Kid eats pencil to escape internet addiction rehab clinic

Internet addiction may or may not be a thing, but internet addiction rehab clinics that treat “addicts” for huge amounts of cash are definitely a thing (obviously), and not a very nice thing at that – at least one kid has tried to escape an internet addiction rehab clinic in China by eating pencil lead.

According to a report over on Kotaku, 14-year old Chen Wei (not his real name) was admitted by his mom to a clinic in Wuhan for a multiplayer gaming addiction, and after seeing other inmates beaten by staff, decided to take his own life by consuming a non-toxic combination of graphite and clay powders, possibly proving that he wasn’t, in fact, addicted to the internet or he’d have known that pencil lead isn’t really lead, and it won’t kill you. Maybe internet addiction and Wikipedia addiction are mutually exclusive or something.

As the report points out, internet addiction rehab clinics are serious business in China – with a big emphasis on the “business”. Clinics charge up to $3,185 for a three-month course, and up to $6,000 for “special” comprehensive treatment that mostly includes hardcore phys ed.

Chen has apparently been back at home for several months, but now suffers from extreme paranoia and carries a knife with him everywhere. I’m going to go ahead and suggest that’s probably worse than playing a bit too much Everquest.