Time is a valuable resource; we can never get back time that has already been spent, so it is a good idea to make the best of it. One of the most common problems in today’s technologically-advanced society is overuse of the internet.
In the past, when dial-up was the only form of internet available to the public, most people had limited amounts of hours they were allowed to be online, determined by their ISP – or their bill would punish them for overuse. Today, nearly every internet plan is high-speed and unlimited. Since this is the case, overuse of the internet is possible for anyone. This blog post will be dedicated to the issue; we hope to shed some light on just how serious internet overuse can be – and offer some helpful solutions.
And before we begin, you might be asking yourself what Online Clock‘s role is, in this discussion of internet addiction and the ways in which some people spend too much time online.
OnlineClock.net believes we can play a small role in helping people to limit the amount of time they spend online:
Set an online timer to remind yourself when it’s time to go offline and engage in more real-world activities.
It’ll be good for you and you’ll be glad you did it!
Now, to point out just how serious overuse of the internet can be, it is important to know what the consequences can be.
One excellent example was found in the Harvard University Gazette in 1999, around the time when the issue first began to receive attention. In the article titled “Computer Addiction Is Coming Online,” author William J. Cromie reports the story of a recently-divorced woman who spent excessive amounts of time online, neglecting her children. She had new access to games and interaction with other people online, trying to “escape” her depression and problems associated with the divorce. When her ex-husband saw how much time she was spending online and the obvious neglect of their children, he sued for custody – and won. The court ruled that the woman spent “too much time online,” therefore neglecting the kids.
Clearly, spending too much time online can have more serious effects than not getting the dishes done or not going to the gym faithfully. In this case, a woman lost her own children because of the amount of time she spent online.
A 2006 research study performed at the Stanford School of Medicine sought to answer the question of whether internet addiction is a true addiction or simply a bad habit. Keep in mind that the term “addiction” is often used loosely in the English vocabulary; they were attempting to determine whether it is an addiction in the sense of the textbook definition of the word. The researchers used random sampling to collect data from 2,513 American adults. Of this group, 68.9% were assessed as regular internet users. The researchers calculated that 13.7% found it hard to stay away for more than a few days from the internet. They also found that 12.4% stayed online longer than they planned to, 12.3% felt they needed to cut back, 8.7% tried to hide their overuse of non-essential use to family or spouses, 8.2% saw it as a way to escape from life problems and 5.9% said it negatively affected personal relationships.
In the past several years, the popularity of social networking has skyrocketed. Networks such as Facebook and Twitter have enticed thousands of users to spend additional time online. Facebook and Twitter have taken over, each boasting several million users worldwide. There has been a lot of controversy over whether these sites are addictive or truly useful. However, the issue of social network, personal email and entertainment site usage in the workplace has become so problematic that employers have implemented strict rules against it. In a publication by the University of Illinois, it is reported that at least 1/3 to 1/2 of every company with internet access in America has implemented some form of electronic monitoring for employees’ internet use. This shows that about half of employers in the USA believe that internet misuse at work is such a problem it must be regulated.
To answer the question of whether internet addiction is a real issue today or not – yes, it is, unfortunately!
In a recent publication by the University of Texas, internet addiction expert Dr. Kimberly Young is referenced. She clarifies that misuse and dependence on the internet can be compared to addiction to drugs, alcohol or any other common source of addiction. The guide identifies specific types of addictions, based on the source of an individual’s interests online. Dr. Young points out some symptoms, including a continual preoccupation with being online, feeling anxious while away from the internet and lying to others about overuse, along with a few other symptoms. Just how much time online is “too much,” though?
Dr. Young suggests that first people must identify what they are missing when they spend too much time online, such as television, chores, family, work, sleep or other activities and commitments. She also suggests keeping a log, writing down what sites were used and when, as well as how much time was spent on each one. Internet over-users are advised to choose a real-life hobby or activity and commit to it; they are also encouraged to seek real-world support from a therapist, family or friends. She gives several more detailed suggestions in the guide for issue-specific reasons for internet overuse. In comparing this publication with the previously-referenced 2006 Stanford research report that sought to determine whether addiction was real or a bad habit, it is interesting to note that all of the symptoms Dr. Young lists as an internet addiction match the negative behaviors Stanford researchers had pinpointed, but had not yet identified as addiction.
In another study report by the University of Phoenix on the Psychology of Social Media Addiction, a good point is noted – a person who spends excessive amounts of time online may not actually have an internet addiction, but another underlying psychological issue. This shows that while internet addiction may be the cause of overuse in some, it isn’t a universal diagnosis for everyone who is online too much. The overuse of the internet may only be the manifestation of that underlying issue. Treating the overuse as an internet addiction, as written by Todd Essig, PhD, may only leave that underlying psychological issue to fester and manifest itself in other ways, which may be more dangerous.
Do you find it difficult to drag yourself away from the various social networks?
Developmental and child psychologists agree that too much internet use is especially harmful for children, hampering their social, physical and psychological development.
In a recent report based on research findings from Princeton University, the importance of real-life interaction and limited internet use is outlined. Experts note that by age seven, a child’s family, peer, community and school interactions play a crucial role in their interpersonal skills and social competence development. Spending too much time nurturing virtual relationships instead of real-life ones may hamper their future ability to manage interpersonal tasks. This importance spans past the age of seven, though; children and teens need real-life interaction throughout their developing years to mature into adults who can function in society.
In an in-depth analysis performed by Princeton, 93 families with teens were studied. After these families obtained internet access, they all noted their teens had a decline in real-life social interactions. The study does endorse the usefulness of the internet for school-related tasks and research. However, high usage of social networks, email, IM chats and online gaming are noted. Children with too much free internet time may also get into serious trouble by using communication mediums to bully others, make unauthorized purchases, etc., all of which adults have some degree of responsibility for. This study suggests that parents and teachers limit access to the internet for children and also limit the amount of time they have for non-essential internet use, based on individual parent or teacher discretion. Today, there are software programs that initiate parental controls for blocking specific sites or types of sites, limit total time available to children online and track sites they visit.
The Online Timer from OnlineClock.net can help you limit your time spent online.
In a recent research essay published by the University of California at Davis, an objective stance is taken to view the advantages and disadvantages of internet use. It is determined that excessive use doesn’t always constitute a problem, but may be problematic for some, depending on how the internet is used. At the end of the essay, it is concluded that whether the internet has a negative or positive impact, the outcome is dependent upon the quality of online relationships and -this is the key – what the individual gives up in real-life in order to spend time online.
Some people may need to spend excessive amounts of time online for school and work. However, using discretion and common sense is the best idea; perform a self-analysis to see if the amount of time spent online is hurting real-life relationships and commitments.
If internet addiction is a possibly-existing condition in children or adults, professional help should be sought to see if it actually is addiction or if it may be a manifestation of another underlying psychological issue.
Don’t end up like the person pictured in the photo above…think you may have a problem with internet addiction?
Take the simple Newsweek.com internet addiction quiz now mirrored on the Virginia Tech website.
If you think you need help with internet addiction, do yourself a big favor and consult a doctor!
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