Posted 08/24/09 at 05:19:31 PM by Andy Salisbury

Here in my home state of Washington we’ve got a new business open, and it’s aimed at taking in lost souls that find themselves addicted to the Internet (if you believe in that sort of thing).

reSTART is a program which has been launched by the Heavensfield Retreat Center in Fall City, WA. It offers a 45-day treatment program, which consists of 12-step meetings, recreation activities, “high adventure” outings, health and fitness programs and volunteer service. This is alongside psychiatric assessments, medical treatment, scholastic tutoring and career guidance.

In order to get into the program you must show symptoms of Internet addiction (I suppose having Facebook or Twitter on your bookmark bar could be a start), and a deep wallet. The course will cost $14,500, but the folks at reSTART argue that the price is fair.

So what do you think of Internet addiction? Is it just an excuse for kids to do poorly in school, or is it a legitimate affliction? Make your voice heard in the comments.

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Posted 12/01/08 at 04:06:13 PM by Pulkit Chandna

The exact nature of the impact that video games have on humans is a contentious issue among researchers and any possibility of a consensus seems inconceivable. It is almost like an incessant war between the myriad of video game researchers across the globe with contradictory video game studies being continuously exchanged by them instead of lead.

The founder of the Smith & Jones Centre in Amsterdam - Europe’s very first and sole video game de-addiction clinic - Keith Bakker has downplayed video game addiction, which he believes is immensely exaggerated. Only 10% of all compulsive gamers, according to Bakker, are actually addicted to video games, while the rest are riveted to video games as a direct result of social problems confronting them.

His postulate is remarkable in the sense that it views social isolation to be a cause of compulsive gaming in most cases rather than an effect, as is commonly perceived.

“If I continue to call gaming an addiction it takes away the element of choice these people have,” says Bakker. “It's a complete shift in my thinking and also a shift in the thinking of my clinic and the way it treats these people.  In most cases of compulsive gaming, it is not addiction and in that case, the solution lies elsewhere."  

Mr. Bakker’s views must have come as a huge disappointment to Hollywood stars, who have been planning to use video game addiction as a pretext for future rehab visits after having expended all other plausible excuses.

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