China's 'Internet Addiction' Schools Now Detaining Adults

Institutions in China, once primarily associated with treating 'internet addiction' in youth, are now reportedly detaining adults. Multiple investigations have revealed cases where parents are paying these facilities to confine their adult children whose life choices conflict with family expectations. Recent incidents include a 21-year-old music student who was forcibly taken by her father, aunt, and institution employees because her romantic relationship was not approved by her parents. She was held for 11 days, with the institution charging approximately $4,000 (26,800 yuan) for six months of service. Another report details an adult man who was nearly sent to a facility by his mother after failing to meet her expectations for 'stable employment and marriage.' These institutions emerged in the early 2000s amidst national anxiety over youth 'internet addiction.' While initially known for military-style discipline and physical punishment, they have since rebranded as 'family education centers' or 'behavioral intervention programs,' expanding their business model to adults. Reasons for intervention now include romantic relationships, gaming, unemployment, unconventional careers, and irregular sleeping habits. Legally, China recognizes adulthood at 18, and parents have no authority over their adult children's living arrangements or relationships. However, socially, particularly with the legacy of the one-child policy, parental responsibility is often perceived to extend well beyond the legal age, especially when families have invested heavily in their offspring. In practice, some local police appear to apply the law leniently when parents are involved in arranging involuntary confinement. These institutions effectively sell forms of control that parents can no longer exert over their adult children: transportation, isolation, restricted communication, tightly controlled daily routines, and constant supervision. Parents are essentially paying these facilities to coerce their children into acquiescing to their demands. As long as a signed parental contract can function as a shield against prosecution, these institutions are likely to continue expanding to justify whatever 'behavioral corrections' parents desire.