'Internet addict' killed at Chinese boot camp

Chinese officials are investigating the death of a teen at an internet addiction boot camp
Chinese officials are investigating the death of a teen at an internet addiction boot camp

A boot camp intended to cure teenagers of 'internet addiction' instead killed one, it was reported today.

The Wall Street Journal picked up a story from Global Times in China that said Deng Senshan, 16, had been beaten to death by supervisors at Guangxi Qihang Survival Training Camp on Saturday.

Deng was targeted by trainers at the camp after been told off for running too slowly, said the boy's father.

Boot camps addicted to violence

Although 'internet addiction' is not a widely recognised medical condition, boot camps for troubled teenagers are widespread in China. Many offer a paramilitary environment of intense physical exercise and strict discipline.

Global Times notes that the camp's mission statement says, "Our methods are tough but do not include torture or other methods that might damage a child's health." Despite this, Deng was placed in solitary confinement shortly after arriving and was later beaten to death.

Three trainers at the camp have been detained by local police, while Deng's parents are calling for the boot camp to closed immediately. They had paid the clinic 7000 yuan (£600) for Deng's month-long stay at the camp.

In July, the Wall Street Journal reported that Chinese health officials in Shandong province ordered an 'internet addiction' clinic to stop using electric shocks as punishments on its young clients.

Latest in Gaming
Assassin's Creed Shadows
Ubisoft shareholder accuses publisher of 'misleading investors', plans protest outside Paris HQ
Xbox Copilot in Minecraft
Microsoft confirms Copilot can be tested by Xbox Insiders next month and shares new details about how the AI sidekick will enhance the player experience: 'It has to be about gameplay, it has to be personalized to you'
The Steam Logo on a mobile phone in front of a wall of games.
Today’s Steam Spring Sale features my absolute favorite game of all time - here's when the sale starts and all the key info
Dune Awakening screenshot showing the exploration of The O'odham
Latest Dune Awakening trailer provides a deeper look at open-world exploration on the planet Arrakis
The logo and key art for Inzoi.
The newly revealed Inzoi system requirements are enough to make me go back to The Sims 4
The SAG-AFTRA San-Fransisco-North California Local
SAG-AFTRA union and video game industry bargaining group remain at odds as agreements on AI protections still 'frustratingly far apart'
Latest in News
NordicTrack Ultra 1
The new NordicTrack Ultra 1 treadmill looks like it was designed by an architect and costs $15,000
An Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070
Nvidia RTX 5080 stock is so barren that retailers are holding competitions where you can "win" the right to buy one for MSRP
Assassin's Creed Shadows
Ubisoft shareholder accuses publisher of 'misleading investors', plans protest outside Paris HQ
Google Gemini AI logo on a smartphone with Google background
I made an AI version of Bilbo Baggins using Goggle Gemini for free, and shared a pipe with him outside Bag End – here’s what you can now do with Gems
Nicole Kidman wears a blue blouse with her arms crossed.
Netflix might be renewing The Perfect Couple and Beauty in Black for season 2, but I don’t get why when it’s canceled shows with poorer ratings
The Russo brothers posing for a photograph and Herman carrying a Volkswagen camper van in The Electric State
'We're optimists': AI enthusiasts Joe and Anthony Russo defend its use in movies and TV shows, but admit there are 'very real dangers' around its application