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. (Saville et al, 2010). Needless to say, the possibility of becoming addicted to the internet is now easier than ever. The average American is presented with internet opportunities everywhere he/she turns; daily activity is analogous to running a digital gamut. Reading the newspaper or a book, watching TV, saying hello to an old friend, purchasing you Mother’s day flowers all can be done on the internet. Is all of this digital connectivity a good thing or are we taking it too far. The following paper will attempt to define internet addiction; present pending disorders correlated to the increased use of the internet; solutions implemented abroad and then propose a U.S. public policy to combat the battle.
Internet is a big problem in our society today. Many people use internet without knowing it, even I use internet without knowing that I am using too much I consider myself as an addict because I check my Facebook at least 3 times a day and text every time while I eat too. In high school, I used to use my phone in the class because it was allowed in class and teacher didn’t mind but in college I have to tell myself to not use phone in class since it is very important to achieve my goals and get a degree.
According to Internet Live Stats, 40% of the world’s population has access to the internet today. In 1995, this number was less than 1%. The first billion was reached in 2005, the second billion in 2010, and the third billion in 2014. With these overwhelming numbers, it can be presumed that having access to the Internet has never been so easy. In fact, we are so conditioned to this technology that most of our tasks depend on it to be done. Nowadays, most of the school work is done online and when looking for a job a lot of times it is required to be computer savvy. Of course the internet is not all bad, but becoming so dependent on this can surely have severe consequences. CNN released an article evaluating internet addiction. According to this article, “A 2014 study determined that about 16% of 18- to 25-year-olds are involved in compulsive Internet use” (CNN, Adair). Psychologist Catherine Steiner-Adair further explains:
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.
There have been many studies performed to research the idea of Internet addiction. It is just like any other addiction, including gambling, alcoholism, and eating disorders, and all of which destroy families in one way or another. Experiments created by psychologists and sociologists to explain the addiction resemble those of pathological gamblers described in the DSM-IV.[1] Using that information, a survey was made to determine if users have Internet addiction. The questionnaire includes eight questions such as “Do you feel the need to use the Internet with increasing amounts of time in order to achieve satisfaction?” and “Do you use the Internet as a way of escaping from problems or of relieving a dysphoric mood?” Participants who answered yes to five or more of the questions were considered addicted Internet users.
Computer Addiction
Have you ever thought how much time do you spend using on a computer in a day/week? Computers are as common in numerous households around the world. People from all age groups are learning to operate computers and anyone who has worked with computers for long periods of time knows that computers can be just as addicting as drinking every night of the week. Take further, Computer addiction can have a number of physical, social, and psychological effects on a person, and it is to be taken as seriously as any other addiction that a person is against, but what are those possible effects of spending too much time on the computer, and what are the causes.
There are many causes for people are addicting on the computer.
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.
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.
According to www.telegraph.co.uk, “[y]oung people aged between 16 and 24 spend more than 27 hours a week on the internet.” Certainly this much internet usage would have an effect on someone. What exactly is the effect of using the internet too much? Nicholas Carr’s article “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” argues that we are too reliant on the internet and it is making the us dim-witted and shortens our attention span. While Clive Thompson’s article “Smarter than You Think: How Technology Is Changing Our Minds for the Better” states that technology is not only a collection of knowledge, it also a method of sharing and recording our own knowledge. I fall between both Carr and Thompson. I agree with car on his points of us being too reliant on the internet but disagree when he states that it is making us less intelligent. Meanwhile, I also support Thompson’s statement that the internet allows us to assimilate vast amounts of knowledge but disagree with his opinion on how we should be reliant on