Release CalendarDVD & Blu-ray ReleasesTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsIn TheatersComing SoonMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV NewsIndia TV Spotlight
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Picture WinnersBest Picture WinnersEmmysLGBTQ+ Pride MonthSTARmeter AwardsSan Diego Comic-ConNew York Comic-ConSundance Film FestivalToronto Int'l Film FestivalAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
IMDbPro

Web Junkie

  • 20132013
  • Not RatedNot Rated
  • 1h 14m
IMDb RATING
6.3/10
634
YOUR RATING
Web Junkie (2013)
Trailer for Web Junkie
Play trailer2:06
1 Video
5 Photos
  • Documentary
  • Biography
  • Drama
This uniquely telling film takes an entertaining and unsettling look into Chinese rehabilitation centers treating internet addiction, which the Chinese government has classified as a serious... Read allThis uniquely telling film takes an entertaining and unsettling look into Chinese rehabilitation centers treating internet addiction, which the Chinese government has classified as a serious clinical disorder.This uniquely telling film takes an entertaining and unsettling look into Chinese rehabilitation centers treating internet addiction, which the Chinese government has classified as a serious clinical disorder.
IMDb RATING
6.3/10
634
YOUR RATING
  • Directors
    • Hilla Medalia
    • Shosh Shlam
  • Writers
    • Hilla Medalia(story)
    • Shosh Shlam(story)
  • Star
    • Ran Tao
Top credits
  • Directors
    • Hilla Medalia
    • Shosh Shlam
  • Writers
    • Hilla Medalia(story)
    • Shosh Shlam(story)
  • Star
    • Ran Tao
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 5User reviews
    • 23Critic reviews
    • 67Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 5 nominations

    Videos1

    Web Junkie
    Trailer 2:06
    Web Junkie

    Photos

    Web Junkie (2013)
    Web Junkie (2013)
    Hilla Medalia in Web Junkie (2013)
    Web Junkie (2013)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Ran Tao
    • Self - Addiction Specialist; Director of Daxing camp, Beijing Military Hospitalas Self - Addiction Specialist; Director of Daxing camp, Beijing Military Hospital
    • (as Professor Tao Ran)
    • Directors
      • Hilla Medalia
      • Shosh Shlam
    • Writers
      • Hilla Medalia(story)
      • Shosh Shlam(story)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

    More like this

    Leftover Women
    7.3
    Leftover Women
    Ascension
    7.0
    Ascension

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Quotes

      Hacker: [on the question of why online friends do not meet in person] Reality is too fake.

    • Connections
      Edited from Assassin's Creed III (2012)

    User reviews5

    Review
    Top review
    8/10
    The internet is an addition just like drugs?!
    "Web Junkie" is a Chinese documentary. While I watch a lot of Chinese films, it's the first documentary from this country I have seen and I was surprised just how much I enjoyed watching it--especially since I really expected to hate it. After all, when I read that it was about internet addiction in-patient programs, I thought this was utterly ridiculous. I just couldn't see the internet as being comparable to alcohol or heroin. But, the film surprised me and I think many parents would benefit from watching it.

    The film is set in a military bootcamp-style facility for teens 13-18 that also provides psychotherapy for the child as well as the family. What really surprised me, however, is that there are currently about 400 of them in China!! Apparently, economic success and opening up their culture has brought about some problems--and kids who drop out of school and spend practically all their time in internet cafés is on the rise. Each resident stays about 90 days and the film crew are allowed access to both the residents and staff--and even some of the family psychotherapy sessions.

    As I said already, at first I thought this all was overblown. After all, it's normal for teens to love the internet and putting them into an in-patient program sounds ridiculous--and I felt very uncomfortable when I saw them medicating these patients. However, my mind slowly changed as I watched "Web Junkie". These kids almost all saw that they had no problem...even though some of them admitted to doing some pretty insane things in order to play online games. Many said they catnapped here and there but would not leave the terminal for hours or even days at a time and one even talked about using adult diapers so that he didn't need to leave Warcraft! Plus, with all the families you see in the film, the kids' relationships with their parents are practically nonexistent...which was also true with how they interact with everyone else around them. Many of them were incredibly loud, angry and violent when they found themselves in the program--much like you'd expect from someone coming off drugs! But to me the ultimate example of the problem was when a group of the kids escaped. They were easily caught, however, as they were all down the road in the nearest internet café!

    Although the film is occasionally slow and possibly might have been a bit better had it been shortened a bit here and there, the bottom line is that it is compelling and hard to stop watching. Because of this, and because the film simply allows the participants to talk without invasive narration, it's well worth your time.
    helpful•10
    1
    • planktonrules
    • Nov 24, 2014

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • January 20, 2014 (China)
    • Countries of origin
      • Israel
      • United States
      • China
    • Official sites
      • Official site
      • Official website
    • Languages
      • English
      • Mandarin
      • Chinese
    • Also known as
      • 迷網:暴走的青春
    • Filming locations
      • Beijing, China
    • Production companies
      • Chicken And Egg Pictures
      • Impact Partners
      • Medalia Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 14 minutes
    • Color
      • Color

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Web Junkie (2013)
    Top Gap
    By what name was Web Junkie (2013) officially released in Canada in English?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    View list
    List
    The Best Movies and Shows to Watch in July
    See the full list
    View list
    List
    The Best Movies Coming This Summer
    See the full list

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Interest-Based Ads
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2022 by IMDb.com, Inc.