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Internet Addiction
- 3
And yet, watching elms shimmer in the bright fall sunshine on a flashy
website is not the same as actually strolling through a wood of shimmering
elms.
Simulation is seductive; it avoids imperfections, cracks, rough edges.
Fake things can seem more compelling than the real.
Ultimately, it’s a matter of balance and awareness. There is no
question that computers and the Internet are here to stay. The most
important question is: How can we get the best of both?
Time Leakage
Handling email and "surfing the Web" can eat hours from each day. Bit
by bit, our days dribble away, trickling out our modems. Every hour behind
the keyboard is 60 minutes not spent doing something else. During the
hours you spend online, you could instead plant a garden, volunteer at a
senior citizen’s home, teach your child (or a neighborhood kid) to catch a
pop fly, throw a vase on a potter’s wheel. It’s all about balance. Is
there something you’d feel better about doing?
When the Internet Becomes a Problem
People get addicted to all sorts of things: drugs, eating, gambling,
exercising, spending, sex, etc. Problematic addiction can be defined as
anything that never really satisfies needs, that ultimately causes
unhappiness and disrupts lives.
Here are some questions psychologists offer to help you assess if you
are indeed addicted:
- Are you neglecting important things in your life because of this
behavior?
- Is this behavior disrupting your relationships with important people
in your life?
- Do important people in your life get annoyed or disappointed with
you about this behavior?
- Do you get defensive or irritable when people criticize this
behavior?
- Do you ever feel guilty or anxious about what you are doing?
- Have you ever found yourself being secretive about or trying to
"cover up" this behavior?
- Have you ever tried to cut down, but were unable to?
- Is there a hidden need that drives this behavior?
I you answered yes to one or two of these questions there is cause for
concern. If you answered yes to three or more of them, this could mean
trouble.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
