China: A youth beaten to death because of Internet addiction

Last month, the Chinese Ministry of Health announced that electroshock treatment for “internet addiction” should be suspended. However, it doesn't mean that clinic for treating “Internet addiction” has given up the use of torture.

Recently in Aug 03, a 16-year-old male student, surnamed Deng, was beaten to death in a “youth center” at Pangyu, Guangzhou. According to news report, Deng was sent to and locked up at the youth center in the afternoon on 1st of August. By 3 a.m, he was certified dead by local health authority. Several trainers from the youth center were arrested and charged for beating Deng to death.

The report also mentioned that Deng parent had paid RMB 7000 yuans to the center for one month's service for “helping their children to build confidence and get rid of bad habit”, in this case, Internet addiction. The center was run like a prison house and all the children there were under 24 hours strict monitor. The contract said that the center “would not exclude the use of suffering and punishment in order to educate the children. But the measure would not be harmful to the children's health.”

There are more than 300 clinics over China for treating Internet addiction. Even though the inhumane method of electroshock has been banned, there will be other forms of torture for “curing” web addiction given the existence of such “huge market”.

According to statistic, there are now 338 million Internet users in China, and among them 160 millions are youth, and 10% of which is defined as Internet addict.

Related article at GVA.

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