The Ministry of Health and Welfare is considering classifying Internet addiction and gaming disorders as mental disorders, the Chinese-language Liberty Times (sister newspaper of the Taipei Times) said on Wednesday.
The ministry would be following the WHO’s lead, as the UN organization has said that it intends to classify “gaming disorder” as an official mental health condition in its International Classification of Diseases due to be published later this year.
Internet addiction is a growing problem in Taiwan, with an estimated 1.05 million Internet users aged 12 and older classified as at risk of becoming addicted, according to a report on Internet addiction released by the National Development Council in July last year.
Among the Internet users at risk, 200,000 are high risk Internet users who had failed to engage in any outdoor activities or interact with friends for more than one month prior to being interviewed, the report said.
Meanwhile, the percentage of at-risk Internet users aged 12 and older increased from 3.5 percent in 2016 to 5 percent last year, it said.
At-risk Internet users spend an average of 4.8 hours per day online and believe that surfing the Web is a good way to relieve stress, achieve spiritual satisfaction and make new friends, the report said, adding that 54 percent are male and 46 percent female, while 40.9 percent hold a bachelor’s degree.
People aged 30 to 39 had the highest proportion of at-risk users with 29.9 percent, followed by people aged 20 to 29 with 21.1 percent, those between 40 and 49-years-old with 17.1 percent, people aged 50 to 59 with 15 percent and people 12 to 19 years of age with 11.4 percent, the report said.
New Taipei City had the largest share of at-risk Internet users at 17.7 percent, followed by Taichung at 12.1 percent, Taipei at 11.8 percent, Kaohsiung at 11.7 percent and Taoyuan at 9.6 percent.
Service sector employees and salespeople accounted for the largest share of at-risk Internet users with 19.8 percent, followed by students at 16.8 percent.
The survey was conducted by telephone from June 16 to July 5 among 1,508 Internet users aged 12 and older.
UPGRADE: The Kang Ding-class frigate is replacing its Chaparall missiles with Tien Chien II and Hua Yang VLS, which would provide it with long-range, 360° air defense Taiwan plans to produce 1,200 to 1,376 Hai Chien II missiles (海劍二, Sea Sword II) — also known as TC-2N — to serve as the standard air defense system of the navy’s surface combatant fleet, a source said yesterday. Last week, the Hai Chien II, the naval version of the Tien Kung II missile (天劍二, Sky Sword II), completed a live-fire test in waters off the National Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology’s Jiupeng facility (九鵬) in Pingtung County’s Manjhou Township (滿州). The MIM72 Chaparral and other dated air defense missiles that currently arm Taiwanese ships have inadequate range to combat Chinese
REASONS FOR TRAVEL: An assistant professor said that proposed amendments to penalize drivers if they used drugs overseas would not deter people from traveling People who operate a motor vehicle under the influence of marijuana would have their driver’s license revoked, even if they used the substance while overseas, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday, citing proposed amendments to the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act (道路交通管理處罰條例). The amendments would also authorize the government to revoke the licenses of people determined to have used Category 1 or Category 2 narcotics, even if they were not operating a vehicle while under the influence of drugs, as well as ban them from taking the license test for three years, the ministry said. People aged 18 or
HEAVY WEATHER: Typhoon Jangmi is due to crash straight into the Ryukyus as airlines look to shift flights to larger aircraft or cancel flights to Okinawa entirely Taiwan’s international air carriers announced flight adjustments over the weekend as Typhoon Jangmi is forecast to hit the Ryukyu Islands today and tomorrow. The Central Weather Administration (CWA) upgraded Jangmi from a tropical storm to a typhoon at 8am yesterday, with the eye located 580km south of Naha city. It was moving north at 19kph. Today, China Airlines’ CI-120, CI-121, CI-122 and CI-123 flights between Taoyuan and Naha, Okinawa, have been canceled as well as CI-132 and CI-133 between Kaohsiung and Naha. EVA Air’s BR-112, BR-113, BR-186 and BR-185 flights between Taoyuan and Naha are also canceled. Low-cost carrier Tigerair Taiwan canceled IT-230,
Johanne Liou (劉喬安), a Taiwanese woman who shot to unwanted fame during the Sunflower movement protests in 2014, returned to Taiwan last night after being deported from the US. She is to stand trial in Taiwan for charges involving embezzlement, fraud and drug crimes. The Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) said it took her into custody at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport and would first question her before transferring her to the New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office. She was arrested upon disembarking a flight from San Francisco that landed shortly before 7pm. Liou absconded to the US in 2019 after jumping bail
RSS