Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Quick Guide to Internet Addiction




(Enk)

By now you know that as a student you are at a greater risk for internet addiction than the average person, but what are some signs of internet addicted and what can you do about it. Here are some general signs that you might have an internet use problem. 

Losing track of time. Have you ever been late to class, missed an assignment or skipped lunch because minutes turned in to hour while being on internet? Has the time you spend online increase and it seems that you never have enough time to check everything you want online(Saisan)?
Decline in Academic performance. Did you notice a decline in your grades, and a lost interest in school? Have you become a procrastinator and do only the bare minimum in class(Saisan)?
Losing touch with family and friend. Is your entire social life online? Do you tell your friend that you are busy just to spend more time online? Is your family concerned about your lack of friends(Saisan)?  
Felling defensive about your internet use. Do you feel irritated when someone cuts your internet session short?  Have your family or friend expressed concerns about your internet use? Do your friends joke about your internet use(Saisan)?
Escaping online. Do you use the internet to cope with stress or feel a sense of utopia while being online? Have you tried to limit your internet use in the past and failed(Saisan)?

If you answered yes to one or more questions or just feel the internet is taking over your life here are some few things that will help you take under control your internet use. First, recognize the underlining problem. Many people turn to internet because of stress, depression, or anxiety.  Figure out what is triggering your internet use and keep track of how much time you spend on different internet activates. Second, set goals of when and how much internet you should use. This will help you manage your time and control the internet use. Third, fined a healthy alternative to internet that will help cope with the underlining problem and fight internet addiction. 

Remember Internet Addiction is a serious medical condition that can be diagnosed and treated only by trained professionals. If you feel that you are addicted to internet please sec medical attention. 

-Oleg Frunza

Works Cited
Enk. KEEP CALM AND FIGHT INTERNET ADDICTION. Digital image. Keepcalm-o-matic. Reincubate, 29 Dec. 2012. Web. 9 Apr. 2013. <http://www.keepcalm-o-matic.co.uk/p/keep-calm-and-fight-internet-addiction-3/http://www.keepcalm-o-matic.co.uk/p/keep-calm-and-fight-internet-addiction-3/>.
Saisan, Joanna, and Melinda Smith. "Internet and Computer Addiction." Helpguide. Helpguide.org, 12 Dec. 2012. Web. 09 Apr. 2013. <http://www.helpguide.org/mental/internet_cybersex_addiction.htmhttp://www.helpguide.org/mental/internet_cybersex_addiction.htm>.

7 comments:

  1. I would have never guessed that internet addiction woulod be a actual medical condition. Although, it does make sense that we as humans can be addicted to "virtually" anything. I believe it is just a way for people to fill there minutes of boredom up. What does everyone else think? do yall think this is a legitimate medical condition?

    -Hector Hernandez

    ReplyDelete
  2. I knew that it was an addiction but it is not something I think about day to day. I think that there will be someone people who do not have the addiction try to use it as an excuse to get out of school work. I think it is important to remember the difference between having to work hard or long hours on an assignment because you procrastinated compared to loosing track of time. I think in todays society it is definitely easier to become addiction. Especially with all of the great things the internet has to offer.

    Laura Mayhew

    ReplyDelete
  3. Its almost scary how real internet addiction is, but I guess as the old saying goes, "Too much of good thing will always turn bad". I do not find much of a need to spend excessive time on the internet or even Facebook. I'm lucky if I check it twice a week. If anything I have found that the best way to fight internet addiction is to simply keep yourself occupied. There are always plenty of other alternatives to sitting on the internet and surround yourself with others who enjoy other things (especially on a college campus) can help a lot too.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I agree with Steven, keeping yourself occupied will reduces your chance of being an internet addict. I am an outdoor person so I'm always keeping myself busy, therefore, I spend less time on the internet. I believe that younger people will have more chance of being an internet addiction because of how advance technology is now, for example smart phone, ipad, and other types of technology.

    Kawg Yang

    ReplyDelete
  5. I believe this will become a very wide spread "medical condition" since people are moving towards more and more technological advances and people are becoming more dependent on their electronic devices. I see it now in class, as soon as someone gets bored they turn straight to Facebook, Twitter and other websites. Internet addiction is and will be more and more of a problem in the coming years. (jcapatin@uncc.edu)

    ReplyDelete
  6. I feel like internet addiction is tough to actually diagnose. It seems hard to find the line between being addicted and the rapid growth of the internet. Everyone is spending more time on-line now because of the rapid growth but I also believe that Internet addiction is swept under the rug because of how hard is to diagnose. I believe that almost all college students could fall under one of those symptoms though. I would definitely say that if you fall under more then one then it may be a actual addiction. Its a great post and is something that more people need to look at and take seriously.

    Chandler Love

    ReplyDelete
  7. I feel like people use the internet to procrastinate. I know a lot of people who use facebook as a way to break between studying, but they usually end up staying on facebook a lot longer than necassary. Staying in control of your time on the internet is easier when you keep busy and do what needs to be done when you get the work.
    Jack Williams

    ReplyDelete