The First Step Is Admitting You Have A Problem.

After reading the chapters in Bucy’s book, I realized that the internet really DOES have a huge place in our lives. More than likely, every person on the Saint Mary’s Campus accesses the internet daily, and if not, at least weekly. Email is one of the preferred forms of communication between everyone that belongs to this community, and classes often require the use of Blackboard (or this blog!).

But I found an extremely interesting web site that actually discusses the possibility of an internet addiction. There is a test that you can take to see if you, in fact, are addicted and if the internet is negatively affecting your life! Netaddiction.com is actually a primary source for internet addiction (or the term IAD - internet addiction disorder) and recovery. The web site covers everything from online affairs to obsessive online gaming, and everything in between.

It is crazy to think of using the internet because you are actually addicted to it, but it totally makes sense! Individuals spend so much time on the internet that they may be shutting out others, avoiding responsibilities, and even hurting their psychological state. This article found on webmd.com talks about internet addiction being linked to teen depression. I know many people who spend countless hours behind the computer, and never have real face-to-face social interactions. Especially with the creation of sites such as Second Life, I can see where people substitute virtual interactions for authentic ones or use an avatar to express who they believe they truly are inside. It is this emotional attachment that may be creating the addiction – the need to feel connected or understood.

My younger sisters spend countless hours talking to their friends via AIM and I distinctly remember staring at the computer screen so much that my eyes would start hurting from the strain. But are we addicted?

For more internet addiction information, go to addictionrecov.org