When is enough, enough? And when is the overuse/excessive use of something considered an addiction?
One of the one many questions one would consider when we talk about the Internet.
Consider the accessibility of it.
Worldwide, it's easy to say that there's atleast 300,000,000 (million) internet users. 2009 Population is estimated to be at almost 7,000,000,000 (billion).
The article focuses on how 'internet addiction' has become one of the main concerns of the public. With people hiding in the comfort of their study rooms, bedrooms, beds, bathrooms, etc. Spending endless hours at a time - it's easily a worry for families if they have a child or other family member dwelling in the bowels of their computer room.
Let's relate it to gambling or sex addiction though...
Those two vs. the concepts of internet addiction differentiate through the use or trade of something that can be intangible. Or so I think.
The compulsion to be online all the time is slightly different than more conventional addictions like alcoholism and prescription drugs, says Dr. Kimberly Young, a clinical psychologist who runs the web site NetAddiction.com. "It's not quantitative," she says. "It's not like you can measure how much they're drinking."
Which is true, there's no money wasted here, or pleasure given (well, actually, maybe). But there definitely is sense of time lose and interruption of one's personal daily routines when 'abused'. Because personally, I spend hours at a time on the internet when I sit on front of the computer screen... Just a few things I jotted down of what I've done within the past 30 minutes:
- Social Networking
- Read News Online [amazing right?]
- Design Projects
- Blog
- Download Music
We do, however, confront the argument of what can be considered productive and unproductive. I mean, when you compare those I just listed to, say... Cleaning your bedroom, or doing homework (which can be done on your computer, iknorite?!). The internet just makes things readily accessible to please our needs, it's very easy to get hooked on it. Convenience makes the internet an addicting piece of technology.
- Checking the weather
- Reading the news
- Calculating numbers
- Business management with programs (Excel, Word, etc).
- Planning trips
- Talk with friends
Newspapers, calculator, typewrite, telephone, ALL done without one piece of box. I reiterate, convenience.
One of the key differences from people to people is moderation and tolerance. As the article states, it becomes a problem when it interferes with your personal and social life. When one lacks the moderation, this can lead to more serious problems, like chaining into another addiction. With the bombardment of information within the click on one button (whether that information is good, bad, useful, or useless, we're always intrigue as to what we find on internet).
the accessibility of the Internet has also spawned a new population of addicts. "A lot of patients describe situations like this: 'I never thought about porn but then I found it online, and the more I found the more I wanted it,'..."
Which is probably going to be worse if it's a children who's never had any experiences with this sort of content. There's no regulation as to what we see on our monitors and even then, certain filters to avoid mature and hardcore content is easily done with a few clicks here and there.
We DO have 3rd party software that helps regulate computer usage in general, which limits as to what you set as priorities on your computer time and overall, what you do on the internet. (Amazing, I know, these things exist).
Microsoft has already had this function set on their operating systems to control the content as to what can be done and be accessed on the computer. Microsoft Windows 7 improved in their parental control feature by adding time slots as to when the computer will be inactive and inactive. At the end of the scheduled time shifts, the computer is forced to shut down and lock anyone out if they decide to restart the computer and try to access via password. (Pretty nifty I think).
And most internet browsers are set to have similar functions... This includes the presented time limiter.
Simply put - you regulate the source, you regulate everything else pertaining to the source.
Of course, we have them fancy 3rd party softwares that offer quirks Microsoft doesn't cover... But why do parents or people not take the time to use these programs to inhibit the excessive use of the web (and computer)? We go back to the problem of convenience. We as humans, like to strive for balance and harmony, but we do it in a very half-assed way. It's just how we are.
Internet Addiction Test -- http://www.netaddiction.com/index.php?option=com_bfquiz&view=onepage&catid=46&Itemid=106
Determine if you're an addict or not! Though it's hard to determine one's self as an 'internet addict'.
And Remember:
Are you getting in trouble at work? Is your partner leaving you? Are you forgetting to shower, eat, and pee? If so, you might want to consider getting help.
Honestly, if you forget these biological instincts - you're just... Yeah. That's just bad.
I love this! This is so fascinating!
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