Hot Docs 2014: Web Junkie

*For this particular film, since we both watched it., we did a his (Robert Stephen)/her (me, Melissa Arditti) movie review!  Hope you enjoy it!


Melissa's review

Life can sometimes be overwhelming and we need to escape for a while and indulge in something pleasurable. But when it gets to a point where the virtual world that you've escaped to blurs with actual reality, there is a problem. When you cannot remember the last time you washed your hair, let alone slept in your bed, World of Warcraft probably comes to mind; one of the most highly addictive online fantasy role-playing games.

In Web Junkie, directed by Hilla Medalia and Shosh Shlam, internet addiction is a growing problem in China, especially within the teenage population. To combat this issue, there have been over 400 treatment centres built with the hope to rehabilitate these adolescents before they lose all connection to the real world.

Like many who have addictions, denial is at the forefront, so parents will go to extremes to get their teen help. Some of the methods seem pretty morally disturbing.

These centres are anything but a walk in the park, with intense military-style physical training, group psychological counselling, and pretty much being under a watchful eye at all times. Parents relinquish their parental rights, which is relieving yet heart breaking for them, and in this film we follow three internet addictive teens during their three-month period of stay at a facility.

Compared to an addictive drug, this particular “electronic heroin,” off which they are trying to be weaned, is just as deadly, especially with its psychological dependency. Although people must be responsible for their own behaviours and actions, the abuse, neglect, and the overall feeling of never being good enough are huge factors as to why cyberspace is far more pleasant.

It’s interesting to note not only the openness (or perhaps desperation) of some of the parents, as well as the confrontations that take place during the therapy sessions. In the Asian culture it is often frowned upon to “show face”. It relates to the idea of avoiding the expression of any kind of emotion.

Watching a father break down into tears over his son’s behaviour and his perceived failure as a father figure was quite powerful.

One thing that I take away from this film is that sometimes disconnecting from the virtual world makes you truly appreciate, and reconnects with, what you have right in front of you.

Robert’s review

There is a seductive element to Web Junkie: poor teens trapped by an evil addiction to the internet being more or less drugged and kidnapped by parents and sent to this particular Beijing internet addiction rehab centre.

Let’s step back a moment and put an historical context to this. China controls internet content that flows to its citizens. The Gang of Four and the Cultural Revolution are long gone and have been replaced by a pro-capitalist, anti-democratic Communist Party which controls internet access and filters out any China -negative content.

It reminds one of the Ontario Censor Board in the 1950’s. So, the internet is a suspicious activity in China. A few teenagers go over the edge and 400 internet addiction rehab centres are established. Is the internet in China sweeping the nation in some Reefer Madness fashion? Is there a distorted overreaction? Is there real addiction here or are the teens political dissidents imprisoned for bypassing state sanctioned limits on the internet?

Is the problem World of Warcraft or are those who threaten the rules and sent to re-education camps?

Is this another Cultural Revolution the authorities are bound to lose?
Interesting here is that the internet addiction rehab centre, Chinese Teenagers Mental Correction Centre, filmed in this documentary is administered by the Beijing Military Hospital, and the chief psychiatrist is a military doctor.

My reaction to the documentary was to trash it, and trash it I will, but with a bit of restraint as I know an internet junkie and I recall vividly watching a Polish Film, “Suicide Room.”

A bit of reality and fiction keep me narrowly from saying directors Medalia/Shlam were set-up on this film.

(Web Junkie, Israel/United Kingdom, Mandarin with English Subtitles, opens 30 May 2014, Bloor Hot Docs Cinema, Toronto)

Hot Docs: Four Letters Apart – Children in the Age of ADHD

It is frightening to know that according to the documentary Four Letters Apart – Children in the Age of ADHD, directed by Erlend E Mo, Ritalin, the most popular medication to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, has increased by 2,400% in 15 years. As many would probably agree, it is over-prescribed and carries a number of side effects that have warranted parents to re-think medicating their child/children and to seek out other methods of treatment.

Lindevangskolen is a special needs school in Denmark which treats kids with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. This particular documentary follows three kids at the school who suffer from a myriad of problems; Marino who has a viscous temper, Martine, a girl who is highly emotional, doesn't like being touched and regularly has tantrums; and Victor gets into fights and often states, “I’m horrid.”  Truly a sad way for any child to feel about themselves.

