"Taking their lead from China, two Americans have opened the first US-based Internet Addiction treatment center in Fall City, Wash. — ironically close to Redmond (Microsoft's hometown). The center, called reStart: Internet Addiction Recovery Program, is a 45-day treatment center where, for a steep set of fees, people can be cured of their addiction to the Web. After paying the $200 application fee, addicts are charged $14,500 for the 45 days, an additional $800 for a screening, and more for extra services, like kayaking ($1,575)."
(Clicks Me!)
Am I the only one who read "...treatment center in Fail City, Wash"?
http://www.paradisesgarage.com/mcweb2/photos/troop/images/2372/original.aspx[/IMG]
Yes...
Remember... Where ever you go, there you are...
On a more serious note, I think these will begin to become more and more common as the internet evolves even further. Internet addiction is a real problem which needs to be adressed. Eventually when more centers arrise I believe the cost will go down and it will be easier for people to join the center (or similar centers). I have a hard time with believing that someone who is addicted to the internet or computer games will have an income great enough to afford such a thing (It's been a while since I've read the article, and I haven't re-read it from this post, so it may have mentioned this). Even if they could afford it, the money would likely be spent on other things. I think this type of problem is usually noticed by concerned friends or relatives first, and they're often the ones who end up paying anyways.
This explains why Troop hasn't been around that often! Troop had an intervention!
They took him to one of these Iaddiction places to have him cured!