Father and child sit together smiling while looking at a smart phone.

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Parents' Guide to

Web Junkie

By Amanda Nojadera, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Docu explores Internet addiction but lacks follow-through.

Movie NR 2014 74 minutes
Web Junkie Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

age 18+

Based on 1 parent review

age 18+

Valuable message

Being a web design course student I liked the concept of this movie. It shows the Internet addiction in a very good way. https://www.admecindia.co.in/courses/web-design-courses-delhi/

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Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (1 ):
Kids say: Not yet rated

The film often feels like it's moving at a slow pace and gets repetitive with multiple shots of apathetic teens reluctantly participating in drills. But Web Junkie does manage to capture how essential communication is to fostering relationships with others. While the boys brag about the various destructive habits they've engaged in -- like playing World of Warcraft for 300 hours straight or spending more than $8,500 on a game -- one parent thoughtfully states, "As parents, we fail to make friends with our own child," acknowledging that they may be partly responsible for why their kids return to the Internet day after day.

Some of the film's most tragic moments occur during the group therapy sessions, in which parents reveal how heartbroken they are to have lost their sons to virtual reality, and the boys mention that their parents care about them. Web Junkie doesn't answer what happens to these teens after they leave the rehabilitation center, but hopefully the time they spend there creates the opportunity for honest, open communication.

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