[a] It's China. [b] They really don't treat addiction there the way we do here. [c] I'm pretty sure that deaths, injuries, or other forms of suffering are vastly underreported, considering the source.

On the one hand, I consider it very progressive to treat "Internet addiction" as an actual problem (not an officially classified disorder), but I find it tremendously suspect when the Chinese are doing it, a nation well known for wanting to curb 'net enthusiasts, hackers, and free speecher types. On the other (as if the first part wasn't enough), there is no standard method for addiction treatment of this kind, other than gradual desensitization and sheer denial of the medium.

Imagine cutting off a junkie, cold turkey, or telling an alcoholic that he/she just has to 'deal' with the DTs (delerium tremens). This is the available medicine, and intent, of these 'clinics,' the payment for which is outrageous. Even in the US, it's nearly a thousand dollars a day, on average, for most forms of rehab. For that amount, I'd expect to be blown, on the hour, to distract me from whatever else I was yearning for.

It has nothing to do with socialized medicine. In fact, if American practice became like this, there'd be a secondary revolt against the lack of results or contiguous care. Just look at the VA system. Imagine them trying this stupid shit on a PTSD afflicted vet. After he finished mowing down the local Walmart, the lawsuits would fly, fast and furious. Ironically, having a video game or a Wii might actually serve as therapy for American servicemen, as long as sessions were followed by group therapy or something similar.