The Column

Thursday, September 3, 2009

'Net addiction center opens in Microsoft's back yard

Somehow I knew this was coming.

Personal story: I go on line every day, but I'm not hooked.

I don't go anywhere without my mini-laptop, and I know where all the wireless hot spots are within a five-mile radius of my home. But I don't have a problem. Nosirree, not this cat.

I lost count of how many sites are on my RSS feed, I live and die by Google Reader, but I can quit anytime I want.

You'll just have to pry the laptop from my cold dead fingers.

Anyway, here's the skinny, from AP writer Nicholas K. Geranios, via breitbart.com:

Alexander, 19, needed help to break an addiction he calls as destructive as alcohol or drugs. He found it in this suburb of high-tech Seattle, where what claims to be the first residential treatment center for Internet addiction in the United States just opened its doors ... the center, called ReSTART, is somewhat ironically located near Redmond, headquarters of Microsoft and a world center of the computer industry. It opened in July and for $14,000 offers a 45-day program intended to help people wean themselves from pathological computer use, which can include obsessive use of video games, texting, Facebook, eBay, Twitter and any other time-killers brought courtesy of technology.

Just stay away from my connection, or I'll have to hurt you. Just kidding. I think.


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