Web detox centre opens in USA

Is internet addiction real?

20 August 2009 17:56 GMT / By Duncan Geere

An internet addiction centre has opened a few miles away from Microsoft's international headquarters in the USA, hoping to "help internet and video game addicts overcome their dependence on gaming, gambling, chatting, texting and other aspects of Internet Addiction".

We're not convinced that whoever runs the program knows much about the web, especially if "texting" falls under their definition of internet addiction, but the centre claims that ten percent of the online population has an addiction to the web.

It's offering a 45-day program, which will set you back $14,500 - about £8,795. During that time, residents get to explore the 5-acre grounds and take in "discovery quest live coaching", "life skills exposure coaching" and "evening reflections".

One poor (unnamed) kid from Iowa who was playing a bit too much WoW was enrolled by his parents, and said: "I'd have all these rationalizations of, well, it's not a big deal to just miss this one class". If you're worried about a partner, or even yourself, then the centre has a questionnaire linked below to test whether you have an internet addiction.

We took the test, and we're hopelessly addicted.

Via: techflash.com

Full tags

Software, Online, reStart Internet Addiction Recovery Program