Boy tries to stab mom for cutting internet access

In July, we wrote about the anger that one man had at his Verizon Wireless service. He ended up calling a local Verizon store and threatened to kill all the employees.

Now, we have a story that involves an actual attack and a bizarre ending.

In India, a 15-year-old boy tried to attack his mother with a kitchen knife when she attempted to turn off his computer and take away his smartphone. Thankfully, nobody was hurt as the father came rushing in from another room and subdued the child before any damage was done.

According to reports from India, the boy was “addicted” to the internet and “spent hours on his smartphone and computer, ignoring his studies and shutting out family members and real friends.”

How did the parents try to treat him for this issue?

The next day, the parents drove him to Mumbai and got him admitted to Byculla’s Masina Hospital for psychiatric treatment. But the teen, who initially did not resist being taken to the hospital, caused a further stir by stripping naked there to protest his parents’ decision. – MumbaiMirror

The child had reason to strip naked as he likely knew what was awaiting him in the near future. Apparently, some people believe that shocking children will slow down their internet usage.

The teen underwent electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), commonly known as shock treatment, and returned to Pune only on Monday. But he will still have to undergo three more sessions of ECT and stay in Chaitanya Rehab Centre on the outskirts of Pune for three months. – MumbaiMirror

One reason for the child’s apparent addiction was because he would take his cell phone to the toilet. Yes, the toilet.

“Someone is talking to them throughout the day, so they cannot keep their phones and laptops aside even for a minute. They even take the devices to the toilet.” – Dr A M Gabhrani, director of the counselling center at Masina Hospital.

If these are the standards for internet addiction, I am heavily, heavily addicted. Just please do not shock me.