Racing Online: The Death of a Teenager and a Lawsuit Against an Industry

Author: Zhang Chunliang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-10-01
Features: Online games are no longer just games; they can also be addictive! According to data released by the National Press and Publication Administration, China's internet users have reached 103 million, and 10% of middle school students who go online have a tendency toward "internet addiction syndrome." Another survey report shows that there are 35 million online game players in China, accounting for 34% of all internet users. Among these online game players, 80% are teenagers, with 2.6 million already suffering from internet addiction. Running Wild on the Internet examines the cause of death of the internet-addicted teenager Zhang Xiaoyi, documenting author Zhang Chunliang's unprecedented public lawsuit against the entire online game industry. The book elaborates on his views and the efforts he has made in this regard. On December 27, 2004, 13-year-old Zhang Xiaoyi, after spending 36 hours in an internet cafe, stood on the rooftop of a 24-story building by the Haihe River in Tianjin, arms outstretched, legs crossed in a flying pose, and leaped toward the southeast sea, chasing after the heroes in his online games: Uther, Tranduil, the Lich King, and the Watchers. A budding youth, once a top student, met an untimely end. The medical certificate from the Department of Medical Addictions at Beijing Military Region General Hospital stated that Zhang Xiaoyi had suffered from severe "internet addiction syndrome" due to excessive indulgence in unhealthy online games. This teenager left behind an 80,000-word online game diary titled The Legend of the Watchers. Running Wild on the Internet includes the full text of this diary, serving as a warning to the world: the harm caused by online games to minors has become very real and specific. Zhang Xiaoyi's death also shocked author Zhang Chunliang, who is the head of the Internet Addiction Prevention and Treatment Research Center of the China Economic Times. He is dedicated to investigating and researching the current state, development, and impact of China's online game industry. He founded the Public Aid Network for Internet Addiction and organized a volunteer team for internet addiction prevention, which has now grown to nearly 2,000 volunteers. Zhang Chunliang points out that Zhang Xiaoyi was not an accidental victim of online games; some online game companies' sales models are designed to induce addiction. This book reveals Zhang Xiaoyi's last words and his online game diary, telling the story of the author's lawsuit on his behalf and the direct or indirect perpetrators of this tragedy.