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| Thread: Addicted to the internet? | |
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emilsn
Legendary Hero
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posted September 07, 2009 05:23 PM |
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Addicted to the internet?
So I have heard yesterday that the USA have opened the first internet rehab clinic, where people can be treated with their internet addiction.
We are talking about being addicted to sites like facebook, twitter and sites like that.
So can you be addicted to the internet?
My opinion is that it's more about habbits then a really addiction. for example I always log on to this site in the morning and later in the day. Facebook I also check out in the morning and then later.
So I say it is more about habbits. 
____________
Don't walk behind me; I may not
lead. Don't walk in front of me;
I may not follow. Just walk
beside me and be my friend.
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blizzardboy
Honorable
Undefeatable Hero
Nerf Herder
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posted September 07, 2009 05:26 PM |
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Yes, there is absolutely unconditionally without a pang of doubt such a thing as an internet addiction.
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TheDeath
Responsible
Undefeatable Hero
with serious business
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posted September 07, 2009 05:32 PM |
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Quote:
My opinion is that it's more about habbits then a really addiction.
The question is, how do you fare if you lose it?
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The above post is subject to SIRIOUSness.
No jokes were harmed during the making of this signature.
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Doomforge
Admirable
Undefeatable Hero
Retired Hero
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posted September 07, 2009 05:33 PM |
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you can be addicted to everything pleasant.
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Warmonger
Promising
Legendary Hero
fallen artist
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posted September 07, 2009 05:36 PM |
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I can live without it, but every time I feel bored I just browse all pages in my bookmarks at random, often many times. It can be a real waste of time when I have work to do.
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The future of Heroes 3 is here!
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antipaladin
Promising
Legendary Hero
of Ooohs and Aaahs
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posted September 07, 2009 07:13 PM |
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i heard if ones googles internet hes pc eats himself...
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types in obscure english
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Darkshadow
Legendary Hero
Cerise Princess
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posted September 07, 2009 07:18 PM |
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If you google "Real life" You will dry up and die in the most horrible way.
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ohforfsake
Promising
Legendary Hero
Initiate
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posted September 07, 2009 07:54 PM |
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I'm not great at english, so if someone won't mind, doesn't the definition of addiction not pretty much say addiction equals habits?
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/addiction
My own definition would be similar to habits, though with the note of you being conscious aware of not wanting to follow that habit. So:
Perfoming a habit you're conscious aware of that you do not want to do, yet still does it.
Do that definition suit addiction in general?
I believe you can be addicted to everything you can have a habit of doing, all that's required, at least from a very outer view, is for you to be aware of that you're performing the given habit, for you to know you really don't want to do it, while doing it, and finally for you to still do it, for whatever reason you may come up with, which does not hold after you've performed the action.
An example:
As you can have a habit of going on the internet given you get some inputs, like the emotion of being bored, and given you can often get bored very frequently depending on your environment, then it's not unlikely you'll end up visiting the internet very frequently, whereby you realise you've a problem.
However the problem will first be turned into an addiction if you're not able to change your response of boredom being going on the internet into something else.
The cure, if the definition holds true:
Given any addiction, at least by the definition I present only consists of input and reaction, it shouldn't be too hard to change an addiction with the most powerful weapon of existance, time.
You can either identify the emotions (or general outer environment actions) that triggers your addiction, this can be done by awareness up to the point of addiction, but can be hard if it's something you experience happens suddenly.
Otherwise you can simply make the effect of the trigger impossible, so let's say everytime you're bored you go on the internet, now make this impossible for some time, and in stead of everytime you're bored you do something else (something you hopefully really wants to do), then after some time you can have the internet up again and given when you're bored and only for what boredom goes, you should not feel the need to go on the internet, because the mechanics have changed.
You could also for everytime you get a trigger (let's again say you're bored) make another emotion more powerful (pain is an easy one, maybe with a wrist slap thingy) and learn yourself to let that particular emotion trigger something you really want to be doing.
That way everytime you feel bored, and the need to go on the internet triggers, you can retrigger more powerfully something else. However this doesn't cure the addiction, if nothing else it shadows it, and it'll most likely still cost you energy, so I believe the best thing to do is to take advantage of time, like I wrote to begin with.
Edit: Then there's of course the whole matter of free will. We've the choice for every action we're about to make if we really wants to make them, however as we have this blessed freedom, it's also a curse, because the power within our free will is directly dependent on our momentary ability to come up with "what do I want", and if you're addicted to something, then you'll most likely draw the logical conclusion of what you're addicted to beeing what you want to do in that moment, and first later on you'll regret. Of course we'd then be able to take advatnage of our free will and use the reasons why we don't want next time, however as it goes with logic, often you'll find excuses, like this is the last time, etc, which in the long run means you'll end up sticking to your addiction dispite your free will.
