Some days we spend way too much time on the internet surfing the web, playing games, keeping up with our friends on facebook, but how much internet is okay? With the Internet being so complex people can do anything and everything on it allowing it to take up most of our days. How much time do you spend on the Internet? Can something like the Internet be so addicting that people really need clinical help? In class we discussed that maybe the Internet isn’t the actual addiction and it’s the game or activity you do on the Internet just like we may be addicted to T.V/gambling/caffeine, so why is this internet addiction being taken so seriously?
An article done by a Psychologist, Kimberly Young, examines the issue that addictions on the Internet may be similar to real life addictions such as drugs, gambling or alcohol. The Internet is being related to these other addictions because just like alcohol or drugs its affecting a person’s daily life as school, work, social life are being neglected. Through research Kimberly doesn’t see it as a danger right now making it unnecessary to get clinical help. I agree with this is many ways because no matter what it is in life things can be addicting and yes something’s can be harmful (like drugs), which need to be dealt with, but I don’t see any serious harm in the internet. Other then a few expectations Internet addiction is something I believe doesn’t need to be handled under professional help and other addictions may be more serious. For instance, lung cancer is a huge problem in the United States and this is because people are addicted to cigarettes and can’t stop smoking every day. Just as the Internet may affect someone’s daily life, cigarettes affect someone’s health and may end their life, but no one is making them go get help.
The Internet is not going to go away and is going to continue to control a lot of people’s lives. The example given in class about the women who forgets to feed her kids and is left by her husband because of her internet addiction is a case that makes most worry, but I think that she has more problems then just being addicted to the internet. So what do you do about this Internet addiction? Is it that serious? Do you think that having clinical help will prevent it or will it be a waste of money/time because only a very few amount of people actually have these absurd problems (starving children, neglecting bills, ruining marriages) because of an Internet addiction?
KIMBERLY S. YOUNG. CyberPsychology & Behavior. January 1, 1998, 1(3): 237-244. doi:10.1089/cpb.1998.1.237.
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Interesting point about cigarette/nicotine addiction. Certainly cigarette smoking has more personal health consequences than internet "addiction," yet we don't prescribe therapy for cigarette smokers. Why the difference? Is it that smoking seen as less destructive to everyday living? Ironic considering the number of years it can take off your life.
ReplyDeleteI think both Katelyn and W Ashley make interesting points about various addictions. I think one thing that distinguishes an addiction to the internet and an addiction to cigarettes is what causes the addiction. The nicotine in cigarettes is what causes the addiction, but what is it that causes an addiction to the internet. I think it is something in the person that causes the addiction to the internet much like an addiction to gaming or gambling. A person with an addiction to the internet might need some professional help, but I think the addiction is something inside of the person. If the person with the addiction got some help, I think it could help with their addiction. But ultimately I think it is something inside of them that causes the addiction.
ReplyDeleteI think the point Dr. Nicholas made in class about the internet being this social networking paradise, yet at the same time, very socially and physically isolating is an important point to keep in mind. The internet is something unprecedented, affecting everyone and anyone. That is why it is so hard to pinpoint which theory is the most telling, or what survey is most accurate. All of this information is being thrown around yet no one knows the real answers. On the topic of internet addiction, I must side with E White on the stance that it must have something to do with the person who has the “addiction” problem. I tend to think children addicted to web games or video games are simply bored, neglected, and/or channeling their mild case of ADHD out on the aggression or entertainment of games. I think the adults addicted to chat-rooms or other online social networking programs are people that lack the comfort of others and are genuinely lonely. Perhaps their addiction stems from the desire to be noticed and engaged by others. In a very general sense, I feel as though over-usage of the internet stems from the need to fill a void in one’s life. Once that emptiness is filled, the feelings are too overwhelmingly positive to stop. Now it is up to you to decide whether you think these circumstances are grounds for medication and clinical therapy?
ReplyDeleteI agree with the point you made that the Internet addiction is not the problem with a person that neglects children or ruins marriages. There is something underlying their need to escape from their real life. The real problem is that someone that is addicted to the internet is foregoing their everyday life. They don't go to work or school and it affects their relationships. People do not notice the effects this has, because it is so commonplace these days for people to play video games all the time or sit in front of their computer all the time. They are trying to escape the problems in their real life and no one around them notices these problems, so it is too easy to label something a gaming or web addiction when there is probably a psychological disorder driving them to find solace in the web or video games.
ReplyDeleteI agree with saba chhotani in that there is some underlying variable which causes a person to neglect their family by resorting to the Internet. We learned in class that the computer is a multi-purpose device, and people are using several uses of the computer to escape real life (gaming, internet chat, etc.).
ReplyDeleteAs the Internet age progresses when all age groups are familiar with this technology (20-50 years from now?), will IAD become a more pressing issue? It is a difficult task to forecast this problem. It could be possible (although unlikely) that the Internet will be obsolete then. Or perhaps technology will lead to advanced changes in therapy for people who deal with this disorder.
