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First American Internet Addiction Treatment Center

Posted by timothy on from the cure-for-what-doesn't-quite-ail-ye dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Taking their lead from China, two Americans have opened the first US-based Internet Addiction treatment center in Fall City, Wash. — ironically close to Redmond (Microsoft's hometown). The center, called reStart: Internet Addiction Recovery Program, is a 45-day treatment center where, for a steep set of fees, people can be cured of their addiction to the Web. After paying the $200 application fee, addicts are charged $14,500 for the 45 days, an additional $800 for a screening, and more for extra services, like kayaking ($1,575)."

3 of 278 comments (clear)

  1. Internet Addition = Pornography Addition by reporter · · Score: 1, Flamebait
    This so-called Internet addition is really pornography addition.

    After reading the previous statement, most Slashdotters just uttered a "heh" in cynical agreement. Pornographic images and video have the largest percentage (although it may not necessarily exceed 50%) of Internet bandwidth.

    The interesting question to ask is whether the Internet-addiction clinic charges more than a sex-addiction clinic. The addict should attend the clinic that costs less -- assuming that the addict even acknowledges a problem.

    Note that the American clinic is addressing an issue differing from that addressed by the Chinese clinic. The Chinese clinic is addressing a non-sex issue since, in theory, pornography is not allowed on the Chinese Internet.

    1. Re:Internet Addition = Pornography Addition by Daniel+Dvorkin · · Score: 0, Flamebait

      Hey Stalin, ever heard of the first amendment?

      Hey Limbaugh, please explain how helping people recover from a dangerous psychological disorder is either "an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof."

      --
      The correlation between ignorance of statistics and using "correlation is not causation" as an argument is close to 1.
    2. Re:Internet Addition = Pornography Addition by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Flamebait

      If it's just a belief and not some kind of addiction, why do you become offended at the (mildly humorous) notion of a treatment center?

      (the correct word is "belief", not "addiction")

      You are wrong. Religion is highly addictive. Could you live without your religion at this point? Would you ever stop believing in this god of yours? Of course not, because you are afraid you'll wind up in whatever dark place your preachers promise awaits those who fail to see whichever particular light is prescribed to your particular denomination of etc. Hence, religion becomes addiction.

      do not consider themselves to have a problem

      Few addicts do.