Caught in the Web

In southern China the 30 year old man has died after spending a massive three days straight online in an internet café.

The man’s name and what he was doing on the net at the time have not been released. Though he reportedly collapsed in front of the computer terminal, he had been at for his internet marathon in the Guangdong province in southern China. Emergency hospital personnel were called however, they were unable to revive him reported the Beijing News this morning.

It is believed that many medical problems have been caused in modern times because of extended periods of computer use, though death is a rare case.

"According to preliminary findings, the length of time this man spent online might have triggered heart problems," the Chinese national paper said quoting a local hospital emergency medic, in the city of Zhongshan as saying.

Addictions are mainly based on highs that are produced from the use of drugs or other external forces that affect the brain’s chemical responses. Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD) can give the user a similar type of “high”.

The research for this modern age disorder is fairly new and scarce, but the results (as we see in this mans case) can be quite life threatening. It affects everyone involved with the “user,” and few psychologists who know how to treat it.

Concern has been expressed about the growing internet addiction and the Chinese government has taken steps to prevent such marathon events occurring. These include forcing online gaming sites to dock the points of gamers who stay online for long periods.