Tuesday, July 05, 2005

Zeitgeist

The BBC are running a story on their newsplayer about a clinic that has opened in China that aims to cure people of their internet addiction. You can watch the short news footage via the BBC news website (click on "Watch BBC news in video", and then select the sci-tech index, and the title is "China opens clinic for internet addicts" - sorry I couldn't get a working link). I can't help but feel this is a crazy, luxurious use of a clinic, but perhaps I'm wrong, perhaps you can be medically addicted to the internet and can be "cured" by a two week stay at a clinic where you can play ping-pong. Perhaps.

Having poked a little fun at this piece of zeitgeist, I should say there is at least one young man featured in the newsclip who does need some help, for he thinks he is a potato. I quote the translation,
I can find myself again in computer games. In real life you are nothing but a small potato, but in computer games you can be a superman. I want to be a superman.
So, just in case this is a serious problem I want to do my duty as a responsible blogger, so sit back, take a deep breath and ask yourself if you are addicted to the internet, or if you are a potato. I would especially appreciate a response from potatoes :)

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