FREE ESSAY ON INTERNET ADDICTION

INTERNET ADDICTION

Research Paper Theme: Social Impact of the Internet 8 October 1997 ABSTRACT The Internet
is the largest source of information in the world today. With its web sites and chat
rooms, it is a
means of communicating with people in places all over the face of the earth. Since its
conception
in 1973, the Internet has grown at a whirlwind rate. 51 million adults, were on-line as
of the
second quarter 1997 in the United States alone. Some say that the Internet is so
enjoyable that it
is almost addictive. The problem is that researchers are beginning to agree with them.
Studies are
revealing that there may be an actual form of addiction involved with over-use of the
Internet.
Identifying which category of addiction the Internet falls into is the problem. There are
no real
answers yet because research in this area is at the beginning stages. While lost in this
so called
'Cyber Community' for long periods of time, people are neglecting other important
activities like;
time with the family, socializing, work and health concerns. One of the most extensive
studies on
Internet Addiction to date was conducted by Dr. Kimberly S. Young of the University of
Pittsburgh at Bradford. In her study, she revealed concrete evidence supporting the
Internet
Addiction claim. However, help for web addicts is available. There are several web sites
available
for the treatment of Internet addiction, as well as counseling centers and clinics. Is it
Live, or is it
Internet? Internet Addiction The Internet is the largest most versatile source of
information in the
world today. With its web sites and chat rooms, it is a means of communicating with
people in
places all over the face of the earth. But with all this power at our fingertips, are
there any
negative impacts of using this interface? Are we as 'simple humans' capable of
interacting with
such a powerful communication source. Recent studies are beginning to uncover evidence
that
would suggest that maybe some of us are not so capable of dealing with this technology.
In fact,
as more research is conducted, experts are finding that the Internet may even be
addictive!
Development of the Internet began about 15 years ago. In 1973 the U.S. Defense Research
Projects Agency initiated a program to research the techniques and technologies for
inter-linking
various types of networks.1 The objective was to develop communication protocols that
would
allow networked computers to communicate transparently across multiple, linked networks.
This
was called the internetting project and the system of networks that emerged from the
research was
known as the Internet. Since that time, various other research projects, to include
those
conducted by the U.S. National Science Foundation and the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration, have shaped and tailored this project to give us the Internet as we know
it today.
(1) The Internet has now grown to include over 4500 Service Providers in the United
States
alone. A survey by Christian Huitema of Bellcore indicated that there were 26 million
host
computers on the Internet as of September 1997.2 A survey conducted by Intelli Quest
Information Group Inc. showed that 51 million adults, age 16 or older, were on-line as of
the
second quarter 1997 in the United States alone.3 With such a large portion of the
population
swimming in this seemingly never-ending sea of information, what is the real impact of
the
Internet on society? It seems that the majority of society thinks the Internet is the
greatest
invention since the telephone. This is probably best justified by the whirlwind rate at
which the
Internet grows. In fact, some say that the Internet is so enjoyable that it is almost
addicting! The
problem is that recent studies have shown that the Internet may not only be addicting
because it is
enjoyable, but that a fairly large number of users are experiencing addiction of a
clinical form.4
Identifying which category of addiction the Internet falls into is another problem. There
are no
real answers yet because research in this area is at the beginning stages. A few
researchers are
comparing the Internets effects to marijuana as a psychostimulant. They argue that the
chemicals
in marijuana activate the same stimuli as the Internet.5 Most researchers to this date
do, however,
agree that this is some type of behavioral addiction. People can become addicted to
activities even
when there is no physiological dependence or physiological addiction. Overeating, sex,
work,
exercise and gambling can be addictive if done to excess.6 Behavioral addiction means (2)
that the
activity alters your emotional state in some way. The main way to determine if an
activity is
addictive is if it is having a negative impact on some other important area of your life.
The
questions to be answered now are, if there is such a thing as Internet addiction, what
are the
effects of this addiction and why are people falling into this trap? According to Dr.
Maressa
Orzack of the Computer Addiction Services at Harvard University's McClean Hospital in
Boston,
"The single greatest factor in becoming an addict is boredom." "They're lonely, and the
Internet,
with its chat rooms and endless information, fills a need."7 The chat rooms, whether they
are used
for sexual and romantic encounters or just to talk to other people around the world, seem
to be
the number one temptation. Others include fantasy games and the ability to create false
identities
of oneself. Although this ability to create a false identity is not one of the main
lures, it does play a
major role when looking at the psychological effects of the Internet. Identity is a key
factor in
everyone's life. Without a sense of identity, or a confused identity, people have
difficulty
socializing with others. They also have a difficult time dealing with stress and the real
world and
therefore resort to other measures where there is no direct contact with other people. On
the
Internet, there is no direct communication. Therefore an insecure person or a person with
low
self-esteem does not have to worry about what the person on the other end of the link
thinks
about them. They may modify their identity, work position, marital status, or any (3)
other of a
number of characteristics that affect their role in life. The real problem with this
addiction,
however, is its sociological effects. A number of people say that the Internet is like
traveling. They
say each trip is like a new journey and you never know where it is going to take you. The
problem
is that they spend so much time on the net that they withdraw from regular society. They
escape
reality into a culture with no real boundaries or existence. While lost in this so called
'Cyber
Community' for long periods of time, they are neglecting other important activities like;
time with
the family, socializing, work and health concerns. Internet abuse has been cited as a
contributing
factor in the disintegration of marriages and families, and the collapse of promising
careers.8 But
is there really a problem or are researchers just looking for something that is not
actually there?
