CyberSpace Rehab? Really?

After looking at the Frontline documentary in class I thought I would look into the South Korean rehab programs for kids addicted to the Internet. This idea is so bizarre to me and I would how it can be normal or acceptable to Koreans, parents, or anyone for that matter. All throughout this class we discuss how the Internet and new media affects society and the world. And time after time I feel like telling some of these researchers and scientists that we are the ones creating and manipulating the media. It's not the other way around. People so often act like media is something that has happened to us but who brought media into the picture? We did. I'm not sure if these people who constantly claim to be the victim enjoy feeling sorry for themselves or what. Sometimes people just need a good hard dose of self-control and discipline. Yes, new media is becoming more integrated into our daily lives. Yes, the world is changing and developing into something it wasn't before. But that is what history is. That is what life is. Older generations will always criticize their predecessors and say they have it too easy. But let's remember that we are controlling the media or we should be at least. These kids who are becoming addicted to cyberspace are ridiculous. Their parents should be taking a greater role in their lives and computer usage. And the kids should be able to see all the great things life has to offer outside of the computer. I did a little more research on the topic and found an informative article from The New York Times. It has a lot of interesting statistics and information regarding this 'epidemic' and includes some acknowledgments of the problem in other countries. Check it out.