Virtual Addiction: A Global Epidemic

The New York Times recently reported the arrest of a South Korean couple who were so busy playing an online video game in an Internet café that they starved their real 3-month-old baby to death.  This story is just one of dozens of crimes that have occurred in South Korea due to Internet addiction, as players of online video games there are often treated like celebrities with salaries of $100K or more per year on sponsorship deals.

Internet addiction is a rising problem in the United States as well, but other countries (like South Korea) are more progressive at both acknowledging and treating the issue. South Korea recently put government aid towards treating teenage Internet addicts which has garnered positive results, but students (and the unemployed) are still susceptible to compulsive gaming.

Studies show that Internet addiction affects 8-12% of American children. Signs of Internet addiction include:  mood swings or unusual agitation if their computer use is interrupted or restricted, changes in appetite, and a lack of interest in activities that do not involve the computer.

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