Teen Cuts Off Own Hand to “Cure Internet Addiction”

A Chinese teenager who claimed to be addicted to the internet attempted to cure his addiction by cutting off his own hand.

The 19-year-old, who for some inexplicable reason is being dubbed “Little Wang” by the Chinese media, took a kitchen knife from out of his family home before sneaking out. He then severed his left hand at the wrist before promptly making his way to the hospital.

Doctors were miraculously able to reattach his hand and he survived the self-inflicted incident, but this is an example of a wider problem with China’s youth and their relationship with the internet and online gaming in particular. According to a study made by Tao Ran, a psychologist who runs a reputable rehabilitation center in Beijing, around 14 percent of the country’s youth suffers from internet addiction. “They only do two things: sleeping and playing,” Mr Tao said.

Dragon’s Sword Online is one of many games that China’s youth play in their millions.

There have been multiple reports from the region detailing scenarios in which teens had died from exhaustion whilst in internet cafes, only for no one to notice due to them being too busy playing online games. Mr Tao said that he believes further restrictions needed to be placed upon these internet cafes to prevent such fatal incidents happening in the future, including enforcing a no under-18s policy across the country.

Chinese TV stations broadcast footage of the bloodstained bench on which the teen was sitting when he performed the gruesome, violent act upon himself. His mother, who chose to not be identified, told the media: “We cannot accept what has happened. It was completely out of the blue. He was a smart boy.”

Though it seems incredibly likely that the teen’s action were as a result of mental health issues and not solely caused by his addition to the internet, Mr Tao and many other psychologists in China believe that online gaming and increased internet usage is having a hugely detrimental effect on the Chinese youth, with them more eager to embrace the virtual world than the real one.

Photo: Getty Images

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