“Soo In didn’t have great people skills, so it was hard for him to make friends at school. Because he didn’t have any friends, he wouldn’t go outside to play but instead he locked himself in his room and played on his computer or smartphone.
Almost every day he was on his phone until very late at night. He went to bed in the early morning and then snoozed all day in school. Instead of interacting with other students, he played with his phone during recess and lunchtime. That’s why he was always alone.
I tried many different things to help him get off his phone. I asked him to go outside with me, find a different hobby and engage in sports, but he always refused. He seemed to get all the excitement and pleasure he needed from his smartphone, he didn’t need anything else. This was a big concern to me.
In our house, we hardly interacted with each other as a family because he was always in his room. Even when we visited relatives he got anxious if there was no wi-fi. The situation was making everyone feel very uncomfortable so that’s when I decided I had to do something and send him to the camp.
But a few days before he was supposed to leave, he suddenly put his foot down and said he didn’t want to go. He was very stubborn and I had to make a deal with him. I explained that I didn’t expect him to get rid of the smartphone for the rest of his life. But I wanted to help him to be able to control himself and manage his time better.
I want him to graduate, go to military service, find a job and be a bigger and stronger person so he can find his own path in life. Finally, he agreed to go.
The night before I came to pick him up from the camp I spoke to him on the phone, and the first word he said was ‘mum’. He used to always sound depressed, but when he said ‘mum’ on the phone, his tone of voice had changed, it was high and very bright.
On the day he was due to come home, I was so full of hope. As soon as I saw his face, I immediately noticed that something had changed in him. His facial expression was bright and he looked full of joy, and it made me feel happy.
As his mother, I felt the difference, even if it was a small thing. He said that one of the things he missed most at the camp was my cooking so when we got home I made him dumplings, kimchi and beef stew, his favourite food.
This experience has made me believe that we can overcome any problems we may face in the future. Even if he should relapse and have another problem with his smartphone, I believe we can get through it together and support each other.”
Since Dateline filmed, she reports that Soo In now goes out for walks with her and plays sports with his dad, which is something he would never have done before going to the internet addiction treatment centre. He's also made some 'real friends' at school.
See the full story, Korea's Internet Addicts, including more from Hyang Nam Cho's interview:
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