Persuasive Essay On Internet Addiction

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. Researchers are seeking a clarification of the term “Internet addiction.” It is debatable whether the compulsive use of the Internet should …show more content…

According to Kershaw, “the Internet 's omnipresent offers of escape from reality, affordability, accessibility and opportunity for anonymity can also lure otherwise healthy people into an addiction.” The Internet has a wide variety of information and activities available to anyone on a computer. Because the Internet is easily accessible everywhere, it is simple for anyone to spend countless hours on the computer and eventually develop an addiction. Additionally, biological factors in a human 's brain can increase the chances of a person becoming addicted. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that plays a role in the reward and pleasure center of the brain. It also helps to control emotions. Sharon Jayson explains this concept in her article, “Ever-present Devices Can Push Our Crazy Buttons.” In this article, psychiatrist Steve Daviss of the Baltimore Washington Medical Center claims, "There 's good evidence the feedback we get from technology -- the retweets and bings and pings that come out of the phone every time somebody sends us a text message -- create a reward system in the brain that gives us a little squirt of dopamine each time" (qtd. in Jayson). Therefore, every time we use technology, we want to use it more and it may become …show more content…

Kershaw provides an example of the negative effect of Internet addiction in the article “Hooked on the Web: Help is on the Way”. Mike is a 34 year old man who addresses his Internet addiction problem and seeks treatment. Before seeking treatment, Mike struggled with alcohol and drug abuse and depression along with Internet addiction. He often spent countless hours using the computer to search news and sports information. He never felt it was a problem because he liked it so much and used it in his everyday life. However, Internet addiction started to impact Mike’s life. He became unemployed and lived with his mother. It also affected his social interaction; he would rather be on the computer than be around other people (Kershaw). Another case where computer addiction is found to be a problem is in some Asian countries. Elizabeth Cooney, in her article “Some People Need Help To Kick Their Internet and Computer Gaming Obsessions” reports that “attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in girls and hostility in boys can predispose children to later Internet addiction, which they estimate affects 4 percent of children in Korea and 15 percent in China.” Furthermore, there have been reports of death due to Internet addiction as well. In Korea, a man died because he did not perform basic survival skills such as eating and sleeping for 50 hours due to his Internet addiction (Cooney). In the article “Computer