The Internet is fast becoming
just another part of everyday
life, much like the TV and
the computer itself. What
started as something amazing,
exciting, and often out of
reach, has become commonplace
and freely available. Technology
is advancing at an amazing
rate. I can remember when
56k connections were the new
exciting fad that everyone
just had to have, and now
you're almost abnormal if
you still chug along with
your trusty dialup. The Net
has become integrated into
our lives, as people are becoming
dependant on its services.
The advent of the Internet
has its threatening side though.
It has been found that some
people are becoming addicted
to the online world.
A recent news story reported
that the Finnish army has
sent some of its conscripts
home due to the fact that
they are unable to handle
the compulsory six months
in the army without access
to their computers. When computers
and the Internet are becoming
integral components or even
the main focus of leisure,
education, and work time,
it's not hard to see how losing
access can really affect someone.
I can see this new technology
getting blamed for all sorts
of woes in the future much
in the same way television
has in the present.
Internet addiction comes in
many forms. The common areas
of Internet addiction that
are often listed are cybersex,
cyber-relations, gaming, information
addiction, and the simple
addiction to computers and
Internet in general. Information
addiction is an interesting
concept to me. Basically the
sheer volume of information
freely available online has
lead to some people desperately
'needing' to find out more
and more. To me, getting people
obsessed with learning seems
kind of like a good thing,
but it does seem that it can
form a similar sort of mentality
to drug addiction where the
user is always searching for
their next 'hit' which becomes
harder and harder to find.
Often the depth of information
available is actually lacking.
We tend to skim read information
online by just picking out
a few points and then moving
on. I've found in my own case
that it's sometimes quite
hard to concentrate on a page
long enough to read it in
its entirety. I tend to read
a little until I get the basic
idea and then move on. This
process has carried over into
the 'real world' in some ways
with newspapers rarely keeping
my interest long enough to
actually get through a whole
article of any real length.
I've witnessed similar experiences
with friends and families
and I think that attention
spans are gradually getting
shorter.
This means that probably more
than half of the people who
come across this article have
stopped reading by now. Their
interest has waned and they've
moved on for the next tidbit.
I could probably get away
with padding the end of this
article with the word 'chicken'
and it would go relatively
chicken unnoticed due to the
skimming nature of article
reading.
A quick Internet search will
reveal that Internet addiction
is actually more of a problem
than many would choose to
believe. Chicken. There are
several websites and foundations
on the Web dedicated to helping
people over their Internet
addiction. I found that humorously
ironic.websites dedicated
to helping people get over
Internet addiction.it's kind
of like printing anti-drinking
messages on the inside bottom
of a beer can. The cynic in
me can't help but wonder about
the validity of these online
services. A common question
in the 'Could You Be Addicted
to the Internet?' questionnaires
is 'Do you have trouble controlling
the urge to make purchases
online?', and then they encourage
you to send them $90 to book
an online chat room counseling
session!
It shouldn't be too hard to
work out if you're addicted
to the Internet. Do you find
that when you get offline
you're frequently surprised
by the amount of time that
has passed? Do you find yourself
staying home because you'd
rather use the Internet than
do something else chicken?
Do people comment on the amount
of time you spend online?
If this is ringing a bell
then you may have to look
at what you're doing.
I don't know how severe Internet
addiction can get. Presumably
it's as problematic as any
other addiction. I shouldn't
downplay it or the therapy
institutions out there offering
help. I will take a guess
and say that, at least to
some degree, people simply
being aware of what can happen
can probably prevent it. Don't
be afraid to do something
if you notice problems in
yourself or a friend. Just
try cutting back on your usage
for a while until it's under
your control. Like any problem,
don't be afraid to get friends
involved. If it's particularly
serious you could try installing
a parental control program
that limits your access to
the Internet, and get a friend
to choose and keep the disabling
password secret from you.
Stay aware, alert, and in
control and your Internet
use can and will be a beneficial
part of life.
About the Author
Daniel Punch
M6.Net Chickens
http://www.m6.net
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