The latest phenominum to emerge is internet addiction. It is not an officially recognised disorder but it may soon be listed along with alcohol, drugs and the like. Already there are centres for curing internet addiction and they often have there own name for it.
Internet addiction may be part of another addiction, shopping, sex, gambling etc., the fact that all these pursuits are readily available on line means that following your first addiction could lead to a second addiction.
Like most addictions, it can creep up on a person. Computers are used in virtually every office in the developed world so it is now the norm to spend a lot of time in front of a computer screen. With the advent of broad band where fast internet connections are freely available, it is so much easier to spend hours on the internet. Before, when a dial up connection was used, the person often had to log off when somebody else wanted to use the phone, not anymore.
Quite often, in the past, to follow a hobby or interest, a person would join a club and attend meetings, now you join on line forums and chat rooms to exchange information.
Young people are now becoming ’hooked’ in ever increasing numbers due, in part, to online game playing. Before they would use their Playstations or whatever, either by themselves or with a friend who sat next to them but now it is possible to play a game with somebody on the other side of the world.
Another reason for becoming addicted to the internet is the sudden explosions in Blogs. These are a type of diary but written for the web where all manner of things are posted.
