Lecture 10

Listen to part of a lecture from a social studies class.

Prof: Students today learn how to use computers as early as age 5 or 6. They are also spending more time online, surfing the web, e-mailing, twittering, playing games, using Face Book, etc. Rumor has it some even use the Internet to research term papers [laughter]. The question I’d like us to consider is, are people spending too much time on their computers? Many, er, some doctors believe that people can misuse the Internet, the same way people drink too much or gamble too much. They call this problem Internet Addiction Disorder, or IAD for short..

The doctors have identified seven signs of Internet Addiction Disorder. The number…first sign is that a person wants more and more time on the Internet. One hour is not enough; it’s got to be two or three. The second sign relates to what happens to people if they cannot get on the Internet. They might, um, dream about the Internet. During these dreams their bodies might tremble, and their fingers might move as if they were typing. The third sign is that they need to use the Internet to stop these things from happening to their bodies. In the same way that a few drinks will steady an alcoholic, being on the Internet actually improves the way their bodies feel. Fourth, people with IAD use the Internet more often and stay on line longer than they intended. For example, they might go online to check e-mail, but three or four hours later, they are still there, chatting or surfing the web, or whatever. Fifth, people spend a large amount of time doing things related to the Internet. They might, oh, read books about the Internet, for instance, or download new Internet programs, or attend Internet-related conferences. The sixth sign of IAD is that people substitute online time for social activities. Frankly, they prefer communicating electronically rather than face-to-face. The seventh and last sign is that Internet use becomes more important than almost anything else – showering, schoolwork, losing a job, feeding children, even eating yourself. They will also lie about how much time they are spending online, and they will keep using the Internet even if they are punished for it.

Any of this sound familiar? well, if so, don’t panic. Some doctors discount the notion of IAD. They claim that IAD is not equal [false start] is not the same as drug addiction, because the Internet is a useful tool for getting information, and also a multi-faceted tool for communication. In other words, um, there is so much to do online that it takes a lot of time. If we think about that for a minute, it makes some sense. My, um, my wife, for example, uses the Internet for just about everything. The computer for her is a communications center, television, office, store, and music player. Yet still, most people agree that it’s not good to spend too much time on the Internet. Everything in moderation, right? One US newspaper told about a woman who was on the Internet so often that her husband left her, and she forgot to buy food for her children. She, uh, also forgot to buy enough oil to heat her house. A Chinese magazine told about a teen-age boy who jumped off a roof and died, because he had said he wanted to be with the characters in his favorite computer game. The same magazine told stories of other children who skip school and go to Internet bars all day. It said that some of them can’t sleep, and that their hands become numb.

What can be done to help people like this? Well, doctors aren’t sure. IAD is new, so they do not have much experience treating it. Some are trying programs similar to those that help people stop smoking and gambling. Ivan Goldberg, the doctor who invented the term IAD, says people who think they might be addicted to the Internet should try to help themselves. First, Goldberg advises them to examine their pattern of Internet use. They should know how much time they spend at the computer, and also should ask themselves how often they think about the Internet. Then they should ask why they use the computer so much? Are they escaping from a problem? The third step is to make a plan to solve the problem, as opposed to just ignoring it. Finally, they should make a plan to reduce their Internet use, such as trying to reduce their computer time a little bit each day. This, incidentally, raises the question of how much daily time someone should spend on the Internet. Doctors say there is perfect amount of time that is right for everyone. One doctor who has studied IAD says it’s important to keep a balanced life. Time on the Internet should not distract people from doing other things they like, and it should not cause people to miss time with their family and friends.