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Apr 11 2008   12:31PM GMT

Overheard: Is Internet addiction a crock?



Posted by: Margaret Rouse
Technology
george_butcher.jpg We rarely talk about people being “book addicts” - we say “book worms”, because reading a book is an activity we associate with intellectual exercise.

Bobbie Johnson, Addicted? Not quite

Lots of buzz lately about Internet addiction being a mental illness. I found it interesting that South Korea and China are often mentioned as countries having problems with this particular addiction. Hmmmm….aren’t they also two countries that have been accused of Internet censorship?  Promoting the dangers of IAD (Internet Addiction Disorder) might be a good way for the government to protect people for their own good. I love conspiracy theories.

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Suzmonster  |   Apr 11 2008   4:43PM GMT

I was an internet addict before the WWW went public. For it truly to be an addiction, and not just an obsessive pastime, it must interfere with normal life activities. If the internet gets in the way of eating, sleeping, bathing, excretion, work, school, and/or personal relationships - it’s definitely a behavior disorder. I’ve known plenty of ‘addicts’ who have never reached the point of having a disorder. I also strongly believe that internet use complements the expression of other disorders, such as depression and OCD.

To this day I don’t use instant messaging, use chat boards, or have a social networking page. I have 2 email addresses, one at home and work. I don’t play multiplayer online games. In fact, my computers at home don’t even have the graphics cards to support them. It’s my own method of staying ‘sober’.


 

MargaretRouse  |   Apr 15 2008   5:12PM GMT

Suzmonster,
I didn’t think to look and see if there were studies out there about Internet addiction and depression or OCD. You seem to have found a way to set boundries. I notice my kids do that quite well — they let their cell phone battery run down or leave their voice mailbox full. I wonder what other things people who have addictive personalities do to set boundries when it comes to technology? You’ve got me thinking.