Image: Mike Baird/Flickr (CC)
File this under the “seriously, WTF?” part of the news for the week. And it comes from that nation that brought us Gangnam Style, South Korea. The country is one of the most wired countries in the world, and as a consequence, according to their government’s data, more and more people becoming addicted to the internet. So, what do you do? Well, one family has seemingly found a cure – take up horse riding lessons.
This family were, according to Reuters, “at their wits’ end” after trying everything to solve their teenage daughter’s internet porn addiction. The girl told them, “I used to play with computers for seven hours a day, even overnight if my mother went on a trip.” They tried professional counseling, music therapy, art and the good old nagging – but the one that seem to work was riding a horse.
So, why does this seem to work? According to Dr. Yoosook Joung from the Samsung Medical Centre, he says that it creates a special bond between human and animal. Telling Sky News, “The horse-riding is a new experience, which combines physical activity with an emotional connection with a horse, so it can help overcome internet addiction.”
The Korean Riding Association has opened two horse therapy centres, where 50 people a day enter its doors to treat a wide range of issues. They have plans to have another 30 built by 2022, as demands for such therapy is growing.
While it is a problem worldwide, the main focus has been on South Korea where it is estimated that at least two million gamers in the country are said to be addicted to video games. Government officials also say that at least 680,000 children are said to be addicted to the internet or video games. The country has tried to address this problem by giving them anti-depressants, for example anyone with an addiction to StarCraft II. Their parliament also passed laws of a “Shutdown Law” that prevents anyone under the age of 16 from playing games online between midnight and 6am. However, it has had little effect – given that it is very easy to circumvent.
via ReadWrite