Internet Addiction
Kathleen Petsch
This article on Internet Addiction Disorder suggests that some people
may take Śsurfing the netą too far. There are many opinions on the
subject; some say the internet can become addicting to the point where
it disturbs a persons life and the lives around them. While others
believe that there is no such thing as internet addiction because
getting pleasure out of using a computer is not the same thing as being
addicted to cocaine or other drugs.
In order to be considered to have Internet Addiction Disorder, the
American Psychiatric Association says you must have at least three or
more symptoms such as: social events/activities being given up;
individual risking losing spouse, job or career opportunity due to
extensive computer use; having two or more withdrawal symptoms ie/
trembling, tremors; anxiety; fantasies or dreams about the Internet;
voluntary or involuntary typing movements of the fingers.
There are ways for people who are addicted to help themselves. First
be aware of how much time is being spent at the computer or even
thinking about the computer. Also, the person must question what other
factors in their lives are present that may be pushing them to want to
escape through the usage of the internet. A plan must be made on how to
work through those problems rather than simply escaping them through the
internet. Lastly, the person must make an attempt themselves to resolve
the addiction and gradually decline the amount of time spent on the
internet.
Source
Internet Addiction Disorder: Causes, Symptoms,and Consequences
Jennifer R. Ferris
Psychology
Virginia Tech
jfe...@vt.edu
www.chem.vt.edu/chem-dept/dessy/ honors/papers/ferris.html
Amini Khanna
Kathleen Petsch <kpe...@student.cs.uwaterloo.ca> wrote:
This is a very interesting article. I never thought about the internet
being an addiction at all. However, it is very true that there are
people that spend endless amount of time on the computer and are
obsessed with the internet.
Jeffrey Kum
Kathleen Petsch <kpe...@student.cs.uwaterloo.ca> wrote:
Internet addiction is definitely becoming a bigger problem each day as
our reliance on technology grows. People are spending too much time on
the computer surfing on the internet and chatting. This will keep them
from doing more meaningful activities such as outdoor exercises or even
seeing their friends in person. The computer can also cause you to
procrastinate and forget the task at hand. Spending too much time on the
internet is just as bad as watching too much TV.
gmacfarl
Kathleen Petsch <kpe...@student.cs.uwaterloo.ca> wrote:
Addition to the Internet comes easily in this day and time. The
internet is soon replacing phones and other forms of communications,
therefore when one has a chance to talk to friends it is over the net.
the net is also faster and in this day when speed is important, one get
addicted to the increase speed the internet providers. Therefore, i
fully understand how people develope a dependance on the net and how
this can develop into full blown addition.
ljmahoney
People are continuously disputing whether or not it is possible to be
addicted to the internet. An addiction to the internet is the same as
any other common addiction. We consider it to not be of as much concern
because we do not think of it as an addiction affecting our health, but
that is not the case. Sitting infront of a computer for continuous
hours decreases your level of activity and contributes to a decline in
ones well being.
People need to take head and realize the amount of time they spend
infront of the computer and the purpose as to why they are using it.
The internet can be a time waster and affect oter aspects of your life
and should be taken as seriously as other forms of addiction.