Internet Addiction
Signs and Symptoms of Internet Addiction
Not too long ago, the media announced that members of the American Medical Association were debating whether or not playing video games could be classified as a "formal disorder." They defined overuse as playing video games two or more hours a day. The association has since changed its mind.
But how about too much time surfing the web, whether it's to play games on-line or just to travel from one site to another? How much time on-line is too much time?
Iris Lee Knell, an Adolescent and Family Therapy Certified Interventionist in Manhattan Beach, California, prepared this list of helpful signs and symptoms of Internet addiction:
- Denial, dishonesty and lying about the amount of time spent on the computer and what is being done on the computer
- Excessive fatigue and changes in sleeping patterns, getting up early or more likely staying up late in order to spend more time on-line
- Academic problems, usually slipping and declining grades
- Withdrawal from friends and declining interests in hobbies (on-line friends take the place of the real world)
- Loss of appetite: irritability when cut off from computer use
- Decline in appearance and hygiene
- Negative consequences experienced because of excessive computer use
- Participation in high risk or normally unacceptable behavior when using the computer
- An overdeveloped sense of importance of the computer
- Mixed feelings of euphoria, combined with feelings of guilt for excessive time on the computer, or abnormal behavior acted out while on the computer
- Feelings of depression or anxiety when rules for use of computer are imposed
- Preoccupation with the computer or computer activities, when not using the computer
- Using the computer when feeling uncomfortable, irritated or sad about something
|