How often do you try to cut down the amount of time you spend online and fail?
18. How often do you try to hide how long you've been online?
19. How often do you choose to spend more time online over going out with others?
20. How often do you feel depressed, moody, or nervous when you are off-line, which goes away once you are back online?
Conclusion:
By conducting such an inventory, the user can accurately assess his or her involvement with the Internet and identify addictive tendencies. Unlike many other forms of addiction, such as alcoholism and drug addiction, the activity of Internet use is itself innocuous and distinctly beneficial in most situations. Where patterns of use become addictive, the appropriate response is to identify and address any underlying problems in the lives of users that are contributing to the need to escape, whether via the Internet or any other means.
Otherwise, the solution lies in developing a healthier perspective toward the activity without necessarily impugning Internet use as a problem in and of itself.
Ultimately, much of the current interest in the Internet may simply be a function of its relative newness and the rate at which its capabilities are continually...
In all
likelihood, in another decade or two, Internet addiction disorder will be as rare as telephone addiction or television addiction are today.
References
BeWebAware. (2007). Internet Addiction. Retrieved April 20, 2009 from the BWA
public website, at:
http://www.bewebaware.ca/english/INTERNETADDICTION.aspx
Center for Internet Addiction Recovery. (2008). Internet Addiction Test. Retrieved April
20, 2009 from the CIAR public website, at:
http://www.netaddiction.com/resources/internet_addiction_test.htm
Gerrig, R, Zimbardo, P. (2008). Psychology and Life. 18th Edition. New York: Allyn & Bacon.
Grohol, J. (1999). Internet Addiction Guide. Retrieved April 20, 2009 from the Argosy
University public website, at: Argosy University
http://psychcentral.com/netaddiction/
Macionis, J. (2003). Sociology. Princeton, NJ: Pearson.
Mostellar, R. (2009). "Why moms are at risk for Internet addiction." Retrieved April 20,
2009 from the CNN.com public website, at:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/04/13/mothers.internet.addiction/index.html
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