The Ilham Winter 2010

19THE ILHAM A Journal of Contemporary Digital Policy COFFEE, CONTROVERSY AND CONNECTIVITY Why Coffee Houses Concern Governments lobal news organization,CNN,recently published an article on“Internet addiction” in China,where use of the web is growing at a phenomenal rate.In China,Internet addiction is classified as a mental illness and some of the statistics are startling to other cultures in which Internet connectivity is encouraged – viewed as a positive means of engaging others on a global scale. Not so in China: China has more than 400 private rehab clinics dedicated to Internet addiction. The country claims there are 10 million web addicts,mostly teen-agers. None of these Internet“re-education” centers is legally sanctioned by the Chinese government. A 14-year old boy was nearly beaten to death and hospitalized after the brutal treatment received at the hands of other rehab facility members. Medical professionals in China have called for laws and regulations to govern treatment of Internet addiction,though these regulations are still not in place. Tao Ran, Director of China’s first Internet Addiction clinic, located at Beijing’s Military Hospital, stated that,“Internet addiction is treatable.Through three months treatment, 80% of the patients can get away from the addiction.” In China,according toTao,some youths are so immersed in web-based activity,“They suffer depression,nervousness,fear and unwillingness to interact with others,panic and agitation” THE RESULT? The Chinese government has begun a systematic campaign to (1) limit access to the web by banning social media sites and (2) close down cyber cafes where“Internet addicts” gather to share their addiction. THE OUTCOME? A more closed society and a government that views Internet connectivity along with engagement through web-based, social media sites as a threat. About one-quarter of the Chinese population use the web regularly.Three- quarters are connected to the web through home-based systems. However, 42% log on at Internet cafes in major cities and in the countryside.These hot spots that enable web connectivity have become hot spots for another reason in China. Internet café owners unscrupulously entice young teens to visit their establishments by providing preloaded porn videos along with free access to gambling sites and game sites.These activities are considered unproductive in a society in which productivity has made China a world leader in the manufacture of goods. For this reason, use of the Internet – especially among the young in cyber cafes, is considered fun – play, not work. It’s also viewed as a threat to a still-guarded government that, while encouraging self-improvement and commercial entrepreneurialship, still controls what citizens read or view on the web. Many sites are simply banned. Baidu, the Chinese version of Google in the West, limits search results according to government edict.As a result, the government in China not only controls the ability to engage others around the world, it protects itself from what government officials view as threats to the stability of the Chinese status quo.