Quebec researchers discover Net Addiction!
p2pnet news view | P2P:- “While compulsive gambling is only beginning to be addressed by mental health professionals, they must now face a new affliction:
“Internet addiction!”
That’s the conclusion of Canadian researchers.
But, wait! Aren’t scientists already studying a similar condition in the US?
“Researchers at America’s Stanford University have come up with another study which says spending too much time online can seriously affect your mental health,” said a p2pnet post two years ago, continuing:”Do you feel queasy if you can’t surf at will? Is checking your email frequently an essential part of your day? If you can’t cruise your favourite blogs, do you feel something’s gone wrong?
‘In other words, are you a Net Addict?”
China estimates it has, “about 15.4 million youths among its 123 million Internet users” and, “Two million of them are Internet addicts, and the number is increasing rapidly,” says Shanghai Daily.com.
That was in 2006 as well. So the country was considering amending its laws, “to encourage research and development of technology to stop minors from becoming Internet addicts”. And don’t the Chinese already used electroshock therapy on Net addicts?
“A 12-year-old boy receives electric shock treatment for his Internet addiction at the Beijing Military Region Central Hospital in Beijing Friday June 17, 2005,” said a p2pnet story in 2007.
‘The problem isn’t widespread’
But it doesn’t look as though the news has reached Montréal in Canada, yet.
“The problem isn’t widespread but we know of serious cases in which teenagers don’t leave the house, don’t have interpersonal relationships, and have been isolated in front of their computer screen for the past two or three years, and only speak in the language of the characters they play with in network video games,” says Louise Nadeau, a professor at the Université de Montréal’s Department of Psychology.
She’s the director of the new university institute on addiction created last year by the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux.
“The mandate of the institute is to conduct epidemiological studies on addiction, evaluate the services available to patients, guarantee state-of-the-art practices, and document new forms of addiction,” says a press statement.
“There is no lack of data on compulsive gambling and alcoholism” but, “there is a vacuum when it comes to Internet addiction,” it says, going on to quote Nadeu as stating unequivocally, “There is [sic] no reliable study or clinical data on the issue. We are starting from scratch.”
And to, “better communicate their findings the institute will use a knowledge broker.
Nadeau explains, “It’s like a journalist for a research team but the public is made up of clinicians. The broker must communicate the data in accessible terms and make sure it is targeted to the needs of practitioners.”
Wonder how much the institute costs the citizens of Quebec?
But since since it’s looking for new forms of addictions, here’s one.
The entertainment cartels, led principally by the Big 4 organized music labels, Vivendi Universal, EMI, Warner Music and Sony BMG, have become seriously addicted to suing their own customers. This leads to intractable and ongoing pain for thousands of people around the world, including young children.
Surely that’d be worth a grant or ten?
(Thanks, Maisie)
p2pnet – Stanford ‘Net addict’ study, October 19, 2006
press statement – A new addiction: Internet junkies, September 8, 2008
Shanghai Daily.com – Technology to prevent Net addiction considered, October 28, 2006
p2pnet – Shocking China ‘Net addict’ cure, February 23, 2007
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