If you want to get our of an addiction purely by free will (or to say, simply not doing that action anymore (going on the internet or what it may be)), then you've to
a) Find out what it's that you exactly want, not only want you don't want (like I don't want to go on the net), because then you've a problem of where to go when you don't go there, unless you find out what you want. It could be a lot of stuff, maybe studying, exercising, beeing with friends, etc.
b) Find out exactly why you want to do those things, and have enough things you want so no matter what situation you're in, you can do this thing in stead of your addiction.
c) Find out reasons why you don't want to go on the net after all, reasons that goes through all the excuses you can think of, and for every time you fail, you learn a new excuse you can find a reason against, this way emptying your excuses, though it would clearly be the best if you could make a few, but very general absolute reasons, which would prevent any excuses from happening.
Doing this and I believe it should be possible by pure free will to not do that action, however like in situation 2) you'll still trigger a lust for doing so every time the event that triggers occours and in the long run it can be damaging for yourself to've to fight yourself each and every time.
Edit#2 - What would I do?
If I'd to fight any given addiction I'd most probably take all 3 methods into consideration.
First I'd, as nr. 3) suggest, define what I want with my life, I'd do so through what I cannot accept that is in this world, which usually can be found through the ideals of freedom and security of freedom (often among political, medical or social terms, which ranges through a lot of categories, for medical it could go from diseases all the way to not be able to accept death and work for a way to go against it), likewise I'd look at what I want which has not yet happened, which in my experience for younger persons often aims towards their own emotions, choosing specific emotions as agreeable and seeking these (often entertainment in various sorts that leads to an elite field), and as you get older the emotions are centered around others, specific people (often to do with love).
So when this is done, the first pillar have been laid, for the second pillar I'd use first 3) again, however this time to look through my daily life with a thought expiriment, finding my habits and finding out which I'd keep and which I'd not, generally finding out the way I want to live to achieve the goals in my life I found in the first pillar (or at least first stage of this, which is often the self-improvement and information seeking part). Every time I find a habit I wish to break, I note this.
After doing this I take advantage of 2) this time, using some strong emotion, like pain, and connect it with a habit of breaking other habits, which pretty much means 1), I reinforce this by doing so while breaking the older habits, let's for instance say I use too much time on the internet, so I reinforce through pain while I make it impossible for a longer period of time to go on the internet, thereby combining 2) and 1). This way I've created a backup safety in 2), which I can trigger if I get overwhelmed by a habit I'd forgotten (which most likely will happen), and thereby won't get any setbacks, made 2) valid through practice as when I broke my old habits, and letting 2) activate 1), whereby 3) or to say my free will won't be challenged by any addictions.
So basicly given the definition holds true, it should then be possible, for let's say someone addicted to the internet, but forgets about it, still to resist, by first applying 2), then automaticly applying 1) whereby the internet will be impossible to use.
Finally there's the third and most important pillar, make the new habits you want in place of the old ones when the old ones become impossible, that's why 3) is needed, or the first pillar so to say, if you don't know what you want with your life, you'll most likely fall into another addiction in stead of, therefore when you break you old habits, make sure to do what you really want, and again time is the key, after some time this will be your new habits, and as you can't be addicted to do exactly what you want to do, then there's no more addictions, given you meet something you didn't see, you can use 2) which applies 1) and then create a habit in this place in stead of.
When you then move from the first stage to second stage (let's say testing the information you found in the real world, does it hold true?) you've a habit breaking habit you can trigger on command (make sure it's an emotion you only can trigger, so pain may not be the smartest one after all), and you can flawlessly go into second stage, and so forth, completing your goals, without feeling you (or your free will/consciousness/awareness/inner observer) have to battle all the time, getting weaker to temptation/lust/feelings and go into the negative circle of fail due to emotion leads ot emotions which equals fail due to emotion, so forth.
Edit#3: - Problems that may still occour
Generally if you've got to a stage where you know what you want, and you do what you want because your only habits are those you want, and you can quickly change if needed by a mechanism only you can trigger, you're pretty much out of any risk of addiction, however there's the whole aspect of psychic problems that probably also should be considered.
Here's an article on something that could describe me earlier in life http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-escapism.htm
I remember seeking great comfort in the idea of escaping, but only from situations where the people involved where some I'd no relation to except they may have'd some kind of authority, one way for me to fall asleep as an example was to imagine I was in school and we were going for a trip, as we walked out the door I imagined while laying in bed that I hide behind the door somehow unoticed, and somehow I had room to lie there and fall asleep while no one noticed I wasn't there.
