The number of Internet users in China is estimated to have reached 505 million as of November 2011.

Internet addiction disrupts nerve wiring in the brains of teenagers, a study by the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Wuhan has found, Changjiang Daily reported.

Scientists used a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) technique to look at internet addiction's effects on brain structure. Brain scans showed significant damage to white matter in the brain, proving that "behavioral" addictions can cause physical brain damage in the same way as drug addictions.

The scientists suspect the damage is caused by disrupted myelin, the fatty insulating sheath that coats nerve fibers and helps them to function.

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