The Internet is addictive and it will ruin your life. Reporting in the UK’s Daily Telegraph technology correspondent Robert Uhlig cites a study that says: The Internet is as addictive as drugs, alcohol or gambling, adding that those most at risk are women and the unemployed. The study was presented by Dr Kimberly Young at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association. Dr Young, a psychologist at the University of Pittsburgh, told of a woman who divorced rather than pull the plug on her 12-hour-a-day surfing habit. Meeting new people made her feel attractive and interesting, said Dr Young, which led to her abandoning her domestic responsibilities and playing golf with him. Dr Young admitted that Internet addiction was not yet formally recognized but asserted that it did exist. Her study of 396 people whom she considers to be psychologically dependent included a comparison with 100 non-dependent users. Basing her judgements on t hose criteria normally used to assess addiction to chemicals or gambling; thinking about the Internet while off-line, sometimes to the extent of getting up in the middle of the night to satisfy the craving; a need to surf for progressively longer periods to achieve satisfaction; a feeling of restlessness or irritability when trying to cut down or stop; use of the Internet to escape problems or to relieve feelings of helplessness, guilt, anxiety or depression; excessive spending, and lying to f riends and family to hide the extent of their Internet use. Dependent users ranged in age from 14 to 70 and spent an average of 38.5 hours a week surfing, compared with an average of 4.9 hours for the non-dependent group. Of the 396 Internet addicts, 157 were men and 239 were women, and the most popular use was chat rooms where people could adopt new roles under assumed names.
