Internet Addiction

I just realised that I have a problem. And it’s probably the same with what you’re facing too. Let me go back in time a little bit. Back in 2000, when I was first introduced to the wonders of internet (in a Computer course in Blok M district of South Jakarta), the concept of internet seemed very foreign to me. Internet seemed more like a “software that I could play” instead of a “means of connecting to the rest of the world”. Such a point of view was understandable, considering that I was still 11 at the time. When my family moved to Bali in 2002, I started to get hooked up with downloading wallpapers and playing the online game Runescape that a friend introduced me. But it didn’t go for an addiction yet, because I thought back then that an average of two hours internet a

Internet addiction: a realityRoundup, CA - 5 minutes agoI would invite IAD-skeptics to watch a World of Warcraft player go about their day. Having played WoW for more than three years off and on, I can guarantee … Written by Google Inc. and Powered by WordPress

:JUNKFOOD SCIENCE is asking whether I suffer from IAD or not. Well... And seems I am under the threat to be labeled with the newest mental disorder that is called: Internet Addiction Disorder.According to the American Journal of Psychiatry excessive Internet and computer usage may cause to the mental disease, that definitely, does not sound too lovely. What components make scientists think that it is really disorder?The American Journal of Psychiatry figures out the following:1) excessive use, often associated with a loss of sense of time or a neglect of basic drives,2) withdrawal, including feelings of anger, tension, and/or depression when the computer is inaccessible,3) tolerance, including the need for better computer equipment, more software, or more hours of use,4) negative repercuss

The Low-Tech Times previously reported that excessive hi-tech habits can lead to stress, cause health problems, ruin relationships, and damage the environment.  Now, Dr. Jerard J. Block claims that internet addiction appears to be a condition that should be included in the next edition of the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.  Here is an [...]

Donna Seale at Human Rights in the Workplace is continuing our discussion on the differences between American and Canadian disability discrimination law and Internet addiction. Her latest is as follows: As for Mr. Hyman's comments that even if an employer paused to consider accommodating an Internet addicted employee the employee would still have to perform the essential duties of the job, I completely agree. Where we part company is on the approach to the actual question of accommodation. While it may not be easy to think up possible ways an employer could accommodate an Internet addicted employee who needed to use the Internet and e-mail to do her job, the law in this country still requires an employer to engage in that process. Failure to actually engage a process to consider what

Last week, I asked whether the ADA affored protection to Internet addicts. I concluded that the ADA would not protect an employee who spends all hours of the workday surfing the Web for non-work reasons: Rest assured, though, that even if the DSM recognizes Internet or email addiction as a bona fide mental disorder, employers should still be able reasonably to regulate use at work without running afoul of the ADA. Just as the ADA does not entitle an employee who claims sex addiction to sexually harass co-workers, the ADA is almost certainly not going to permit an Internet addict not to perform his or her job. Donna Seale at Human Rights in the Workplace, a blog on Canadian employment law issues, suggests that under Canadian discrimination laws, the result might be different: While I

In 2000 when I started reading books and looking at research on internet addiction I saw this as a growing problem but at the same time I could not imagine how much of a problem it would be when I am writing this in 2008. Now it is estimated that around 10% of people using the internet are having some problem in their life related to the overuse o the internet. Even though it so new we are not seeing the statistic I would think internet addiction are one of the main reason of kids dropping out of schools today.It is now not just the drugs that are our main concern on the issue of kids dropping out of schools, now we also need to worry about e.g. those kids playing MMORPG (Massive multiplayer online role playing games). We could hope those problems will not getting worse. But if we look at

I don't think many people doubt at this point that the internet and gaming can be much like any addiction... One MD reaches out to the medical community, urging them to take steps to combat what he sees as a virtual epidemic with very real effects. Anyone familiar with South Park's 2007 Emmy winning episode Make Love, Not Warcraft knows that popular culture has already started to

There is no doubt that addiction is a protected disability under the ADA and Ohio's parallel law. The Department of Labor provides the following helpful summary of the impact of the ADA on employees who have problems with drugs and alcohol: Employers may prohibit the illegal use of drugs and the use of alcohol in the workplace.The ADA is not violated by tests for illegal use of drugs (but remember to meet state requirements).Employers may discharge or deny employment to persons who currently engage in the illegal use of drugs.Employers may not discriminate against drug addicts who are not currently using drugs and have been rehabilitated or have a history of drug addiction.Employers may not discriminate against drug addicts who are currently in a rehabilitation program. (The EEOC has cla

While unlikely that this will end up in the DSM-IV anytime soon, the idea of internet addiction as a mental illness is nothing new. The question is, is this really a mental illness or the standard compulsive issue that people deal with. Or is it more of a necessity in today’s way of working than [...]

Okay, from Canada.com comes this little gem which got my blood ever so slightly boiling this morning. Compulsive e-mailing and text messaging could soon become classified as an official brain illness. An editorial in this month’s issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry says Internet addiction — including "excessive gaming, sexual pre-occupations and e-mail/text messaging" — is [...]

Internet addiction is described as an impulse control disorder which does not involve use of an intoxicating drug and is very similar to pathological gambling. Internet addiction results in personal, family, academic, financial and occupational problems that are characteristic of other addictions. There is help for Internet Addiction.

