alt view on Chinese internet addiction

From CDT, this repost of a useful article from China Youth Daily, in English on china.org.cn.  Article is titled, "My Kid is an Internet Addict", and it challenges the popular Chinese view that juvenile internet addiction is rampant in China, and that internet addiction is a particularly adolescent experience.   It also calls for more room for teenage voices to describe their own virtual experiences.  It would be a great study to spend time with Chinese teenagers and get their views on the subject.  Excerpts:

"…reports are escalating prejudice against Internet use, which is in turn
driving anxious parents to cut their kids off from the Internet. These
biased reports are depicting juveniles as Internet victims, even
stigmatizing them as addicts."

"…adults and experts have monopolized the description of juvenile
Internet usage. They form a consistent pattern of assessment, but the
adolescent participation in their assessment falls short. The
monopolized description lacks introspection and turns a deaf ear to the
teenage voices."

"Many juveniles become addicted to the Internet to escape from the
pressures of real life. Yet when adults criticize this addiction,
experts often ignore the reason why they too become addicted."

"Teenagers get acquainted online. They form groups out of the control
of adults. This process has widened the gap between adults and
teenagers.

Meantime, cyberspace provides an equal, fair place for everyone to
communicate. Appearance, social statue and real wealth are not
important. Real life interactions could certainly drive teenagers to
this less pressured cyberspace."