Internet Addicts Need Help The amount of time kids spend online is a source of

frustration for many parents. Initially, parents welcomed the Internet into their homes,
believing they were opening up an exciting new world of educational opportunities for
their children. However, many parents soon realized that, instead of using the
Internet for homework or research, their kids were spending hours instant messaging
with friends, playing online games or talking to strangers in chat rooms. Kids are not
the only ones who develop addiction.

Internet addiction is a growing problem. Research from the Center for Online
Addiction suggests that people are spending an increasing amount of time online and
then lie about it to hide their activities. Dr Kimberly Young, director of the centre for
Online Addiction, sets out a series of questions she says may determine whether or
not someone is an Internet addict. An Internet addict would answer yes to at least five
of the following questions: • Do you feel preoccupied with the Internet (Do you think
about it constantly)? • Do you feel the need to use the Internet with increasing
amounts of time in order to achieve satisfaction? • Have you repeatedly made
unsuccessful efforts to control, cut back or stop Internet use? • Do you stay online
longer than originally intended? •

Most people agree that the Internet is a productive tool, but research findings
document serious negative consequences when it is used in a negative manner. In a
true addiction, a person becomes compulsively dependent upon a particular kind of
stimulation to the point where obtaining a steady supply of that stimulation becomes
the sole and central focus of their lives. The addict increasingly neglects his work
duties, relationships and ultimately even his health in his drive to remain stimulated.

Computer addiction can have a variety of negative effects on a person. The most
immediate are social. The user withdraws from friends and family as he spends more
and more time on the computer. Relationships begin to wither as the user stops
attending social gatherings, skips meetings with friends and avoids family members
to get more computer time. Someone who spends hours at a computer is obviously
not getting any meaningful exercise, so computer addiction can indirectly lead to poor
overall physical condition and even obesity.