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South Korea’s government thinks its younger generation are so obsessed with smartphones and technology that they need treatment centres for addiction.
According to a new report by Al Jazeera, the Asian country is planning to create centres where teenagers will be forced to live without their mobile phones or computers.
Instead, those who attend will have to read, play games and interact in the real world. One such centre has already opened at a rural school in the country, with new groups being taken on every few weeks.
The treatment lasts for around four weeks, with boys and girls divided up for the duration. The treatment is also said to involve participants being encouraged to think about their future and potential career.
One visitor to the centre, 16-year-old Yoon Jang-Won, said he used to use his phone for more than 12 hours a day before having the treatment.
“When I am about to sleep, I feel like I want to use the phone,” he told Al Jazeera.
“It’s about time to use the phone, I want to do it. Such thoughts occur to me. But, as we all live together here, I can manage without it. It’s okay.”
