Addicted 2 INTERNET??

What is Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD)?

What "Internet addiction disorder" (IAD) is still difficult to define at this time. Much of the original research was based upon the weakest type of research methodology, namely exploratory surveys with no clear hypothesis or rationale backing them. Coming from an atheoretical approach has some benefits, but also is not typically recognized as being a strong way to approach a new disorder. More recent research has expanded upon the original surveys and anecdotal case study reports.

 What Makes the Internet So Addictive?

Since the aspects of the Internet where people are spending the greatest amount of time online have to do with social interactions, it would appear that socialization is what makes the Internet so "addicting." That's right -- plain old hanging out with other people and talking with them. Whether it's via e-mail, a discussion forum, chat, or a game online (such as a MUD), people are spending this time exchanging information, support, and chit-chat with other people like themselves.
Would we ever characterize any time spent in the real world with friends as "addicting?" Of course not. Teenagers talk on the phone for hours on end, with people they see everyday! Do we say they are addicted to the telephone? Of course not. People lose hours at a time, immersed in a book, ignoring friends and family, and often not even picking up the phone when it rings. Do we say they are addicted to the book? Of course not. If some clinicians and researchers are now going to start defining addiction as social interactions, then every real-world social relationship I have is an addictive one.
Socializing -- talking -- is a very "addictive" behavior, if one applies the same criteria to it as researchers looking at Internet addiction do. Does the fact that we're now socializing with the help of some technology (can you say, "telephone"?) change the basic process of socialization? Perhaps, a bit. But not so significantly as to warrant a disorder. Checking e-mail, as Greenfield claims, is not the same as pulling a slot-machine's handle. One is social seeking behavior, the other is reward seeking behavior. They are two very different things, as any behaviorist will tell you. It's too bad the researchers can't make this differentiation, because it shows a significant lack of understanding of basic behavioral theory.

Alternative Hypotheses

In addition to those previously discussed, here is an alternative hypothesis that no research to date has seriously considered -- that the behaviors we are observing are phasic. That is, for most people with "Internet addiction," they are likely newcomers to the Internet. They are going through the first stage of acclimating themselves to a new environment -- by fully immersing themselves in it. Since this environment is so much larger than anything we've ever seen before, some people get "stuck" in the acclimation ( or enchantment) stage for a longer period of time than is typical for acclimating to new technologies, products, or services. Walther (1999) made a similar observation based upon the work of Roberts, Smith, and Pollack (1996). The Roberts et al. study found that online chat activity was phasic -- people first were enchanted by the activity (characterized by some as obsession), followed by disillusionment with chatting and a decline in usage, and then a balance was reached where the level of chat activity normalized. I hypothesize that this type of model can be more globally applied to online usage in general:

Some people simply get caught in Stage I and never move beyond it. They may need some help to get to Stage III. For existing online users, my model allows for overuse as well, since the overuse is defined by finding a new online activity. I would argue, though, that existing users have a much more easier time successfully navigating through these stages for new activities they find online than newcomers to the Internet. It is possible, however, for an existing user to find a new activity (such as an attractive chat room or newsgroup or Website) that could lead them back into this model.
Note one important distinction about my model... It makes the assumption that since all online activity is phasic to some degree, all people will eventually get to Stage III on their own. Just like a teenager learns to not spend hours on the telephone every night on their own (eventually!), most adults online will also learn how to responsibly integrate the Internet into their lives. For some, this integration simply takes longer than others.

What Do I Do If I Think I Have It?

First, don't panic. Second, just because there is a debate about the validity of this diagnostic category amongst professionals doesn't mean there isn't help for it. In fact, as I mentioned earlier, help is readily available for this problem without needing to create all this hoopla about a new diagnosis. If you have a life problem, or are grappling with a disorder such as depression, seek professional treatment for it. Once you admit and address the problem, other pieces of your life will fall back into place.
Psychologists have studied compulsive behaviors and their treatments for years now, and nearly any well-trained mental health professional will be able to help you learn to slowly curve the time spent online, and address the problems or concerns in your life that may have contributed to your online overuse, or were caused by it. No need for a specialist or an online support group.

