The first "Internet addiction" center opens in the US

South Korea already has them.  So does China and Taiwan.  Now the US is going to get its own according to today's Washington Post.  And how appropriate that it has opened outside Seattle, the same area that birthed Microsoft. 

The center, called ReSTART, is somewhat ironically located near Redmond, headquarters of Microsoftand a world center of the computer industry. It opened in July and for $14,000 offers a 45-day program intended to help people wean themselves from pathological computer use, which can include obsessive use of video games, texting, Facebook, eBay, Twitter and any other time-killers brought courtesy of technology.

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Whether such programs work in the long run remains to be seen. For one thing, the Internet is so pervasive that it can be nearly impossible to resist, akin to placing an alcoholic in a bar.  The effects of addiction are no joke. They range from loss of a job or marriage to car accidents for those who can't stop texting while driving. Some people have died after playing video games for days without a break, generally stemming from a blood clot associated with being sedentary.

You can read the rest of the story here.

(jbl)