Posted by Eugene Volokh:
Internet Addiction
http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2006_11_12-2006_11_18.shtml#1163529630
is back in the news, and [1]Ann Althouse comments (with a "bonus
gripe" thrown in for good measure). This reminds me of my earlier
warning about something [2]even worse than Internet addiction:
"Internet Addiction," experts say, is just the tip of the iceberg.
Recent research shows that Internet Addiction is just a special
case of what might more broadly be called Communication Addiction.
Most healthy individuals tend to spend their time doing normal,
productive things like eating, sleeping, working, caring for their
children, and having sex. But recently, some have started to devote
an inordinate amount of time to the clearly far less valuable and
more dangerous activity of Communication (and a related behavior,
Information Gathering).
Not only does this distract them from other activities, but
extended bouts of Communication are often accompanied by other
unhealthful behavior, such as consumption of intoxicants and
sometimes excessive quantities of food. Addicts have often been
known to express regret over the time this disease takes away from
much more vital activities (such as sleep), and over behavior --
such as possibly unsafe sexual activity -- that Communication has
indirectly facilitated.
Communication Addicts generally find it acutely emotionally painful
to quit. Sometimes after only a few days away from their addiction,
sufferers begin to feel symptoms that are quite similar to clinical
depression. The refusal of others to continue communicating with
them has been known to lead to lowered self-esteem, psychological
injury, and in extreme cases even suicide.
Their recent development of the new and questionable technology
known as "language" puts certain individuals, known as "humans" --
already vulnerable because of their abnormal gregariousness -- into
especially grave peril from Communication Addiction. Experts
believe that their troubled lifestyle may lead this particular
group to become threats to themselves, to others, and to the
environment.
For more information about Internet addiction, see [3]Net Addiction
or take [4]this test. Then, for a comparison, take the same test
with the term "Internet" replaced by "reading" or "communication,"
e.g., Q 1, "How often do you find that you [read / talk with
friends] longer than you intended?"
References
1.
http://althouse.blogspot.com/2006/11/internet-is-environment-you-cant-be.html
2.
http://www.techcentralstation.com/1051/techwrapper.jsp?PID=1051-250&CID=1051-041002D
3. http://www.netaddiction.com/whatis.htm
4. http://www.netaddiction.com/resources/internet_addiction_test.htm
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