/11/todays-china-communist-millionaires-kissing-contests-and-oh-yes-the-olympics/

[BigD145 @ Nov 10th 2008 12:29PM]

Communism is an economic system. China is Capitalist. No country on this planet has every been truly Communist.

[Adderz @ Nov 10th 2008 9:54AM]

Wait i think they fail to understand that its simply a means of entertainment.

Im guilty of spending over 6 hours on the internet, but i do not watch tv so does that count?

Its also a means of social interactivity,

I think its this "addiction" is doing is giving doctors and psychiatrists a future. Just like every second kid who walks in the door suspiciously has ADHD.

[Adderz @ Nov 10th 2008 10:00AM]

god damn engadget comment system. seriously Engadget this is you Achilles Heel. FIX IT.

[Ken @ Nov 10th 2008 11:04AM]

Really? Is posting a comment that hard?

[Adderz @ Nov 10th 2008 11:29AM]

No its the fact you cant edit your post, its the fact it takes a long time to show up, its the fact that you cant log in and STAY logged in and its the fact that you cant check your past comments without MUCH heartache.

[Lowest Ranked @ Nov 10th 2008 12:44PM]

Amen.

[Adderz @ Nov 10th 2008 9:51AM]

I think they fail to understand that computers are means of entertainment and social interactivity.

Im guilty of spending over 6 hours on the computer but i dont watch tv. Are they saying that if i spend 4 hours in front of the tv and 4 infront of the computer thats ok?

I think all they are doing is giving the drug and psychiatry industries a future. Just like how every second kid who walks in the office has ADHD and has to be drugged up to the teeth.

[bureX @ Nov 10th 2008 9:55AM]

A "yearning to be online"? About a year ago, when a school friend of mine still didn't have access to the Internet, I had to drive all the way across town just to grab a few papers to copy. I yearned for a freakin' dial-up connection at that time, I'll tell you that, since the "addictive" alternative would include only a few clicks of a mouse to get the job done! Face it, the Internet is a part of our lives, and in this world, people actually choose what content to view instead of being spoon-fed information by newspaper, radio and TV. Also, they can contribute to the global web by themselves - something that was rarely feasible before! Oh, the agony of it all!

Sure, anti-social behavior driven by social websites, instant messaging or by playing MMORPGs is present in some form or the other, but that doesn't mean you should create a stereotype of the Internet because of it. Browsing Wikipedia for 6 hour vs. watching mudkip clips on YouTube for 3 hours - the first is called internet addiction, and the second one is perfectly normal? I don't think so.

China is yet again looking for another excuse to control it's people, since we know that those "doctors" who created this definition are most probably respectful party members.

[Cybergypsy @ Nov 10th 2008 10:07AM]

We all are addicts :)

[nathan.wong @ Nov 10th 2008 10:12AM]

I love the picture they chose for this article.

[Shinigami @ Nov 10th 2008 10:49AM]

I can classify money addiction for doctors now: its ability to find an illness in a totally healthy human, and find a cure for it too, the one that never completely cures the human but requires constant treatment.

Just ignore them. They always did this kind of thing. Because everyone is sick and needs treatment.

[Neolight @ Nov 10th 2008 11:05AM]

HA HA HA I love you guys! You understand me! Shock therapy?!? Hey I can just about reach the power outlet from here with my pinky, of course while never letting go of my mouse.....

http://chinesezodiacmarriagecombinations.com
http://badgerhairshavingbrush.com

[Unique Gift Ideas @ Nov 10th 2008 11:08AM]

Is the internet in China that much better than it is here? It must be if they are having to create half-way houses in order to treat internet addiction.

[Lowest Ranked @ Nov 10th 2008 12:47PM]

Its a well known fact that China's internet is the Super Deluxe edition Volume XIV......... 3.1




Professional.




With SP6.

[Magallanes @ Nov 10th 2008 11:51AM]

"who spend six hours or more online daily"

In China it is called "addiction", the rest of the world call it as "job".

[Alex @ Nov 10th 2008 9:35PM]

I believe the 6 hours is counted as hours gameing, watching youtube, etc, outside one's profession

[Chris @ Nov 10th 2008 11:54AM]

Haha I love the pic attached to this article! =)

[BigD145 @ Nov 10th 2008 12:30PM]

Shock therapy can make people insane. Is this really what they want to do?