Is there hope for him? Yes. Especially if he has a desire to change.
Do you, or should you have a role in helping him? Not sure. Depends on your relationship with him. (mother? aunt? sister?) Whatever it is, he would do best if he has a mentor, and of course a secure, or better yet no internet system at all.
jbaldy22- There most certainly is a thing called internet addiction.
Although, I agree that it’s probably not what she’s referring to.
(A shopping or gambling addiction for example, that ONLY happens online is sometimes referred to as an internet addiction. These people have no problems when visiting a regular casino/in a mall.)