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China Bans Shock Treatment For Internet Addiction

Posted by samzenpus on from the just-put-down-the-mouse dept.

angry tapir writes "China has banned the use of shock therapy to treat Internet addiction after its use at one hospital sparked nationwide controversy. The hospital drew wide media coverage in recent months after Internet users claiming to have received the treatment wrote in blogs and forums about being tied down and subjected to shocks for 30 minutes at a time."

14 of 113 comments (clear)

  1. Damn it by MyLongNickName · · Score: 5, Funny

    Nothing gave me more pleasure that thinking of WOW power levelers with electrodes attached to various body parts.

    --
    See my journal for slashdot ID's by year. Mine created in 2005. http://slashdot.org/journal/289875/slashdot-ids-by-year
    1. Re:Damn it by Cornflake917 · · Score: 5, Funny

      Really? You are weird.

      --
      Abaddon: An Xbox 360 Indie game
  2. pic by Canazza · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Honestly, this seems like another human rights abuse... people should have the right to choose if they want to go through shock therapy!

    but did we really require the big pic there?

    --
    It pays to be obvious, especially if you have a reputation for being subtle.
    1. Re:pic by Hope+Thelps · · Score: 5, Funny

      Honestly, this seems like another human rights abuse... people should have the right to choose if they want to go through shock therapy!

      The right to an informed choice. But can someone in the throes of internet addiction really be said to be making a choice? This is why we keep shocking 'em until they consent to it. That's the begining of the path to recovery.

      --
      To summarise the summary of the summary: people are a problem. ~ h2g2
    2. Re:pic by Psyborgue · · Score: 3, Insightful

      You're modded funny by some people actually think that way, and not just about internet addiction, but pretty much anything deemed "undesireable" by society at large. Nails that stick out get nailed down, as they say... so be a good polite model citizen and you won't get "re-educated". This is hardly unique to china. Forced treatment exists in the US too, especially with teenagers.

  3. Oh, I get it "sparked controversy" by dmomo · · Score: 3, Insightful

    In other news... "Internet addicts treated with electricity". The real story here is that this is there to be banned in the first place.

    1. Re:Oh, I get it "sparked controversy" by NotBornYesterday · · Score: 3, Funny

      Those bastards. Now how the hell am I supposed support my electroshock addiction?

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      I prefer rogues to imbeciles because they sometimes take a rest.
  4. Re:Chinese "Nationwide Controversy?" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Does China even have such a thing as "nationwide controvery"?

    Yes.

    Or is the "nation" here the United States? Or maybe Canada?

    No. It means China. You ought to get out more - there's a whole world out here. We have controversies and everything.

  5. Re:Chinese "Nationwide Controversy?" by maeka · · Score: 5, Informative

    Does China even have such a thing as "nationwide controvery"? Or is the "nation" here the United States? Or maybe Canada?

    I'll chalk this one up to western ignorance over how much the Chinese public actually knows, not blatant bias.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Chinese_milk_scandal#Chinese_public

  6. Quacks by Demonantis · · Score: 3, Informative

    That is not shock treatment. The currently accepted method of shock therapy is designed to treat epilepsy. They were using it for negative reinforcement. Its just as effective as torturing someone. This is definitely a human rights violation and the genius behind this should be punished.

    1. Re:Quacks by Psyborgue · · Score: 3, Interesting

      It's currently going onin the United States and nobody is getting punished. It's "aversion therapy". This article on the Judge Rotenberg Center will make you wretch, i guarantee.

  7. Re:Reminds me of the scene from Ghostbusters.... by Utini420 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Everyone brings up that scene as if Vaikman was messing up his experiment just to flirt with the chick, but that ignores his true brilliance. Sure, he fudges the test for her -- she clearly is not psychic, she's just there as a control, so it really doesn't matter if she ever gets shocked or not. It isn't like he's testing electrocution of normal folks. But as for the guy, how is seemingly shocked for giving the right answers -- that's the whole experiment. Vaikman even says so: "I'm studying the effects of negative reinforcement on ESP ability." In other words, will you keep being psychic even if you get electrocuted for it.

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    A little inaccuracy sometimes saves tons of explanation.
  8. Re:Doesn't hurt them? by GungaDan · · Score: 5, Informative

    The most prevalent "shock therapy" currently in use in the US is electro-convulsive therapy (ECT). It is used to treat major depression that is not responsive to drugs. It has nothing to do with retrieving or "erasing" memories, only with zapping the brain in hopes that neurochemical imbalances will be alleviated during its recovery from the trauma (shock), and hopefully for some time after.

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    Eloi are stupid, throw morlocks at them!
  9. Re:Doesn't hurt them? by BabyDuckHat · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Which is evidence that, when it come to the mind, we're still just cavemen bashing things with rocks.