In Korea, a boot camp cure for Web obsession

IHT ^ | 11/18/07 | Martin Fackler

[TigerLikesRooster]

In Korea, a boot camp cure for Web obsession

By Martin Fackler

Sunday, November 18, 2007

MOKCHEON, South Korea: The compound — part boot camp, part rehab center — resembles programs around the world for troubled youths. Drill instructors drive young men through military-style obstacle courses, counselors lead group sessions, and there are even therapeutic workshops on pottery and drumming.

But these young people are not battling alcohol or drugs. Rather, they have severe cases of what many in this country believe is a new and potentially deadly addiction: cyberspace.

They come here, to the Jump Up Internet Rescue School, the first camp of its kind in South Korea and possibly the world, to be cured.

South Korea boasts of being the most wired nation on earth. In fact, perhaps no other country has so fully embraced the Internet. Ninety percent of homes connect to cheap, high-speed broadband, online gaming is a professional sport, and social life for the young revolves around the "PC bang," dim Internet parlors that sit on practically every street corner.

[TigerLikesRooster]

Well, one of the contributin factors is that kids these days live in crowded apartment complex where there is little open space(yeah, you can find small plot with swings and sandbox, but that's all.)

Naturally, it tends to push kids into playing at computers. However, their mom and dad love to live in one of those places with ridiculously overpriced interior decoration.

[TigerLikesRooster]

Ping!

[KarlInOhio]

Do they do body cavity checks to make sure that no web-enabled cell phones are sneaked it?

[martin_fierro]

[SevenofNine]

OMG is that MXC show on Spike TV LOL!

[gaijin]

I hope some of their internet games accurately replicate machine-gunning, or controlling UAV air-strikes, or something...

That way, if finally attacked, at least they'd have libs that can FIGHT...

[TigerLikesRooster]

Yes, let's hope that we can turn out good keyboard(joystick) warriors, who can skillfully operate unmanned vehicle or planes.:-)

As funny as it sounds, come to think of it, it is not such a far-fetched idea.