Addiction to internet 'is an illness'

Addiction to internet 'is an illness'

www.guardian.co.uk

Tense? Angry? Can't get online? Internet addiction is now a serious public health issue that should be officially recognised as a clinical disorder, according to a leading psychiatrist.
....The government estimates that around 210,000 South Korean children are affected and in need of treatment, of whom 80 per cent might need drugs targeting the brain and nearly a quarter could need to go to hospital.
Internet addiction clinics have sprung up around the world in an attempt to wean people off their need for a fix. Many people have turned, apparently without irony, to web discussion boards with names such as Internet Addicts Anonymous.

(visit the link for the full news article)

This is great. Someone comes out with a report and all of a sudden they want to pump you full of drugs or actually admit you to the hospital. The drug companies are going to be drooling over this one. I wonder what kinds of drugs they will put people on for this "illness".
If this is really a concern, how can you depend on the internet for a support group? Isn't that defeating the purpose?
What I don't like is that the guy states that he cannot determine numbers in America. How is that possible? Why not take a poll about the average usage by an individual?
What also seems strange is that they focus on children in S. Korea. Wouldn't you say that parents are the ones responsible for their kids computer use? I am sure you would find more adults with this "illness" than you would children.
I just think this is another attempt at a pointless study done by someone who has too much time on their hands. The internet is a very useful tool if used in the right way. People have to be responsible for themselves. A shrink going around calling people internet addicts has the potential to give people the wrong idea about it.

www.guardian.co.uk
(visit the link for the full news article)

I can attest to the fact that it's changed my lifestyle in a bad way. I really have to watch what I eat and make sure that I exercise. I agree that it has affected how people go about their daily lives and not necessarily in a good way.

This is unreal. Will the "shrinks" and drug companies stop at nothing to destroy the well being of the world?

It is NOT an illness. What it is are parents letting their kids on the net for hours on end instead of having them outside playing or doing house chores, or something constructive, etc...then when the net is unavailable the kids not sick, they are throwing a fit because they aren't getting what they want. THATS IT! And the stupid parents think there must be something wrong. Instead of thinking..wait..maybe we should NOT allow them on the net and teach them they can't ALWAYS have what they want, and sometimes outside forces (power loss, pc crashes, etc) will keep you from logging on, they go ahead and take their kid right to the mental health people....GOOD PARENTING!

It's sad that in todays world a simple temper tantrum from a kid can't be handled by the parents, instead they push the responsibility elsewhere and expect it to get fixed...and worse yet are ok with THEIR OWN CHILD being talked into taking pills they know nothing about!

That's nothing but BS. First of all, they will grab onto any excuse to get people on medication. How come they don't put people on medication for being addicted to TV? People have been couch potatos for decades before the internet came along. The reason is because they WANT people watching TV because they can push their lies and agenda very easily in that format. They know that people can actually find the 'truth' online... something they won't find on TV. So of course they're going to jump on the band-wagon and try to make "internet-addiction" the new stigma where people have to be medicated. Anything to keep the sheep in order.

So if I tell someone about the great things found here at ATS, I'm now some sort of "pusher"?

Nuts! This sounds more like a way to have a "need" to limit the internet. After all, Big Brother just loves to have something to save us from, especially if he gets to be more controlling by doing so.

Ive got to say, i show symptoms of this addiction. I get mildly irritated when i can get online (comp problem or something else).

But equally, when i know that there is no choice but to go without internet (eg on a plane), i have no problems just sitting there doing something else.

Hence it is only an addiction in the sense that you will take it if you have a choice. It is not a physiological symptom of addiction (eg cigarettes).

I surmise that this is a mental addiction such as watching TV or listening to music rather than a physiological addiction.

That said, the word addiction is banded about all too often these days. And at any rate, medication would be unthinkable in my book. Medication could hint to an over-medicated society, which is less likely to rebel or think for themselves. Maybe theres a conspiracy angle on this story?

This isn't a new thing, they treat this all the time. It isn't just children, there are many adults that claim internet addiction. What it really is most of the time is an addiction to something else, that scapegoats into "internet" addiction. Like porn addiction, which isn't real either, but people will say internet rather then porn so they don't appear perverted. If there is no chemical dependence, there is no addiction other then psychological, and I'm sorry, but you don't need to be on the internet more then anyone else, stop being a child and move on. It's all this fake crap that is holding people back.