It is true that this world of internet is mesmerizing and anyone can be lost in its mysteries. This is precisely what is known as internet addiction. A leading newspaper survey revealed that an average man spends about three to four hours a day surfing the internet, but what about those who are spending more than twelve hours a day trying to decipher the mystery of this world? They are known as internet addicts!Talking to people all over the world, masking your identity and being what you wanted to be, reading about your favorite personality, gaming endlessly, etc. can be the various reasons for it. Surfing the internet can be termed addiction when the following happen.Ø You always think about what you did or said online, and what you would do the next time you log in.Ø You use as many h

While still excluded from the DSM IV TR, Internet addiction has graduated to a subject worthy of research. And not surprisingly, like all other addictive behaviors, what I like to call "temporary feel goods", are associated with a lot of other diagnoses. Avoiding negative emotions has serious consequences, beyond even addictions. CNS Spectrums Internet addiction were more likely to have MDD, dysthymic disorder, social phobia and adult ADHD than their unaffected counterparts. Adult ADHD is the most significant predictor for Internet addiction, followed by depressive disorders. Social phobia, however, was not correlated with Internet addiction in our sample after controlling for depressive disorders and adult ADHD. Further, depressive disorders and Internet addiction were associated in the

Internet addiction has led to skipping sleep, ignoring family responsibilities, and showing up late for work to fulfill their desire to visit chat rooms and surf the Web. The consequences were severe: Many suffered from marital problems, failed in school or lost a job, and accumulated debt. read more | digg story

Can you believe that these people actually have rehab centers set up for this so-called disorder? It's not supported by any evidence, and lots of doctors oppose it as a diagnosis. Besides, all of the supporters of this "disorder" are probably just pissed off that they grew up with Atari instead of XBox. So what if a person never leaves their home or allows their relationships to fail because they need to get to the next skill level in WoW? I won't believe that this a problem until there is REAL SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE--like inclusion in the DSM. If it's not there tomorrow--I'll just tell everybody that you are a liar for pretending that such a thing exists.Here's a quote that shows that somebody just made this up all on his own, and now they even have people conv

Excessive internet use should be defined as 'in terms of losses' as Maressa Hecht Orzack said. He is the professor at a Harvard University and director of Computer Addiction Services at McLean Hospital in Massachusetts.According to him, too much means when you start losing something from your life or usual activities as a result of the computer/internet activities. Orzack lists the following among the psychological symptoms or signs of computer addiction:Having a sense of well-being or euphoria while at the computer.Craving more and more time at the computer.Neglect of family and friends.Feeling empty, depressed or irritable when not at the computer.Lying to employers and family about activities.Inability to stop the activity.Problems with school or job.While the physical symptoms could be dry eyes, carpal tunnel syndrome, migraines, backaches, skipping meals, poor personal hygiene and sleep disturbances.It is okay to spend time on the internet, but don't let other things start to s

There's a bit of an addiction here. We spend way too much time on the Internet. My son is even on the computer. He plays games on preschool websites. I love that because he learns a lot. But I slowly began to realize it has to be tapered down....for all of us. We just get sucked in. So I bought a timer last week. This was definitely one of my better ideas. We put the timer on, and when it goes off- it's time to stop...no matter what. I started to use the timer with my son for other things too. It is absolutely fabulous! At three he doesn't understand what "five more minutes" is. Now, I'm not the bad guy anymore when bath time is over, or it's time to come inside from playing. I don't know why I didn't think of this sooner. Of course, I have to follow the law of the timer when I'm on the computer too. Gee I guess I didn't think this out that well after all......

The American Medical Association will be deciding this month whether or not to recommend that video game and Internet addiction should be included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, reports the Wall Street Journal on its Health Blog. The House of Delegates, the AMA’s decision-making body, will vote on the issue later this month. If it decides that excessive gaming constitutes a mental disorder, the decision will then be passed upward to the American Psychiatric Association, which has the final say on these matters. The decision to vote on the issue comes from a recommendation made by Mohamed K. Khan–chairman of the Council on Science and Public Health–in a 10-page report entitled “Emotional and Behavioral Effects, Including Addictive Potential, of Video Games.” Khan writes that “although video game overuse can be associated with any type of video game,” the most common to exhibit signs of addiction were players of

If you think that Internet addiction isn't a very serious phenomenon, think again. A recent news story discusses the steps government officials in China are taking to curb the soaring rate of addiction: "China bans new Internet cafes for a year."According to the article, "Internet cafes are often seen in China as hotbeds of juvenile crime. 'It is common to see students from primary and middle schools lingering in Internet bars overnight, puffing on cigarettes and engrossed in online games,' Xinhua quoted NPC deputy Yu Wen as saying in a separate report."So, exactly how big of a problem is Internet addiction? "Last year, a report from the China National Children's Center, a government think-tank, said that 13 percent of China's 18 million Internet users under 18 were Internet addicts."I'd be interested to see similar studies conducted in other countries. For example, what percent of the youth in the United States are suffering from Internet addiction? If anyone is familiar with th

The internet's like air, or water. Or sex: taken for granted until you don't have any. Last night, an internet backbone connection went down at my webhost, taking my site down along with countless others for six hours. Six hours without email or a working website seemed interminable to me. I may need to get outdoors more often.

Are you addicted to it? For me, I was addicted to the internet about 5 years ago. That time, although I knew myself that it was bad, but I couldn't leave my computer, really. I wanted to use internet every time or, at least, I had to check my email inbox to see whether there's any new mail or not. I didn't go out to see my friends, had a lunch, many more.Here are some signs that you might be addicted to the internet:You always want to check your email inbox, may be, every 5 minutes.You can't cut the internet connection and shut down your computer. You will leave it connected and you feel better if it still connected.You spend your times with chatting, surfing websites, checking emails or blogging on the internet.You get some sleep while using the internet. Yes, I mean, in the front of your computer.The addiction might not hurt you directly but, in fact, it does. You won't see its effects immediately but later on, when you getting older, your health will be worse comparing with oth