I recently found an article on the Huffpost Healthly Living website titled 11 Ways to Cure Internet Addiction; here is a little about what it said.
Detecting the Problem:
It can be hard to tell when a hobby has become more than just a hobby. It is also hard to be honest with yourself and face the list of symptoms that you actually fit into. This article has identified some things to watch out for.
1) If you spend more time with your computer than other people. This can mean your family or your friends. Maybe your friends are always telling you to get a life and stop sitting in front of the computer……there is some truth to this.
2) If you can’t abide by the boundaries you set for yourself. For example, if you come home telling yourself that you will just get online to check email very quickly, and play with your children after that, but then ending getting off the computer after they’ve gone to bed……that’s bad.
3) Lying to others about your computer usage. When you find yourself having to lie to others about how much you use the computer or Internet, Houston, there’s a problem.
4) Feeling unable to live without the computer or Internet. If you can’t even go one day without feeling anxiety when separated from your computer, you may need help.
5) Misguided spending on the computer. Say for instance, your hard drive crashes and you’ve got just enough money to buy another or to pay rent. If you choose to buy another hard drive rather than pay your rent that is considered improper prioritizes. Even you work from a computer; you should go somewhere (e.g. a library or internet café) to do your work. At least then, you’ll still have a place to live.
Solving the Problem
Below are some ways to help with the addiction, but they must be implemented before the problem gets out of hand and before you spend any money on therapy.
1) The web-workers should check into getting a virtual assistant. The website says that these are fairly cheap, but I looked into it: $2000 per month is not cheap. Anyway these assistants can do most of your busy computer work for you, so you rack up less time online.
2) Set your computer usage boundaries early on. This means to decide what your purposes are for using the Internet and how you need to get these things finished. Beyond that, you don’t need to be online.
3) Get family and friends onboard with you. If you’ve reached this point, then they already know you have a problem. There’s no shame in asking for help from them. These are the people that can hold you accountable.
4) Give the passwords. I personally think this step is bogus because I would never give someone my passcodes, but all the same this article says it will help to let them shut all your stuff off.
5) Modify your routine. If your routine is to check email first thing in the morning or as soon as you get home from work, try eating breakfast first or doing some household chores. You know if you get online right away, none of these things will be done.
6) Don’t use the computer for recreational purposes if you know you have a problem. If you have an existing problem with the Internet it’s not a good idea to do fun things online like play games, because you shouldn’t associate the computer with fun anymore; not if there is a recognized problem.
These are all ways to recognize an Internet addiction and ways to overcome it. Track your progress by keeping track of time spent online.
I think there is no internet addiction in general, only unknowing how to spend personal time. We getting tired of work, school and daily hassles, and we find a way to digress ourselves of it – it is Internet. But some time we forgetting how beautiful and varied life around us. All what we need to do is get a real life or turn off our Internet. Find a hobby, if we don’t have it. Look for a girlfriend or boyfriend, with who spend time much more interesting . Get a dog, and go for a walk with him. Make friends that like to go places, not just post they comment to new status. Try to spend a time with “alive” real life with people around, not just sitting all day long with a computer.
ReplyDeleteI think it is possible to cure Internet Addiction. Like any other addiction it is hard but not impossible. First of all you need to recognize that you are an addict and second you need to want to quit the addiction. It is important to break the habit of spending long hours in the internet and get some help if necessary. It is really sad when you spend more time on the computer than with your kids. In my opinion everything in our lives need a balance, you can spend time on the internet but not make it your priority.
ReplyDeleteI think the internet addiction stems from a dependence of the internet to help cope with life and then becomes an addiction.I believe the addiciton of intenet will never be as strong as substance addictions.It is a piece of hardware.What if all the computers all access to the intenet failed at one time? What would we do then?
ReplyDeleteI agree with the article, nothing is impossible. We all can stop doing that we are used to it. Everything that you get addicted with you can stop it or cure it. I think these steps are good to cure internet addiction.
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