It's not an ILLNESS - it's a SYMPTOM n- of a society that is sick

it allows people to do several things that are otherwise difficult

1 - it allows people to find alternate news media and gather different viewpoints on information
2 - it allows people to interact with like minded folk
3 - it allows people to learn without having to go to college
4 - it allows people to express themselves without fear of reprisal
5 - it is an escape mechanism for some people who have lives that are rather unpleasant to say the least
6 - E..T..C...

An illness? Don't make me laugh.

The world just get more and more messed up doesn't it?




[edit on 23-3-2008 by more_serotonin_pls]

Its the equivilant to a spoiled kid or person. They get, get, get, whatever they want, when they want, and are used to the I want it right now mentality and guess what they usually GET IT! Is that an illness that needs medical intervention and medication...NO...its someone who needs a swift kick in the you know where to understand "YOU CAN'T ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU WANT" !!

Thanks to the STONES for my last line..

[edit on 3/23/2008 by rcwj75]

ah, what would hospitals and doctors be without sick people.. ?
ch!n ch!n...

reply to post by palehorse23


While indeed I may have an internet addiction, this addiction has also helped me break many other addictions. I use to be addicted to reading, socializing, family, work, etc. The way I figure it, one addiction is much better then having multiple addictions.

Seriously, it is somewhat of a problem. A problem that will become even more consuming as we enter an era where almost everything we do will be connected to the internet in one way or another.

Im laughing so hard im crying a little and my girl friend said she might have peed a bit... KIDDING, but this issue is serious.

This is a layer 1 problem folks !! Look at the osi model This is a physical problem, THE PARENTS are forgetting to remove the power cable to the pc and take it with them.. If i hadent had folks that made things clear like .. get the hell off the comptuer and go outside.. i may not have taken up my love in camping hiking and snowshooing.. now i work on PC's and Macs for a living im a network tech and repair guy but..... I dont advocate this kinda crap.. Parents need to raise thier childern and stay home from work in those young years.

These days are coming few and thin.. But go look at the children raised by the babysitter vs the kids who had a parent home for a few years with them while young and you will see a huge difference... PILLS ARE NOT THE ANSWER
Joe

[edit on 23-3-2008 by Localjoe3]

Lol i was in bed at 2:00am, at 2:20am i got up out of my bed and turned ont he computer because i wanted to create a post in one of my threads because i was thinking about it. Im not addicted god-damnit. I'm just not into anything else ;-P

reply to post by annestacey


you are so right i dont let my kids hang on it for one and for two i leave it on to listen to news and music while i clean all day will they say that Im on to much and put me on meds for that ?
And your so right about tv there is paper work on thier plans for an internet two people its already in the works go look it up

They love to make everything 'addictive' because they F'ing know that when people think hey need something, they pretty much do.

I think I have the problem and I want to know where I sign up for the meth pills.

People don't have anything better to do so they go on the computer... Try and sit still with some uppers, these will solve everything, turn your lazy computer addict into a cleaning machine.

Can't wait till they come out with a pill for people addicted to sleeping every night.

Originally posted by Bumr055
I think I have the problem and I want to know where I sign up for the meth pills.

Can't wait till they come out with a pill for people addicted to sleeping every night.

Yeah im up for some metth pills too, and oh yeah sleeping every night... well.... not with those meth pills. They can tackle two problems at once....

Give me a decently stocked public library and I won't need the internet for my information-fix

My GP's already prescribed me 5 chapters per-day to cure me



[edit on 23-3-2008 by citizen smith]

I totally don't understand the focus on children in South Korea..WTF?
If you are going to do a study on internet addiction should you not chose the country that uses it the most and target the highest demographic and go from there?

If Iam an internet junkie..well so be it. I could be addicted to far worse things, and I could be viewing FAR WORSE things than ATS.
Nothing wrong with being addicted to gaining knowledge.

Just another ploy to drug the citizen's and push a new drug out to the public. I have a feeling that the INTERNET is giving the public to much knowledge about this world we live in and the secrets that go on behind our backs. So let's call this an illness and get these people on some drugs that will what? " Make us watch more TV news " That'll never happen to me anyway. Hey NGC2736 ! can I get some of that ats you got so I won't start withdrawls.