Digital Journal — “Addiction” is not a word that should be taken lightly. Every time the word is mentioned, images of drug dependence, alcoholism and smoking come to mind.
But today, technology is breeding a new type of addiction which some say can be just as severe: Internet addiction.
Sitting there, you might be scoffing at the idea of Internet addiction (also referred to as pathological Internet use). You can’t seriously be “addicted” to the Internet. Right? Well, based on new research, some doctors say that millions of people are now hooked.
“People don’t expect the computer and the Internet to be a problem,” says Dr. Dave Greenfield, a Connecticut-based psychologist recognized internationally for his studies on Internet and technology addictions. “They don’t see it as a negative thing or something to be afraid of. The truth is, they’re very powerful tools that can be abused.”
Author of Virtual Addiction, a book about Internet abuse, Greenfield says Internet addiction occurs when people use the Web to the point that it can alter mood or create negative consequences in relationships, financial situations or legal matters. Online gambling — Texas Hold’em especially — is one example of a Net past-time that often turns into a costly habit. Pornography and cyber relationships are another, as many men and women now frequently participate in online sexual activities such as engaging in cyber sex.
Over his lengthy career, Greenfield has seen everything from people who’ve been arrested for sexual crimes, to couples who get divorced because of pathological Internet use.
It’s easy to assume that an addiction to the Internet is a “young” person’s problem — teenagers and young adults are almost always connected in one form or another. However, Greenfield says his patients vary widely in age.
“The Internet is a powerful technology,” he says. “It creates an access for all of the information on the planet and people experience a sense of disassociation when they’re on it. They lose track of time and space.”
Many researchers and doctors agree. They say that people who are addicted fail to realize how much time they actually spend online. A common scenario involves a person who says he or she is going to check email “just for a minute.” Hours later, they are still surfing through websites or playing online games. Others disengage themselves from their surroundings and concentrate heavily on online interactions.
The idea of Internet addiction is still very new and thus debated in many medical circles. Some doctors won’t admit that people can become “addicted” to the Internet itself — they are only addicted to the online video games, or the porn sites, for example. But Greenfield argues that addictions to these activities would not have existed without the Internet.
Internet addiction can also get very serious, and some say the Web can be as psychologically addictive as hard drugs like cocaine or heroin because users develop a dependency. Greenfield disagrees, and says Internet addiction is more like a gambling addiction.
“When you do a search, you don’t know how much you’re going to get, or when you’re going to get it, but you sit there for hours and wait. Email is the same thing,” he says.
So how do you know if you are addicted? Take a break from your computer. Are you antsy and frustrated? Do you wonder how many emails you’ve received? Greenfield says to take note of your behaviour; if you are feeling discomfort or withdrawals it may be time to monitor your Internet usage.
There are also many books and (ironically) websites that discuss the subject of Internet addiction. One that’s quite simple to navigate is www.netaddiction.com. The website includes a number of self-tests that to assess your dependency.
For those who recognize they have a problem to overcome, Greenfield encourages visiting a counsellor and working out a way to break the cycle. This may require studying the situation to gain understanding and insight, but the overall goal is to reconstruct the aspect of your life that is being dominated.
While there is lots of help available, Internet addiction is not likely something that is going to go away anytime soon. As accessibility increases and more people start surfing online, the Net will only become more intertwined in our daily lives.
