China

According to a 2006 study by the China National Children's Center, at the end of 2006, China had 137 million Internet users and of the users under 18, an estimated 13%-- or 2.3 million -- are Internet addicts.

Due to the rising number of Internet addicts in the country, China has taken strict measures to reduce the terrifying population of Internet addicts. One of the measures is banning new internet cafes from opening this year(2007). The notice, issued by 14 government authorities, also vows to crack down on gambling through online games. Xinhua said the new restrictions were part of a campaign to combat the rising problem of Internet addiction. According to the country's Ministry of Information Industry, there are currently about 113,000 internet cafes and bars in China, China has already banned those under-aged from such cafes, and poses heavy fines on operators who breach these regulations.

China has also set up the Internet Addiction Treatment Center (IATC) in Daxing county, the first treatment center in the world dedicated in treating teenagers suffering from Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD). It uses a combination of psychotherapy and military drills to treat the teenagers suffering from IAD.

Led by Tao Ran, a military researcher who built his career by treating heroin addicts, the clinic uses a tough-love approach that includes counseling, military discipline, drugs, hypnosis and mild electric shocks.

Success Stories:

He Fang, 22, a college student from the western region of Xinjiang. The business administration major said his grades tanked when he started playing online games several hours a night. The clinic "has mainly helped me change the way I think," he said. "It's not about getting away from pressure but facing it and dealing with it."

Before Sun, a17-year-old, who is from the city of Cangzhou, checked into the clinic about a month ago, he said, he was sometimes online playing games for 15 hours nonstop. "My life was not routine -- day and night I was messed up," he said. In December, he concluded that school just "wasn't interesting" and stopped attending.
Since he's been there, Sun said, he's decided to finish high school, attend college and then work at a private company, perhaps becoming an "authority figure" one day. With the help of a counselor, he's mapped out a life plan from now until he's 84.

Germany

In Germany, an Internet addiction boot-camp was organised and they aim to get children and teenagers who spend too much time on the internet out of their bedrooms and into the sunshine. Children at the camp are encouraged to spend as much time as possible outdoors and daily computer allowance is curtailed from as long as 6 hours to 30 minutes. Many of the children who attend are self-confessed addicts who use the web and computer games for up to six hours a day to escape boredom.

Moritz Moeller, 13, said: "It was fun playing on the computer, because I was bored. My friends had no time for me; I think I was probably a computer addict."

The first camp of its kind in Germany aims to wean children like Moeller off computers by giving them alternative outlets to channel their energy into, such as reading and exercise. Supervisors take the children to the beach every day, where they swim and do aerobics before sitting down to a healthy lunch of salad. Camp organisers say diet and exercise are key aspects of the camp's philosophy because children who sit in front of computers all day tend to eat badly and not move away from their seats often.

Benjamin Saenger, 13, weighs 123 kg.
Children who attend the camp say they feel much happier by the end of it and many pledge to limit the amount of time they will spend on their computers once they return home.

Gaming companies

Online game companies have also made efforts address the Internet addiction problem. For example, World of Warcraft can actually tell users how long they have been playing so that the users will not get too engrossed and lose track of time, hence preventing them from getting too addicted to the games.

Some games also have technical blocks hindering excessive game play. Under the new system, your online character becomes less and less effective. After three hours, the number of in-game "experience points" for, say, killing an opponent is reduced by half. After five hours you do not get any at all. It is called the fatigue system. It works on the principle that the users need experienc points to grow levels and become stronger. Thus, after five hours, even if they continue playing, it would be meaningless as they get nothing in retun when they slay the monsters. Kou Xiao Wei, from the Chinese Internet Agency, said: "This system strikes a good balance between the interests of the games developers on the one hand, and the need to foster a healthy game-playing environment on the other.

Nigel Payne, chief executive officer of the internet gambling specialists Sportingbet Plc, said the company operated a database structure which enables it to monitor the behavior of each online gambler. Thus, any signs of abnormal behavior, excess spending can be spotted immediately and the gambler may be blocked from entering the online casino. In addition, measures were in place to restrict the amount of money a customer can deposit and win. Mr Payne said, "Properly regulated and controlled internet gambling is far better for the punter's health than other forms of gambling."