Recent Research

In the past couple of years, there have been a handful of additional studies which have looked at this issue. The results have been inconclusive and contradictory. Needless to say, the research which could validate this disorder remains to be published. All but one of the studies that I'm aware of haven't looked at the effects of time on the reported problems of subjects. Without a short longitudinal study (1 year), one cannot answer whether this problem is situational and phasic or something more serious. Are you addicted to the Internet?
If so, you’re not alone. Some 61% of people feel addicted to the Internet and are unable to quit browsing, according to an informal survey.
Opinion pollster SodaHead surveyed 602 visitors to its site Feb. 16. about whether they experience Internet addiction, and found that many people are self-diagnosed addicts.
Women experience addiction more than men, with 64% of women compared with 55% of men reporting the symptoms of addiction.
Interestingly, respondents addicted to other behaviors were less likely to be addicted to the Internet. Only 48% of smokers, compared with 65% of non-smokers, experience addiction. The margin between drinkers and non-drinkers was narrower, with 57% of drinkers and 64% of non-drinkers describing themselves as Internet addicts.
Among respondents who felt addicted, teenagers between 13 and 17 were worst off, with 73% reporting addiction. As respondents get older, they reported subsequently less addiction, with the exception of those 65 and over, who feel more addicted than their counterparts between 45 and 64.
The poll found that the Internet users who spend the most time online were the least likely to be Internet addicts. Those between 45 and 54, on average, spend the most time each week online, reporting almost 40 hours of browsing each week. Teens, who feel the most addicted spend the least amount of time online, reporting only 22.3 hours per week of use.

As the world wide web continues to spread its wings everyday and reach new and obscure places, internet users continue to develop it further and make it more desirable everyday. Today you can find a 7-year-old child playing games on his laptop and a 16-year-old teen spending hours everyday on sites like MySpace and Facebook - even to chat with friends they just spent 8 hours with in school!

There is no doubt about the fact that the spread of internet has brought endless opportunities and has been a great help to mankind. But as we know, with every positive thing there is some negativity attached. I think the primary demerit of the internet today is that it offers so much that it becomes irresistible and has an overpowering effect on our day-to-day life. We seem to pass 15 hours in front of computer without blinking and don't realize it. It seems that MySpace and YouTube is more important then going out and having a chat or playing on the field with friends. This is nothing but a sort of an addiction to this virtual world, something which has become much more than indispensable.

So here are some tips which will help you overcome your obsession for the virtual world. Because you know that excess of anything, whether good or bad, is bad.

Imagine life without the internet
I think this is the first step towards overcoming that obsession. Just sit and think for a while that what would you do if suddenly a deadly virus crashes everything. Sounds impossible, huh ? But what if something like that does happen. I know people like me who work full time online would be screwed :-). But really, is the internet indestructible?

If you think it's not and it may perish some day like every human being, then why are you obsessed with it? Just treat it as an important but a non-living object which is a part of your life, but not the ' heart ' of your life. Whatever important stuff you've got stored on the internet, whether it's emails, pictures, etc., get a backup. That'll help to eliminate the fear that if you don't go online for a day you might lose something.

Go out and get a life
Grab every opportunity to meet people in person rather than meeting them online for a chat. That'll give you an excuse to leave your desk and take time out.

A Day offline
If you spend hours everyday online, then try to go offline for one day in the week, even if you're home. It won't be easy and you would keep getting a fierce urge to just log on and check your email or your website stats or anything which you do everyday online. But be firm and restrict yourself from touching the computer or even going online on your mobile phone.

In fact this would be a real test of the fact whether you are actually addicted to the internet. If things like television, newspapers, etc. are successfully able to distract you and keep you offline for a day, then it's time to celebrate !

A Vacation offline
If you really think that you are obsessed with the internet to the point that it is disrupting your normal life and having an adverse effect on your health, then just take a vacation and don't carry your laptop with you. Now vacations are meant to keep you away from everything, but those who are addicted to the internet, won't spare their vacations either. Hence you should make sure that there is no way for you to go online during your vacation. You may find it weird initially, when you can't use something which you are so heavily dependent on but slowly you'll realize that you're going good on your vacation without it too. And this realization could end your obsession for it.

It's weird that a person like me, who earns his living full time online as a blogger and freelance writer, talks about internet addiction. Well, it's not that I don't spend hours online, but I am conscious of the fact that internet addiction can be bad and hence am always checking myself that I use it only when required and don't get obsessed with it.

So are you addicted to the internet ? If yes then how has it affected your life so far ? And how do you plan to get rid of the addiction ?