Korea treating Internet addiction as a major social problem

Korea treating Internet addiction as a major social problemAccording to the official reports, South Korea will offer Web addicts free software to install on their computers to limit their access time to the Internet.

Korea Times reported on Monday that the move comes as the number of Web addicts in South Korea approached 2 million, although computer experts estimate the true figure is even higher.

Two software programs will be offered, a consensual shutdown program with which users can set days or hours they can access the Internet, and a program called Internet Fatigue designed to make computer gamers bored with increased hours online.

The Times reported that Korea Computer Life Institute has said that three out of 10 Korean adults are addicted gamers.

Internet addiction is being treated as a major social problem by Korea.

Recently, the country was shocked by news of a couple who were addicted to online games and allowed their baby to starve.

Korea Times said that according to police, the husband and wife spent 12 hours or more playing online games at an Internet cafe and seldom fed their baby, which led to her death.(With Inputs from Agencies)