DEAR ask a punk- How do I know if I’m spending too much time online? - Cyber Queen.
Dear CQ-
I don’t pretend to be an expert about addiction and excess, but I’ll contend that I’m no novice either. I think the jury is still out on whether or not true “internet addiction” exists, but I think reasonable people can agree that there is such a thing as “spending to much time online.” … And if you’re asking the question, chances are you’re at the very least getting on thin ice or shaky ground (or insert your own metaphor here.)
I could ask the usual Dr. Drew-esque questions that apply when trying to figure out if a person is addicted to something: Are you experiencing negative consequences due to the time you spend online? Is your job performance being negatively effected? Are your real-time relationships being negatively effected? Are you shutting down other parts of your life to make more room/time for being online? Are you gaining weight and getting less exercise, because you’re online instead? Do you feel like you’re not in control of how much time you’re spending online? Are either the time you spend online or your behaviors while online causing you to experience feelings of shame etc? Pretty basic stuff. To get deeper into it, I would suggest you go to the NetAddiction website and take their quiz.
…And yes, I recognize the irony of sending someone to an online resource for help with their possible online addiction, but hey, the internet IS a useful tool… Like so many other things, the internet itself isn’t the problem- it is how people use it that matters. I wish you had given me a clearer idea of what you’re doing with all that online time… That would have been helpful to know.
I spend a fair amount of time online (especially lately since I have less work than usual) In addition to Ask A Punk I maintain or regularly contribute to nearly a dozen other websites. My Google Reader is also loaded with news and info sites that I check daily for updates since I don’t read a newspaper or have cable TV anymore ...so these sorts of activities actually take the place of watching CNN, reading newspapers etc. I have some friends that I know exclusively from online interactions, which I think is part of the new techno-social order of things, but those can’t come at the expense of real-world friendships, connections and/or relationships. I think these are all part of the positive social changes we’ve gotten from the internet. Personally, I have stayed well away from the MMORPG games etc, because they seem like a surefire superhighway to internet addiction - for me that is, not necessarily for other folks. In much the same way that a glass of champagne might be a fun midnight toast to some people, but an express ticket to hell for others.
Of course we have to realize that internet addiction is different from alcohol or drug addiction. In some ways it is more like an eating disorder because in order to function in today's highly-connected society, people can’t “put down” the internet completely, just as people can’t stop eating - At this point in human society we all MUST use the internet for email and information and interaction etc, that much is unavoidable, but we can’t let it take over our lives either.
As I said earlier - If you’re asking the question, it might be a sign of trouble. Congratulate yourself for having that much insight… but take the next steps too - REALLY examine this and if there is a problem be brave enough to ask for help and get your life back on track.
Posts