I think one of the issues that make it difficult to characterize internet addiciton (if it even exists) is the fact that computers are multi-purpose tools. If you are addicted to cigarettes or alcohol, I believe you are addicted to one specific type of behavior. Addicts can very on their reliance and use of these things, but they are addicted to the same substance. However, if you are "addicted to the internet" you could be addicted to a variety of things like online gaming, gambling, porn, chat rooms, etc. I think the variability of internet addictions makes classification difficult. I also think it undermines the idea that one can be addicted to the internet rather than addicted to behaviors that can be easily accessed on it.
ReplyDeleteI think e white makes an excellent point that’s important to keep in mind when debating the merits of Internet addiction as a disease. There is no specific substance that causes physical addiction to the Internet as there is with narcotics or cigarettes. There’s no scientific explanation other than what we can observe in terms of how individuals use the Internet. While the Internet certainly can impact a person’s daily life at work, school and in social settings, I think it’s still fundamentally different from chemical addictions. While I believe that therapy and counseling should be available on a voluntary basis for those who feel that the Internet is interfering with their lives or the lives of their loved ones, I think classifying it as a disease is an unnecessary burden on the healthcare and insurance system. If a mother, for example, believes her child is addicted to online gaming, she can restrict his computer access or cancel the household’s Internet subscription if needed. Jon Lesica also makes a great point in that Internet addicts are often not addicted to the Internet itself, but to a specific behavior such as gambling or shopping. I think these are important distinctions to make as individuals might be prone to these addictions regardless, the Internet makes it far easier for them to access their “addictive substance,” and can make recovery difficult.
ReplyDeleteWe keep bringing up stories like the lady neglecting to feed her child and being left by her husband as examples of internet addiction, but I feel those stories fit into a more specific category of gaming addiction. I don't see simple internet addictions like facebooking and youtubing as causes for such wild stories. I believe people that play online games like WoW and starcraft have an addiction that could possibily be "treated", but being a chronic facebooker is not something that I would consider as "treatable". I think we need to be careful with what we do categorize as an internet addiction, but in the future I do see there being some program to help therapy people with such addictions.
ReplyDeleteThe idea that it isn't the internet, but the activities available on the internet, that people are addicted to is an interesting one. Since these activities can be translated into more real world experiences, maybe people can join support groups that don't directly relate to the internet. I think it's also true that there is currently no need for internet addiction treatment, but it is something that may become necessary in the future.
ReplyDeleteLike I said in my post to the blog "Internet Disorder...Fact or Fiction?" I feel that the internet is just like anything else in our life we do, fine in moderation. Every day I check my email and facebook accounts multiple times a day. However, some days I won't check either all day and it doesn't bother me- I don't feel withdrawal or anything. I feel that as soon as someone dedicates too much of their life to the internet, or any other hobby or activity, where the get depressed when they haven't had it in a while that is when you know it has developed towards an addiction. Just like in class when we took that quiz asking questions about the internet's role in our every day lives and how much we feel we need it. I don't think any of us thought about it or "missed it" when we didn't have it, however, I do feel that once that begins it is in fact an addiction in your life just like any other addiction.
ReplyDeleteI believe that people are addicted to the internet because it is a powerful tool in our daily routine. Originally cell phones were used to get in touch with someone and now my emails come to my phone as they are just as important as many of the calls I receive. Because so many things happen on the internet that are pivotal in our lives I think its normal for someone to be checking it daily. I think the problem occurs when someone can not go on with their day without it. I don't think I am addicted to the internet, but I do depend on it in certain situations (school/work/email/communication) and that is the reason I am constantly getting on it. If it came into a situation that I didn't have it, more stress would occur in my life, but I would be able to survive without it. Agreeing with the post above mine - if you were to get depressed not having it, I think thats when you would know you have a problem.
ReplyDeleteLike those comments posted above, I agree there is a huge difference between healthy dependence and a disorder. If one was to become depressed or experience withdraws due to a lapse in internet availability, a problem may exist. Early labeling of a disorder can create multiple problems and misdiagnoses. While there are certainly extreme cases of the issue (such as a woman neglecting her family), the majority of users are able to regulate their use. A gray area also emerges when labeling an addictive disorder. Simply because a user may choose to spend multiple hours a day gaming online does not mean they are addicted- this may just be their source of entertainment and fulfillment.
ReplyDeleteI definitely think that some people are just prone to addictions or have addictive tendencies more than others. That being said, I believe that people can be addicted to the internet, but that there are more issues behind that internet addiction. I feel that the person has other psychological disorders or susceptibilities that become manifested as internet addiction. All addicts have their drug of choice or their chosen outlet of escape. For some it is cigarettes, alcohol or cocaine; for others it is the internet or video games.
ReplyDeleteBringing up the Internet addiction disorder opens up a huge discussion. I agree that you can get addicted to anything, and with the benefits of our technological advances, they are followed with negative side effects. Kind of like drugs, where they will help with one sympton, but all of them have side effects like nausea and vomiting. And like everything else, there are varying forms of addiction. Sometimes when I am bored, I just go on the internet and waste time...does that mean that I am addicted? I was thinking the same thing in that what if this "internet addiction disorder" really is just a person's way of showing their OCD? Just like a person with OCD will brush their teeth every hour, would that be called "brushing teeth disorder"? I agree with other people that the internet right now is just an easy place to put blame.
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