The film follows these kids over the course of a year as they learn to cope with their ADHD in a completely new way; by using an alternative treatment method that helps them with their emotional and sensory motor development skills.

Along with a full assessment, some of the exercises involve spinning, rocking, and balancing. The best part is that everyone, especially parents, caregivers, and teachers, is involved, and the acceptance, support, and effort to follow through with this program can really make a huge difference.

Three vital aspects that this program hopes to achieve include learning, well-being, and neurological development.

Programs like the one offered at Lindevangskolen are not always readily available for kids diagnosed with ADHD and some even question the validity in the long-term. And rightfully so. While Ritalin may work in some cases, before writing the next prescription, deal with the whole person, keeping in mind factors such as emotional, environmental, social spiritual, etc.

So do they have ADHD? Maybe, but there is more to each of their stories that raise the question whether this diagnosis is totally accurate or whether other factors have contributed to their behaviours.

You can clearly see the improvements without Ritalin or any other medication. Although there is still much debate on this specialized therapy, more research will have to be done. However, the proof, for now, is in the difference that you see in these misunderstood kids.

You can see the happiness again, the willingness to interact with other students, and the potential to be more than what a label has stigmatized them with forever.

Neuro Biofeedback: Mapping The Brain

Talking to Lucy the night before she was going in for her Quantitative Electroencephalography (QEEG), she was relatively calm. Washing her hair with baby shampoo, as advised, brought her back to a time where she truly felt nurtured. “I felt like I was a new-born baby, being gently caressed and protected, without a care in world,” stated Lucy.

The next day, I was out of the house around 8:30 am to meet up with Lucy for her appointment at 9 am. I must say that having staff that are friendly can make a world of difference, especially to those who suffer from a variety of conditions. The simple “hello” is often taken for granted and I wish that more places were so reassuring and caring. The receptionist had a smile on her face and even though she could have been having the most miserable start to her day, she treated Lucy like a person, not just another number. It was awesome to see.

So what is QEEG? Digital technology is used to measure electrical patterns at the surface of the scalp (called brain mapping), not the structure (like in an EEG), which reflect cortical electrical activity or what is known as “brain waves.”

In a nutshell, it’s an assessment tool that clinicians use to detect and identify areas of dysregulation in a person’s brain. So if you’re suffering from sleep problems, emotional or even behavioural difficulties, this helps to understand the cause of symptoms and ultimately puts a plan of action in place to get you back on track.

Next, a full statistical analysis is done comparing the person’s brain wave profile to the norm for his/her age and gender. This is where stats is handy and the dreaded course that everyone wants to avoid taking at university. However, in this scope of work, it’s a must.

The concept is interesting and according to Lucy, all the electrodes that were hooked up to her head, “made her feel like Frankenstein’s monster.” She also said that, “we joked about putting my photo on Facebook.”

When I asked Lucy about any discomfort, she said that it wasn’t painful at all, the baby shampoo just allowed for the electrodes to activate and function on the screen properly, since any other shampoo contains problematic chemicals that could interfere. She just had to follow some specific tasks, but a majority of the process kept her in a relaxed state.

It also helped that she was told what would go on every step of the way, a little background history on the procedure, and of course, some comic relief to lighten the mood. If she needed to stop for any reason, she was welcomed to. With two clinicians in the room making sure everything was accurate and running smoothly, the whole session took about an hour. “It’s great to find people who genuinely want to see me get better,” said Lucy.

After the session, Lucy seemed to be in fine spirits. Unfortunately, her post-traumatic stress seems to come back at very random times. Sometimes it’s the abuse she suffered from for countless years, other times, it’s the medical trauma she’s endured. It takes a toll on her physical and mental wellbeing, not to mention her loved ones.

“I keep trying to push forward and not let all these memories consume me, but sometimes it’s a losing battle and I just want to scream, but the only thing I can do is cry,” she says.

It took quite a few days to settle her down and so I wanted to give her all the support and time she needed. She’s still pretty on edge in general, but trying to do her best to realize that she’s not going to be abandoned and no matter what, as Maroon 5′s song goes, “She will be loved.”

It takes several hours to analyse the results and then compile everything for discussion, so Lucy will be back next week to figure out the results and where to go from here.