I-Romance

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Ever meet someone who can't have a conversation in person? Not socially akward, but literally can't make eye contact and form a sentence without aid from some form of digital technolgoy. There is a name for this, IAD: Internet Addiction Distorder. In 2008 China became the first country in the world to declare IAD as a public health crisis. It exists in all cultures, though China is unique. Here people don't associate technology with communication, but with escape.

China's fist internet cafe opened in Beijing in the mid-1990's. This was a brand new challenge for censors. Today internet cafe's require ID for it's guests. In late 80's supporters of the pro-democracy movement communicated with fax machines. Technology in China is not associated with political change like the role of twitter in the 2011 Egyptian revolution. China's youth don't want change, they want comfort and stability. Young people want to make money, go shopping, eat fast food, play computer games and die... and maybe somewhere fall in love.

Gaming not associated with childhood or adolescents. It's perfectly normal to play computer games at 45. The wangba (internet cafe) has replaced the Majong guan (gambling hall). Leading social networking sights like QQ, Weibo, and Kaixing wang offer games to meet this demand. Very different than facebook or twitter which were blocked at the 2009 riots in Urumqi. Internet cafes in China look like a casinos. No clocks on the wall, no windows, and blinking lights everywhere. How do people who only socialize with machines have a romantic relationship?

I noticed a couple at McDonalds in Guangzhou's Tienhe district. They both sat across the table from oneanother playing games on their I-phones. They were clearly on a date, just staring at their phones. It reminded me of the movie Bar Fly, where Mickey Rourke and Faye Dunaway portrayed to drunks in love.

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Photos

This is love
Couple on a date staring at their phones