Comments on: When Does Internet Activity Become an Addiction?

By: Elizabeth Noagi

Elizabeth Noagi — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 18:04:23 +0000

Reading the comments, I agree with Katy and Sara, it’s not the drug but a person’s natural inclination to addiction that needs to be addressed. In which case, perhaps “internet addition” is too general. So how do you get specific and cover all the variations of addictions that are supported by internet based experiences? Most of the examples I’m familiar with started with on-line gaming as a social activity to connect with people and escalated from this entry point. I guess we could name them based on where they placed on a sliding scale. And how ironic is it that you can go on-line to take a diagnostic test that will tell you if you are addicted to the internet

By: Tracey

Tracey — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:17:18 +0000

Thank you for the post! I’d say I’m addicted but only because what I love doing is abled by what the internet can do for me. If I can get it done without having to use the internet. I’d happily trade in my internet cafe hours and hang up my mouse. I actually feel more amused than shocked at your part on Asia. It is true that this has become a high profile issue that (as you mentioned) many countries are taking seriously. However, I think it is also important to recognize the differences in culture that creates this direct effect in Asia’s teens and the way they use the internet.

By: Holly Wood

Holly Wood — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 04:36:55 +0000

This was a really interesting blog post, thank you. I agree with everyone’s comments in regards to the article as well. First of all, I think it’s outrageous that someone would pay $14,500 for internet rehab. I may be going out on a limb here when saying this, but I think this is another opportunity for desperate psychologists and therapists to capitalize on people’s fears by pushing another psychological disorder through the American Psychiatric Association. There are too many entities involved here who are profiting from this, and the rehab center in Redmond is one of them (where they probably have found a niche market). If someone is using the internet excessively, obsessively looking at explicit websites or playing video games exceedingly to the point where it’s disrupting daily life, perhaps the source and cause of what is driving them to do so should be identified first before another addiction is added to the long list of classified addictions. In the case of China, internet use is already regulated so this seems like another attempt for the government to control the people. We are in an age of sensory overload where entertainment and information sources are unlimited and omnipresent, therefore easily distracting almost all of us at times. It almost reminds me of the thought police from George Orwell’s 1984.

By: Sara Niegowski

Sara Niegowski — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 00:36:21 +0000

It’s no surprise that there’s such a high rate of co-morbidity. It reminds of me of Shirky’s sentiment in “Here Comes Everybody” that “the tools are simply a way of channeling existing motivation.” It seems as if the Internet is just a new and easier way to compound social or addictive tendencies that already exist–it doesn’t create the obsessive need to text (think of how much time teens used to spend on the land line before cell phones …), look at porn, or play games. I agree with Nicole that it seems like in many cases it may be the activity itself that’s an addiction, not the digital means.

By: Katy Balatero

Katy Balatero — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 23:10:28 +0000

Adding to Nicole’s comment that the internet is a tool that has replaced many other things we used to use, I don’t think that what someone uses the internet for or even necessarily how much time per day they spend online is an indicator of addiction. What’s more important is how online activities influence your ability to function in other aspects of your life — taking care of yourself, doing your job, having face-to-face interactions with other people, etc.

By: Nicole Pairlee

Nicole Pairlee — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 18:23:09 +0000

The problem with calling it an “Internet addiction” is that we use the internet for so many things: information, research, communication, media consumption, entertainment, recreation, etc. The Internet does provide easy accessibility to current addictions, and makes it easy to find new ones. But it’s the content or activity that we are addicted to, not the medium.