Internet Addiction: An issue of government policy or a personal responsibility?
BIS 421/CSS 411 - Spring 2010
“Why is it drug addicts and computer aficionados are both called users?” – Clifford Stoll
Introduction
There is no doubt the presence of the internet is increasing at a rapid pace. A Pew Internet and American Life Project study finds two thirds of all Americans use the internet to frequently participate in internet related activities (Fellows, 2008). Another study shows that 55% of all Americans have high speed internet in their homes and even higher among college or academic arenas.
For the past decade or two, Internet is a channel that promotes an access to information and communication in the global world. It is one of the most powerful tool. Now-a-days, an access to the internet has become easier than ever, whether we are using a computer, phone or tablets. There is no doubt that people are spending more and more time online. Because many people use the internet for their career and education, it is hard to differentiate between the normal usage and excessive usage of the internet. We all use web at a normal level, but when it becomes compulsory for survival it becomes an addiction.
In his article “internet addiction”, published in 2010 by Reason Magazine, Greg Beato tries to show how internet addiction, an excessive behavior brought up by the psychiatrist Ivan Gilbert, is an important issue for the society and why it should be considered as a behavior disorder. He supports his thesis by using a lot of evidence such as graphics, statistics, and researches. Although, Beato’s arguments about the causes of internet addiction and the reasons why it should add to the DSM are mostly true, some of his observations on the future are pessimistic.
Many say, “I can stop whenever I want to,” or “I do not use that much; I have friends who use much more than that.” These speakers’ rationalizations do not reference drugs or alcohol use, but, surprisingly, Internet addiction. According to the article “Hooked on the Web: Help is on the Way” by Sarah Kershaw, “Specialists estimate that six to ten percent of the approximately 189 million Internet users in this country have a dependency that can be as destructive as alcoholism and drug addiction.” This global problem must be addressed and can be reduced if users will go to therapy for their Internet addiction.
This online article was useful for my research because it showed how over use of technology impact on people. This article also gives background information on internet addiction and internet dependence. The source is one of the best sources used in my research due to the fact that it had some of the basic information about the harmful effect of becoming so much dependent on technology.
Internet addiction is a growing problem with more and more people. The internet is much more accessible to people now than it was just a few years ago. The internet provides people with entertainment, loads of information, and an escape from everyday life, but like anything else, too much a good thing can be addictive. This paper will cover what internet addiction is, warning signs of internet addiction, problems caused by internet addiction, who develops internet addiction, preventing and treating internet addiction, and safety guidelines for internet users.
The internet is an essential tool in everyday life. The age of a person does not matter, because whether they are a teen, an adult, or an elderly person in order to stay in contact with others they will need the internet. However, the internet is dangerously addictive. Some studies say that the internet is not the addiction, but the means of getting to the addiction. The more believable of the two studies are the ones that discuss the internet being the addiction. Curtis stated in 2012 that reports on the brain are showing that people who excessively use the internet show abnormalities similar to people who suffer from substance addiction. Curtis also stated that internet addiction was becoming
As recommended by Dr. Pinhas Dannon, psychiatrist from Tel Aviv University’s Sackler Faculty of Medicine, the disorder (internet addiction) should be grouped with other extremely addictive disorders such as gambling, sex addiction, and kleptomania. (Nauert) Many Americans exposed to the internet find themselves enveloped in the entertaining world of the “Net.” As argued by those in support of internet restriction and censorship, the act of spending excessive amounts of time on the computer results in crumbling relationships and disinteg...
Technology is a vast body of knowledge in which it is used to create tools, develop skills, and to collect materials. Technology includes anything that can improve your life overall. The most used technology in today’s age and time is the internet. Mark Griffiths, Ph.D. in Psychology, states that the internet has become a space for individuals to freely communicate with others who share the same interests at little or no cost (217). In 1973, communication overall went to a greater level with the creation of the mobile phone. Cell Phones have made it possible to keep people in touch while there on the go. Over time cell phones have evolved at such a fast rate that they now are capable of using the internet which was once limited to your desktop computer. When I walk down the street I constantly see people walking with their phones up and their heads down looking at the device in their hands. Adolescents are very guilty of these actions. Sherry Turkle, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, states that the internet can be used as a “safe space for the personal experim...
Abstract— This research examines three questions: Does Internet addiction really exist? If it does exist what criteria does one have to meet for them to be labeled as an Internet addict? And lastly an ethical evaluation of Internet addiction. The questions are explored by investigating the fundamentals of addiction (i.e., Compulsion, Obsession, living problems, lack of satisfaction) and then correlating them to excessive Internet use. This research concludes that whilst the concept of Internet addiction cannot be completely ruled out, the majority and most probable explanation when it comes to Internet addiction is that the Internet is being as a medium to engage in different types of addictions.