Chinese becoming addicted to the internet.

In the neon-shiny future-world of Hong Kong, the computer is king and the internet its kingdom. Some 90 percent of the population owns or has access to a computer and everyday an estimated 3.5 million of the territory's 6.8 million population logs onto the net. Around Asia, the numbers logging on run into the hundreds of millions.

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"One of my favourites is science fiction. I go through up to 60 stories a day," he says, rocking his head back and forth in an effort to soothe the neck pain he suffers from mouse and keyboard use.

And the long hours he spends on the computer - usually surfing until around 3am and sometimes throughout the night - has also left him perpetually tired and his eyes dry from sleep-deprivation.

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In her book Caught in the Net, US psychologist Young said an internet addict was someone who would stay online for pleasure averaging 38 hours or more per week, and wrote that, "internet addicts can be people who are depressed, lonely, afraid to go out and in high family conflicts."

Source

First I assume those 60 sci-fi stories are short stories and not books because it would to impossible to read 60 books a day, 60 short stories are possible. How can he read that many stories and remember what he read?

As for that 38 hours or more, I'm online for about 60 hours on a (seven day) week since I have nothing else to do even though I have my drivers license I stay home and watch tv in the morning then log on the net in the afternoon through nighttime.

And the long hours he spends on the computer - usually surfing until around 3am and sometimes throughout the night - has also left him perpetually tired and his eyes dry from sleep-deprivation.

Its like reading my own biography!

I must average 40-50 hours a week i reckon and i go to uni and have a part time job!

Well I would say I spend about 20-30 hours a week on the Internet.. having said that, I'm *connected* to it 24/7.

I will likely be checking emails at my son's hockey game in an hour, and reading CNN between periods. God bless my Blackberry ( www.blackberry.com... ), it's the greatest gadget I've ever had.

Osiris

Hong Kong has had the largest ratio of internet users for a long time now. As for the 38 hours, I average 90 hours a week . It's probably due to the fact that I don't watch TV, and get my news online...

Addicted to the internet? That must suck. I spend about 60/week on the internet, but I can quit anytime I want, no really, I can.

Originally posted by Blackout
I average 90 hours a week

90!! There's only 168 hours in a week

Sweden have the highest percent of their population using the web:
Sweden 74.6%
Hong Kong 72.5%
US 68.8%
Iceland 66.6%
Netherlands 66.5%
Australia 65.9%
Canada 64.2%
Switzerland 63.5%
Denmark 62.5%
South Korea 62.4%

UK is 12th with 58.5%

I got a demanding full time job and I still manage to spend 50-60 hours/week on the net, a good portion of that spent here.

In Asia, the percentages may not be as high due to tech/civil development factors, but of those that have access. they definitely spend the most time on the net. I'm living in Shanghai, China at the moment and they're crazy for the Internet. And Koreans are even worse. Computer games are the national sport over there.

There was a story in the Shanghai newspapers a while back about a 17-18 year old boy who dropped dead in front of his computer after playing games for 36 hours straight. Apparently he had only had a few naps of half an hour or so each and had eaten nothing but instant noodles and soda. The coroner said that his body just suddenly went into shock and stopped like a watch. So there you go, guns don't kill people...computers do.

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In her book Caught in the Net, US psychologist Young said an internet addict was someone who would stay online for pleasure averaging 38 hours or more per week, and wrote that, "internet addicts can be people who are depressed, lonely, afraid to go out and in high family conflicts."

Silly cow, first off, she wouldnt say that to someone who watched tv that much and secondly noones an addict here. Its just a popular modern way to occupy our time,serving as a good source for information,news, debate and entertainment. Shes the one out of touch, in 30 years time it'll be a total normality for everybody, and looking back at comments such as this will seem funny.

I spend about 54 hours a week. Just imagine what I could do with all that time if I wasn't addicted. I could get in shape, learn how to drive, finally finish reading the Encyclopedia. But it'll never happen.

[edit on 30-1-2005 by ProphetOfYahweh]

I spend about 41hours on-line a week, I dont think I'm addicted.
How could you die from using a computer, if you ate/drank and used the bathroom, you might pass out from not sleeping but death, I'm going to consider this an urban legend.

Originally posted by iori_komeiHow could you die from using a computer, if you ate/drank and used the bathroom, you might pass out from not sleeping but death, I'm going to consider this an urban legend.

Nope. Actually happened. In the papers. Interviews with the parents, etc. But I'm thinking he had an anurism or something.

Haha, yeah the Koreans are big for games, And they are GOOD. I play them alot in a few onlines I play, Mostly Strategy Games.

I spend alot of time on the net. From about 9 Pm - 10 am, everynight. I have insomnia.

Hmm...Let's see, I'm pretty much connected while I'm working.

Once I got home, guess what is the first time that I'll do. Right...I turn on my computer just for the sake of it...it's more like a habbit.

I dun watch regular TV programe since I'm having my boardband internet TV under my finger tip.

SHEEESH!!!....I'm an addict

It really happened? Wow.
I still disagree the computer caused it.

I seriously think it was the instant noodles. You seen the chemicals they put in that stuff?!

Is ATS blocked by The Great Firewall of China?

Originally posted by djohnsto77
Is ATS blocked by The Great Firewall of China?

I dun think so, I "used" to know a few ATS member who was in China.
An expat so to speak.

Originally posted by wecomeinpeace
I seriously think it was the instant noodles. You seen the chemicals they put in that stuff?!

I practically live on MSG; before the internet was even invented...

Originally posted by djohnsto77
Is ATS blocked by The Great Firewall of China?

"The Great Firewall of China". That's awesome.
No, it's not blocked, but recently it won't display images hosted off-site, and I suspect that it has something to do with website filtering in China. It happens on every computer I use, no matter whether at work, at home or at a Netcafe, and regardless of Internet settings.

My guess is that ATS posted some images that the China Internet censorship bureau wasn't happy about and locked out off-site image loading for ATS when accessed from within China. There are a lot of threads on ATS about China, many of them about sensitive topics like the Chinese military and their hardware, about the sovereignty of Taiwan, and about China's US-Russia-EU foreign relations. Wait, I hear a knock at the door...