WEB JUNKIE: SEVERE ADDICTION

While we talk about kids in the U.S. being addicted to computer games I’ve yet to hear of that addiction reaching the epidemic proportions it seems they have in China. The documentary WEB JUNKIE brings that addiction to life via a look at a number of youngsters who have been placed in rehab by their families due to that addiction. I was surprised by what I saw and it made me wonder, could there be as severe an addiction in this country?

China has become the first country to classify internet addiction as a clinical disorder and they’re attempting to do something about it via the hospitalization of young people addicted. You might think that addiction to the internet seems unreal but as the story unfolds and you hear these kids talking about being online for days at a time without interruption you begin to see the problem. Imagine staying up three days in a row with no sleep just playing games online. That’s the extent to which some of these kids have gone in this film.

Worse yet, they don’t see it as a problem. Shutting themselves off from the real people in their lives they instead live online via game sites. The movie itself follows the lives of three young men admitted to the facility created just for this problem. China views it as one of the most pressing matters of its youth and treats it as such. How the doctors of this clinic attempt to cure the kids of their addiction is a slow process that we watch over a three month period.

What also made this movie interesting for me was that we get a glimpse into the China of today. While we often hear about the dictatorship of the country and the freedoms that are denied the people of China, you have to consider the fact that perhaps they aren’t as restrictive as we’ve thought. How else could one account for the idea that these young people have not just access to the internet but to being online for the number of hours they claim here. Some might view the treatment they receive as indicative of a totalitarian systems but in watching the relationships shown between parents and children it seems more like there is a certain amount of freedom going on.

Not only that but the attitude portrayed by the youngsters doesn’t seem that far off from what we might find in this country among more upper class teens. Presented with being given everything they ask for kids here often have the same attitudes seen in the teens in this film. Which brings it back full circle to the question could this be going on as much in this country as what is presented here happening in China?

While the topic is interesting the movie itself is a bit on the bland side for most viewers. What we see is pretty much non-stop talking between the young men in question, doctors and the family members who come seeking help. Considering the fact that the movie isn’t dubbed but subtitled that becomes a lot of reading for the casual viewer who isn’t inclined to desire reading a movie. But for those willing to invest the time in watching a foreign film in its own tongue it is very interesting.

The movie might not be for everybody but those who love foreign films or documentaries you’ll find it a rewarding movie. Anyone interested in the cultures of other countries, in particular China, will also be interested in watching this one. In the end you may wind up watching to see how much time your own kids spend online once the credits roll.

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