Wang Yiming, 21, is a self-confessed internet addict, one of a growing number in China. He used to spend hours online each day, often going without food or sleep. His face is drawn and sallow.
He said addiction changed his whole life:
“A month or two after I started surfing the internet, I failed some of my school tests, but I was too afraid to tell my parents. When my father found out, he was very angry.
“But I couldn’t control my addiction. Friends were also telling me that I was on the net too long, but I thought: ‘It’s my life, I can do what I want.’ I became a real loner, was withdrawn, and wouldn’t listen to anyone.”
For help, Wang Yiming went to China’s first internet clinic, a low-rise, anonymous building in central Beijing.
BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | Treating China’s online addicts
