According to an Associated Press article published on the Austin American-Statesman Web site, a residential treatment center for Internet addiction opened its doors in July to help Web addicts, including World of Warcraft players, kick their habit. The Seattle-based reStart claims to be the first treatment center of its kind in the United States and comes with a hefty price tag; the 45-day program costs $14,000 plus other potential fees.

The article focuses on Ben Alexander, a 19-year-old whose 17-hour-a-day WoW habit caused him to drop out of the University of Iowa. According to NPR, Alexander is the first client at reStart, "which operates out of a massage therapist's large country home in the woods outside Seattle." Alexander works on projects like building a chicken coop and baking cookies while attending counseling sessions and going on outings.

The NPR article states Alexander's family is spending $300 a day to keep him away from the Internet. The reStart Web site has addressed the high cost of the program by saying "a program like this costs a great deal to run." What are your thoughts about the cost and the program as a whole?