Monday, December 3, 2001		Article

China's e-generation explores cyberspace
Gan Yuanyuan

DEEP in a narrow lane near a bustling business street in southern Beijing is a small, unpretentious shop. With its entrance covered by thick curtains, the shop can be easily ignored by passers-by. But for the signboard which simply reads Wangba —Internet Bar, no one can tell what service it offers.

But the Internet Bar, open round the clock, has become a sanctuary for many youngsters in the neighbourhood. They sit at the 20 computers for hours, either playing on-line games or chatting with friends in the dim light. The room is normally quiet and the only sound that can be heard is the click of the keyboards and occasional shouts like "Damn it" or "Kill you" betraying the tension in the room.

"I have a computer, but it is too costly to play on-line games at home. And it's more exciting to play with others than alone," says a 17-year-old boy who calls himself 'Justice Brigand'. A senior student of the Xuanwu Number 2 Vocational School, 'Justice Brigand' says that he starting surfing the Net three years ago with the on-line game "Three Kingdoms", and has been known as 'Justice Brigand' on the Net ever since. He and some of his classmates often come here to "compete with each other" on weekends and holidays, at the cost of three yuan per hour (1 yuan = 5.80 rupees). He normally plays for three to four hours at a stretch and often sits up through the night.

'Justice Brigand' says his parents have not stopped him from spending so much time in front of a computer because he is majoring in computers; so he learns while he plays.

'Justice Brigand' is typical of China's 'E-generation' which has grown by leaps and bounds over the last five years. Latest statistics from the Ministry of Information Industry show that there were 26 million Internet users at the end of June this year. About 20.5 per cent of them, mostly students, access the Net in bars.

Another survey by the Public Security Department of Wuhan, the capital of the Hubei Province in central China, indicates that students account for 70 per cent of people who use Internet bars. And in those bars, which are located close to schools and universities, the percentage of student users is as high as 90 per cent.

Although Internet bars have played a key role in promoting China's Information Technology industry, the government is keeping an eye on their possible negative impact. "We cannot neglect the influence of the Internet on teenagers' growth and social development," says Wu Jichuan, Minister of Information Industry.

But despite such good intentions, an increasing number of teenagers have developed the so-called "Internet Syndrome" and are showing symptoms like listlessness, depression, lack of appetite, weight-loss and insomnia, according to experts. Some psychologists are also comparing this Internet addiction to drug addiction.

And at times, the consequences of this Internet addiction are serious. For instance, in July this year, a 17-year-old boy in east China's Zhejiang Province jumped to death from a four-storey building after his parents forbade him to go to Internet bars.

Earlier this year, a 15-year-old student in Beijing was reported to be missing for over two months and was finally found in an Internet bar, deep in conversations in many chat rooms.

Then there have also been cases of swindling and rape when people have taken advantage of the Internet as a way of befriending innocent youngsters.

On-line chat rooms, games and pornography are the three most popular ways in which teenagers are using the Internet. A survey early this year covering 3,000 students in Beijing indicates that 46 per cent of them had visited pornographic sites, 76 per cent said that they had taken part in on-line chats and 35 per cent said they played on-line games.

The stipulations by the Chinese Government allow Internet bars to be open to youngsters under the age of 18 from 8 am to 9 pm on holidays and weekends. But some profit-driven bar-owners ignore this ruling and allow teenagers to surf all through the day and night.

And even though there are some voices like that of Zhang Rongfang, a professor with the Beijing Agricultural University, who advocate that the government should clamp down on all the Internet bars to protect youngsters, not everyone agrees with this thinking.

"The Internet itself isn't bad, but we must take note of some serious problems arising from the misuse of this medium," says Fu Xiaolan, a senior research fellow with the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).

And in the midst of all this controversy, the teenagers have remained calm and steadfast in their views. Says Sun Bo, a teenager, "Teachers and parents should trust our ability to control ourselves. I don't think browsing the Internet affects my studies. Actually, the ace students in our class are all master-hands in computer games."

Sun also suggests that "it would be better to guide children and let them know that there is more on the Internet than just chatting and game playing."

Li Guo, a junior at Beijing University, agrees, saying, "I think it's impossible to shut us off completely from the Internet because surfing the Net has become the trend of our age." According to him there are a lot of people in the country who could benefit from the use of computers but can't afford them. That's why the convenient, low-cost Internet bars or cafes are so popular. In general, an Internet bar or cafe charges a patron two to five yuan per hour, while the cost of buying a computer is at least 4,000 yuan. (WFS)