From the “Don’t Give Them Any Ideas” Department…

The Chinese government has banned electro-shock therapy on Internet addicts in China, after reports reached the Ministry of Health in Beijing that an unqualified psychiatrist in Linyi, Shandong Province, administered electric currents to nearly 3,000 teenagers in an attempt to rid them of their heavy Internet using habits.

With nearly 300 million Internet users, China now leads the world in sheer numbers of people getting online, much to the consternation of the Chinese government, who has run an “anti-excessive use” campaign for more than a year.  In addition to China’s youth accessing the “wrong” kinds of websites, exposing them to “dangerous” sites containing criticism of the Chinese government, officials in Beijing also claim that heavy online usage damages youth studies and family life.

Reuters reported at least 200 Internet overuse “treatment centers” have sprung up in China recently to treat heavy downloaders.

The developer of the “electric impact therapy” is Doctor Yang Yongxin, also known as “Uncle Yang,” who runs a boot camp called the Internet Addiction Treatment Center at Linyi Mental Hospital, the China Youth Daily said.

Patients are given psychotropic drugs as well as electro-shocks, at a cost of 5,500 yuan (805 USD) a month.

Strictly trained in military ways and accompanied by their parents, the young patients are prohibited from outside contact.

Most of them were sent to the hospital by force, the China Youth Daily added.

Other stories of interest:

1. Sen. Sam Brownback: Cap ‘n Tier is Good for the Internet
2. The Daily Star (Oneonta, NY): Frontier To Limit Internet Usage
3. Damage Control Technique #1: Increase Speeds in San Antonio
4. KVUE Austin – The Internet Generation Confronts Usage Caps
5. Comcast Announces 250GB Monthly Cap On Broadband Users Effective October 1st