4 signs you're an Internet addict
Sure, we all use the Internet constantly these days—but an unhealthy addiction to the Internet is a very real health problem. Watch for these four signs of problem behaviour
By Jennifer Goldberg
It should come as no surprise to you that Canadians are spending more and more time on the Internet (you are reading this story online, after all). According to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), we spend an average of nearly 14 hours per week online.
However, surfing the web can become an addiction for some people, says Linda Bell, CEO of Bellwood Health Services, an addiction-treatment centre in Toronto that offers both publicly funded and fee-for-service programs. “An Internet addiction is the same as any other addiction—you get [online] and you find that your behaviour becomes out of control,” she explains.
The U.S.-based Center for Online Addiction Recovery defines Internet addiction as a compulsive behaviour that dominates a person’s life. Though cyber sex and pornography use are the most common types of Internet addictions, people can also become addicted to online chatting, shopping, gambling and even website surfing. Here’s how to tell if it’s time to seek help for an Internet addiction.
1. You’re spending more time online than with family or friends
Internet addicts will choose to spend time online rather than participate in social activities, says Bell. “I did an interview recently with someone who was into gaming online. He would spend over eight hours a day after work gaming and it was interfering with his social life,” she describes.
If your Internet use is out of control, you may find that your family and friends question why you’re choosing the computer over them or express concern about the amount of time you’re spending online.
2. You’re neglecting yourself and your work
“We have clients who will be online for 15 hours at a time and don’t eat or wash,” says Jennifer Kotry, a therapist at Bellwood who treats individuals with Internet addictions.
You don’t have to spend more than half your day online to be suffering the symptoms of an Internet addiction—it’s the way your Internet use negatively affects your life that determines whether or not you have a problem, notes Kimberly Young, a psychologist and director of the Center for Internet Addiction Recovery. If you find that your Internet use is causing you to neglect your health, your chores and your work, it may be time to seek help.
3. You’re using the Internet to alter your mood
“Those who are depressed are three times more likely to become hooked on the [Internet], those who suffer from anxiety disorders are twice as likely, and those who suffer from an addiction to alcohol and drugs are twice as likely,” says Young.
Those that compulsively use the Internet may find that going online helps relieve the symptoms of a mood disorder—but the relief is short-lived. A study conducted by the Stanford Institute for the Quantitative Study of Society found that the more people used the Internet, the less time they spent in contact with real people, which could lead to loneliness and isolation.
4. You think about the Internet even when you’re not online
As with addictions to drugs or alcohol, Internet addicts are constantly searching for their next fix. If you’re preoccupied with your next purchase on eBay or tactics in an online game, you may have a problem.
How to find help
Internet addiction may be treated in a number of ways, including counseling, cognitive-behavioural therapy, group therapy and medication to treat underlying symptoms of anxiety or depression. Speak to your family doctor for advice or find a therapist who specializes in addiction treatment.
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Web exclusive: November 2009
Well, being presently unemployed doesn't help. I spend half a day easy online, looking for work, reading and posting in various forums, and yes, watching live video streams. Because I'm unemployed, naturally I'm depressed, and I do smoke both cigarettes and (sometimes) marijuana. So, I guess I would be considered an addict. But it's an addiction that's easy to break, I think. 7 weeks ago, I was using the internet for maybe a half hour a day. I feel that once I find a job, and get back on my feet, my internet use will decline greatly.
Haaaa, I'm addicted... well, according to this article. I'm a very clean person, & the same goes for the apartment. I do, sometimes, choose to stay home rather than visit my family but if you knew my family then you would too. I'm just glad I'm not the worst case scenario. Interesting article... even though you're telling me to get help & all... jerk.
in response to dee (the previous commenter): maybe you should read the article. internet addition may not seem as explicitly dangerous as alcohol addition or the like, but that wasn't what this article was saying in the least. instead, the behaviour it described was indeed damaging, both to the person addicted and the people around him or her. as well, the article clearly acknowledged the positive factors of internet addiction by saying that it is short-lived. finally, how is an article that is describing the signs of internet addiction telling people to avoid the internet entirely? there are people who use the internet that are not addicted, and there are people who are addicted to the internet that don't read health articles. i could go on with counter-arguments to the points that you raised, but i really don't have the time. take care.
Without even reading this article, I'm going to say ; SO WHAT! If we are reading healthy things online then it's feeding our brain in a positive sense. We could sit idle long hours in front of the T.V and to many, that seems to be OK. I find things on T.V can actually be more damaging depending on what we are watching.. Hours of WWE, COPS and other violent shows are not really good are they? Plus, besides using the internet to READ, we could be drinking, smoking doing drugs.. This is OK compared to those addictions. However, I think if your use of the net is merely porn based then perhaps there's a serious issue. We must consider NEGATIVE & POSITIVE factors in our habits. Is it "harming us" or is it "harming others". Is it damaging? When you people write these articles, you are clearly stating that we should STAY AWAY FROM YOU. Have you considered that?