I'd similar imaginations where I'd often "escape" and thereby finding comfort and I do often recall computer games as beeing a mean of "escape" for me, from the general life.
However it was not a need I had when I was home, and nothing I even considered while having a good time, the problem I believe was more the system of education (and other situations where I felt comfort in escaping), after all we send our kids to school, but often without them knowing why, with the excuse that even if they know what they should learn (eventhough they don't know why they should learn it) that they at least still can socialise. I believe that kind of forced action is not healthy, and one thing that probably would help many would be if we could generate a higher interest among young people for learning by showing what the learning can be used for, letting them be able to take responsibility early and not force kids to sit on a chair 6 hours a day, learning how to mulitply numbers, because all this is something that can be done much faster, and much more smoothly if there is an actual will to learn. It's however not the responsibility of the school, but rather of the parents, I believe the schools are the way they're today because they've adapted to the way kids are today.
Um this went off topic, sorry I'll stop now.
What I meant by this last chapter however was that addiction due to psychic problems are in a league of its own and is something you really need help with, sure you need help with any addiction, but not help like letting your friends hold a password for you, that you get and they reset at some specific time, or anything similar, but real profesionel help.
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emilsn
Legendary Hero
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posted September 07, 2009 07:55 PM |
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Quote:
Quote:
My opinion is that it's more about habbits then a really addiction.
The question is, how do you fare if you lose it?
Hmm... Good question
I don't care if I miss out on Facebook, nothing goes on there anyways
But if I have just been involved or reading an interresting thread here on HC and I miss out on HC for a few days I get kinda sad because I lost a few pages on a debate or something
____________
Don't walk behind me; I may not
lead. Don't walk in front of me;
I may not follow. Just walk
beside me and be my friend.
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Elodin
Promising
Legendary Hero
Free Thinker
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posted September 08, 2009 01:39 AM |
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Yes, a person can become addicted to just about anything.
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Revelation
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mvassilev
Responsible
Undefeatable Hero
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posted September 08, 2009 01:57 AM |
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Go to Google. Type in the following, without quotation marks: "Google". Then click on the button that says "I'm Feeling Lucky".
After the page finishes loading, you will know what to do next.
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Eccentric Opinion
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Doomforge
Admirable
Undefeatable Hero
Retired Hero
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posted September 08, 2009 03:16 PM |
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To be honest, spending more time in the internet than 20-30 minutes to check mail and write some replies is a waste, especially the "refreshing random bookmarks" method. I succumb to it occasionally too, but it always leaves a bad taste in my mouth. 
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We reached to the stars and everything is now ours
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Keksimaton
Promising
Supreme Hero
Talk to the hand
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posted September 08, 2009 07:24 PM |
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I should be making cardboard props and doing my homework, but I'm not, I'm here posting about it.
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Noone shall pass, but no one besides him shall pass.
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Doomforge
Admirable
Undefeatable Hero
Retired Hero
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posted September 08, 2009 07:49 PM |
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I should be learning for 2 exams instead of playing Final Fantasy X on emulator again... and again... and again.
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We reached to the stars and everything is now ours
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TheDeath
Responsible
Undefeatable Hero
with serious business
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posted September 09, 2009 05:47 PM |
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Quote:
I should be learning for 2 exams instead of playing Final Fantasy X on emulator again... and again... and again.
What does that have to do with the internet? 
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The above post is subject to SIRIOUSness.
No jokes were harmed during the making of this signature.
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Doomforge
Admirable
Undefeatable Hero
Retired Hero
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posted September 09, 2009 06:27 PM |
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I use internet to post about it.
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We reached to the stars and everything is now ours
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ihor
Supreme Hero
Accidental Hero
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posted September 10, 2009 09:00 AM |
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I have a friend, who lost a connection to the internet for a day. He tried to connect every half an hour, walked from one room to another and back waiting for the connection.
I have another friend who have played LineAge2 for 45 hours in a row with only 15 minutes break to make a food(then eat in front of the computer) and 1 hour break to sleep.
The answer is "YES" - you can be addicted to the internet.
____________
Your advertisement could be
here only for 100$ per day.
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Lexxan
Honorable
Undefeatable Hero
Unimpressed by your logic
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posted September 10, 2009 09:03 AM |
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Sure you can be addicted to the internet.
You can be addicted to anything
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Coincidence? I think not!!!!
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ohforfsake
Promising
Legendary Hero
Initiate
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posted September 13, 2009 11:49 AM |
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Though I generally doesn't agree with this, it might be of interest to some:
http://www.eudoxa.se/content/archives/2005/03/the_bad_habit_o.html
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Salamandre
Admirable
Omnipresent Hero
Wog refugee
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posted October 31, 2009 02:56 PM |
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