U.S. Full Of Internet Addicts

Off subject for a moment.

For any of you desiring to be essentially invisible to govt. tracking efforts (for now anyway), you can download a free browser called "Torpark." If you put it on a flash card or something similar you can use it on whatever computer you happen to sit in front of. It encrypts all your data and constantly changes your url--even your ISP won't know where you've been and what you've been up to. Download it at:

cache.spurl.net...

I agree with everyone who has defended their net habits.
If you spent this much time reading books in a library, you would be thought
of as "cultured, well read". Yet, doing the same in the comfort of your own home,
your some kind of "freak" according to that article. The last time I checked, not a
great deal of socialising is done in the library, where "be quiet or leave" is the motto.

Online, you can be researching a subject/news item that interests you in one window,
talking to a friend on MSN at the same time, while listening to music on Media Player.

With laptops and unwired broadband, you can also take your comp outdoors into the SUNSHINE and be amongst people. Laptops get as much attention as DOGS in a park. People just have to come up and talk about what ya' doin.

I know people who read 3 newspapers from front to back, or magazines also, which
take hours everyday. Yet these people are classed as intellectual and again well read.

It seems to me like the article was written by the Pub/Bar/Casino industry.
I guess while people are doing something healthy, like expanding their minds, chating to like minded people and enjoying themselves, it must take away from the hours spent per day in pubs, clubs, casinos spending the rent money and childrens food money on grog/alcohol and putting it through poker machines.

As was said, its the most INEXPENSIVE hobby, and thats what it is, that is available
to us. I guess that must make a lot of resentful, especially business/corporate folks who are always trying to sell you something.

The net RULES.

The study kind of reinforces an opinion I've had about them infernal mind quacks for some time. They can essentially say anything that comes to their mind (about how the mind works and what is going on inside our heads) because none of the others has any real knowledge to contradict them with.

[edit on 18-10-2006 by Astronomer70]

I must say if it was not for the internet most the stuff I know now I would of never known about. To me the internet is a gateway for truth.

Originally posted by Majic
I just can't get over the irony of discussing this issue on the Internet.

My belly hurts from laughing when I read that!

Seriously, though:

"In a sense, they're using the Internet to self-medicate," Aboujaoude said. "And obviously something is wrong when people go out of their way to hide their Internet activity."

Obviously there's something wrong when they have to feel like they need to hide their Internet activity, imo.

The net is the most useful thing ever created, next to beer and women. There is so much you can do with it now. You can conduct business 24x7. Last year, I bought a condo and only spent 2 hours out of my house doing it. I found it over the net, financed it over the phone, worked with my broker via email and cellphone, did the obligatory walk-thru ( 1 hour), and went to the closing (1 hour). I did 90% of my Christmas shopping over the net.

It's a great thing, the Internet. Thank you Al Gore!

Im not addicted to the internet, Im addicted to knowing whats going on around me. No better place to do that but I bet that makes some/many shake a lil in their shoes.

People with awareness can be SCARY. BOOOoo

U.S. Full Of Internet Addicts


How long did it take to study this one?

What are bar rooms full of?
What are people who love to eat doing?
What are druggies doing?

What a silly thing to say.

I don't think this is quite as bad as it may seem at first.

So some people are hiding internet use from family? Ok. Perhaps some of that is because they have a problem, but perhaps some of that is because their family (especially spouse) might have a trust issue or feel insecure. A man's wife might worry he is chatting with other women, so he only goes online when the wife is away or asleep.

Also, for the self-medicating... I admit there are better, more 'natural' ways of improving your mood: reading a book, meditating, exercising... but as long as you have a mix of them, I don't think going online, looking up funny videos or something to make you feel better is a bad thing..

I do concede that there are people with serious problems.

Shut down World of Warcraft, MySpace and Youtube - problem solved!

[edit on 19-10-2006 by Nova]

Originally posted by Nova

Shut down World of Warcraft, MySpace and Youtube - problem solved!

And of course, totally control the entire Internet.

Why? Because it's bad!

As I sit in front of my computer once again, I wonder if anyone is surprised by this. I'm online at least 9 hours per day.

It's mostly my job that requirtes me to be in front of the computer. My job is email driven so when there is nothing in my inbox that needs to be taken care of, you'll find me surfing.

That report is really stoopid. How can you be addicted to the internet? It's the stuff ON the interent that you are addicted to! For some it's porn, for others it's ATS. You have access to the largest library ever, use it well

Surely a firmer case could be made for television addiction than for internet addiction. Television arguably serves a less active role as a source of information than the internet does today (though not an insignificant one,) and the internet supports communication, file storage, and other useful functions becoming increasingly integral to day to day life. It seems to me that the word addiction applies more to television than to the internet, where the term "reasonable dependence" (i.e. dependence similar to that upon telephones or the postal service) might be more accurate.

Next they will be saying people are addicted to the library.

Perhaps the TV media industry is behind these reports...

Originally posted by Regenmacher

Next they will be saying people are addicted to the library.

Don't laugh. Humanity has a history of burning books, and censoring the information available to ordinary people.

Supposedly, we are not equipped to handle complexity - unlike the rich, who by their economic status have already proved their intellectual superiority. Not.





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[edit on 19-10-2006 by soficrow]

I guess you could say I'm addicted. I'm on in my free time...which I have a lot of.

Its just when I kinda stop going on the internet I feel isolated. Where I live there really isn't anywhere to go thats close by.

Probably at some point in the future the world will have WWW/Internet celebreties and mayby even heroes. Before that can really happen though discussion sites (similar to ATS) will have to become more widespread and be referenced/used more by the current main stream media. I see a trend in that direction even now as more and more people take to the WWW/Internet to make their opinions, thoughts and desires known. Simultaneously, more and more sites are providing for public discussion of the things they present in print, via audio formats, and via video/TV. We may be spending a lot of time at our computers now, but I'll bet we spend even more in the future. I suppose what we need is a way to make ourselves heard and/or seen without having to use up so much of our time.

Hmmm.

Does everyone know that the US Congress is in the process of determining how and how much to control the Internet? And that Europe is already tightening the reins?

In terms of manipulating public opinion, cute little human interest articles like this are designed to justify tighter controls. For our own "good."

We'll see a flood of this kind of stuff - showing how "bad" the Internet is - then wham, we'll find out that a law just got passed to require digital ID, and restrict our access.

There ARE laws coming down the pike - and we need to pay attention to what's happening, and why the media is focussing on Internet crime, Internet "addicts" and the like.


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Yaaaaa, riiight! This is what our society really needs to be worried about.

know from the 1st...i did not read the link in the thread starter.


addict- definition #2; to occupy (oneself) with or involve (oneself) in
something habitually or compulsively

junkie- definition #2; one who has an insatiable interest or devotion


(those definitions are from the Yahoo supplied dictionary i use)...................


sure i have a response when the ISP goes down for a time (storms or whatever)
sure i get perturbed when the ISP servers are down (maintenance or upgrades)
when the world retrogrades into a 'dial-up' speed of molasses-in-january mode!

but, i'm a oxygen addict first & foremost
then i'm a information junkie as a close second

i only amuse myself with the www. between my fixations with working in my garden or house...or else throwing my darts...in that order