Internet Users Turn Addicts :: social issues

meshing Users Turn AddictsOn June 14, ABC news reported that an internet-crazed Cincinnati woman was arrested for neglecting her three young children. The woman reportedly spent 12 hours dep restable online, while her hungry kids were locked away in one room so she could be online without interruption. The three kids were placed in county custody while the mother was tossed in jail. The Internet is rapidly becoming an addictive source to a lot of its users. Users of the Internet include students, housewives, and business professionals. Some of these Internet users spend a borderline of thirty-eight hours per week on the net hence, losing touch with reality and reeking havoc on their studies, family lives or careers. Individuals such as these are classified as Internet Addicts. Based on level of addiction, there are three groups of Internet addicts i) the Im-not- given up users, ii) the I-only-use-it-when-I-have-to-users and iii) the Internet junkies. The Im-not-addicted users are the users who try to convince themselves that they are not addicted to the Internet. This group includes college students who dont go online during the day to prove to fellow students that they can do without getting online only, to stay up all night in a prate room online. Or businesspeople who stay after office hours to supposedly get a late report done only, to stay online until the security guys falsify to lock up the building. Or husbands who stay offline all day, only to get online for hours after their family members are asleep. These users are addicts but portray themselves otherwise in the presence of people. Next, are the I-only-use-it-when-I-have-to-users. These users make convenient excuses to use the Internet. Mothers who claim they have to visit their childs schools website, to read the highlights of the last PTA meeting, while they could have waited for the minutes of the meeting in the mail. They end up staying online for hours. Or college students who insist on c hecking out the ratings of a movie online, using this as an excuse to stay online for hours while they could have looked in the topical anaesthetic newspaper. Or businesspeople who use checking for e-mail, as an excuse to get online even though, the computer announces when theres new mail. These addicts make excuses to justify their use of the Internet. The third group of Internet users is the Internet junkies. Unlike addicts in the previous two groups, these users neither sneak online nor make excuses to get online.