Web Junkie

China is the first country in the world to classify Internet addiction as a clinical disorder. The documentary spotlights the revolutionary treatment used in a Beijing Rehab Centre, and explores the cases of three young Chinese teenagers from the day they arrive at the clinic through their three-month period of rehabilitation. The film explores both the underlying issues related to the boys’ disorders, and exposes the treatments and therapies. The centre is headed by Prof. Tao Ran, the world’s first Internet addiction expert. He promises the distraught parents a cure for their children’s Internet addiction, something that has turned into one of China’s most feared public health hazards. Treatment involves a military-inspired physical training programme with regimented meal times and recreation, alongside gruelling group therapy sessions.