One of the most extensive studies on Internet Addiction to date was conducted by Dr.
Kimberly
S. Young of the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. In her study, Dr. Young determined
that
Non-dependents were able to control the amount they used the Internet and reported no
adverse
effects due to its use. However, dependents reported significant changes to their lives
because
they had simply lost control over there ability to limit the amount of time they used the
Internet.9
She compared the use of the Internet to criteria traditionally utilized for other
established
addictions and found significant identical values.9 She did, however, state that the
Internet itself is
not addictive, but that specific areas such as the chat rooms, play a significant role in
the (4)
development of the addiction. Research is not, however, the only evidence that a problem
exists.
As the Internet continues to expand, the number of horror stories increases. In
Cincinnati, a
mother was arrested for neglecting her three young children because she was spending too
much
time on the Internet. 7 It was reported that she was spending 12 hours a day on line
while her kids
were locked in a room in a filthy apartment. In addition to this case, all one has to do
is browse
the Internet addiction sites to find many other people and their individual stories. Now
you will
probably ask, If there really is an addiction, what are the symptoms and is help
available? The list
of Internet Addiction symptoms is long. Most Researchers in this area stated that any
combination
of the symptoms could identify a person as an addict. The symptoms include: -- You
neglect
important family activities, social events, work responsibilities, academic projects or
health
concerns to spend hours on the Internet. -- A significant person, such as a boss, close
friend or
partner, has complained you're spending too much time or money on the Internet. -- You
are
constantly anticipating your next on-line session. -- It becomes impossible to cut back
on your
Internet time. -- Losing track of time once on-line. -- You check your email
compulsively. (5) --
You develop cravings and withdrawal symptoms when you are away from the computer. -- You
skip meals, classes or appointments to get on the Internet. -- You would rather talk to
people
on-line than face-to-face. -- You sleep less than five hours a night so you can spend
more time
on-line. -- You are having increased difficulty discussing matters not related to the
Net. The
dilemma here is that most people will not admit they have a problem (as with most other
addictions). Some researchers state that people may be using the Internet to substitute
for other
addictions. When someone finally realizes they have a problem, however, help is
available. There
are a number of web sites available for the treatment of Internet addiction. They include
sites like
Welcome to the Web Addicts Detox Page or "The Internet Anonymous Virtual Meeting Page."
There is even software available for addicts. One such package is Graham's Mac
Shareware.
However, trying to cure on-line addiction by going on-line is probably not the best
answer. Face
to face counseling is probably the best method for dealing with this problem. The
availability of
this type of counseling is expanding rapidly. Over the past two years, two major clinics
have also
been established to treat this addiction. One that was mentioned earlier is at Harvard
University's
McClean Hospital in Boston. The other is the Center for On-Line Addiction at the
University of
Pittsburgh at Bradford. The latter is Directed by Dr. Kimberly S. (6) Young whose
research was
also mentioned earlier. To this date, her clinic alone has reviewed more than 400
Internet
Addiction cases.8 The Internet has grown rapidly since its beginnings in 1973. It has
spread to all
corners of the earth bringing multitudes of information and communication capabilities to
people
everywhere. The problem for some people is that it may be too much to control. Addiction
to the
Internet affects the victim both psychologically and socially. Research in this area is
still in the
beginning phases, but the results warrant further studies. If you feel that you are
losing control,
help is available both on and off-line. However, the best advice offered by experts for
when you
begin losing touch with reality is to just pull the plug. (7) 
Bibliography
Bibliography 
WORKS CITED 1.) Cerf, Vint. A Brief History of the Internet Internet History. (12 Sep 97)
2.)
Gehl, John & Douglas Suzanne. "Internet Keeps Growing and Growing." Edupage. 16 Sep 97
3.)
INTELLI QUEST. Internet Survey. Internet News. 04 Sep 97 (08 Sep 97) 4.) Smith, J.W.
Internet Addiction Internet Addiction.. 15 Nov 96 (11 Sep 97) 5.) Blakley, Ben. Mouse
Potatoes & the Net, Is the Internet Addictive? The Internet is Addictive!" Internet
Addiction. (11
Sep 97) 6.) Internet Addiction Internet Addiction. (11 Sep 97) 7.) Gong, E.J. Jr. ABC
News.com. Internet Addiction. (11 Sep 97) 8.) Tate, Gary Welcome to my Internet
Addiction
Page. Internet Addiction. 4 Sep 97 (11 Sep 97) 9.) Young, Kimberly S. Internet Addiction:
The
Emergence of a New Clinical Disorder." Internet Addiction. (11 Sep 97)