http://www.seattle-pi.com/local/adic20.shtml

Addiction to Internet a growing problem Up to 10 percent believed hooked on games, chat

Saturday, May 20, 2000

By AMY E. NEVALA SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER

Hardly anything keeps Veronica Randall off the Internet. A $1,000 phone bill didn't keep her away. Neither do the pleas of her 13-year-old daughter.

She said she has what she needs online: a boyfriend, more than 200 friends and a supportive cyberfamily.

"I know I am addicted. There is no doubt about it," said the 34-year-old Colville mother of four who spends as much as six hours daily on the Net after work and college classes.

She is one of 6 to 10 percent of Internet users in the United States considered addicted to online computer activities ranging from fantasy games to chat rooms.

"I have spent more time online than I meant to," said Randall, listing Net addiction symptoms. "I have given up real-life activities. I have turned down offers with friends. I have spent thousands of dollars on computer equipment. I have had my children tell me they think the computer is more important to me than they are."

Jay Parker of Redmond's Internet/Computer Addiction Services said Net addiction may be more common in places like Seattle, where intense computer use is the norm.

"There is some inherent denial here that this is a problem," said Parker, who spoke at the 13th Annual Northwest Conference on Addictions ending today in Seattle.

Net addiction is becoming increasingly recognized as a psychological problem, a disorder that may increase in frequency as more people come online.

Statistics show 9 million to 15 million people access the Net each day, with an estimated 200 million total worldwide users.

"There are people who spend 14 to 18 hours a day online. They work 10 hours on the computer then go home and get online. And everybody they know does the same thing. It becomes normal," he said.

An avid Internet user differs from an addict, said Maressa Hecht Orzack, a Harvard University psychologist and director of Massachusetts-based McLean Hospital's Computer Addiction Services.

"Addiction is when you can't stop, you can't get away from it and you need to do it more and more often," said Orzack.

"It's craving it when it's not there. It's being depressed, irritable or angry when you are not on the computer. It's flunking out of school. It's not feeding the children. It's oversleeping after spending all night online. It's neglecting work."

Psychiatrists such as Andee McGraw at the Illinois Institute for Addiction Recovery first recognized Net addiction about five years ago, observing it in teenagers who racked up monthly Internet service phone bills of $2,000 and more.

"In meeting with these families, I realized these were 14-, 15- and 16-year-olds choosing not to go on vacation to places like Hawaii and Florida because it would take them away from their computer," said McGraw.

Orzack treated one teen who became so engrossed with the Internet that his parents literally dragged him away from the computer. Another boy became so enraged after a chat room participant insulted him that he punched a family member.

"He was too caught up in his fantasy world," said Orzack.

The few studies available in this young area of psychology show that teenagers and young adults -- particularly the shy, socially awkward, lonely and depressed -- face the greatest risk of Net addiction.

People living in isolated areas, or those with a history of other addictive behaviors, also struggle.

It is not a problem linked only to the younger, computer-savvy set, Orzack said.

Her clients range from a 70-year-old retiree trying to cut back on the 40 hours he spends each month checking online stocks to a self-employed mother who sometimes forgets to feed her children because she is so engulfed in chat rooms.

"Internet addiction does not discriminate based on age, race or sex. Any experience that allows people to feel euphoria, feel good about themselves, has potential for addiction," said Orzack.

"It's a powerful escape tool offering instant positive feedback."

Men and women use the Net differently, and become addicted in different ways -- often following gender stereotypes.

Men, for example, tend to seek out power and dominance through online interactive games and cybersex.

Women often seek out close friendships and romantic partners in chat rooms.

Two years ago Randall, who describes herself as "outgoing and an extremely bad flirt," met a firefighter from Texas while playing her favorite online game, EverQuest. Cyberchatting turned to phone calls. She and her children eventually moved from Eastern Washington to be with him, then back to Washington when the relationship ended this fall.

She resumed her Net gaming, often holding her 3-year-old daughter in her lap as she types.

"I recognize this may not be healthy," she said, adding that last week she spent three hours online researching ways to manage her addiction. "I was disgusted to see I fit the profile of an addict."

She is now considering counseling.

"I want to do this for my kids," she said. "I've missed out on quality time with them. I want them to see I've made positive changes."

Psychiatrists around the country now treat Net addiction along with gambling, drug, sex and food addictions.

Clinics focused specifically on Net addictions have been launched at Proctor Hospital in Peoria, Ill., and at McLean Hospital in Belmont, Mass.

There's even online help (www.netaddiction.com" target="_new">www.netaddiction.com) -- which skeptics like Orzack compare to treating an alcoholic in a bar.

Counselors at the University of Washington and Washington State University say they have worked with students struggling to balance studies with Internet use. And many company fringe benefit packages cover treatment for a Net addiction identified as an impulse control disorder.

"My first client who turned me onto this phenomenon six years ago was fired twice, first from Microsoft and then another software company, for playing multiuser Net games. He eventually lost his marriage because he could not curb his behavior," said Hilarie Cash, co-founder of Internet/Computer Addiction Services in Redmond.

With therapy, he resumed his music hobby, started exercising and socializing, Cash said.

Cash said Net addiction, like any addiction, is treatable with a variety of methods. She uses cognitive behavioral therapy, which teaches the patient to identify destructive behavior, solve the problem and learn skills to prevent relapse.

Other psychiatrists treat Net addiction like alcoholism, walking patients through a 12-step approach. Some treatment is aided with therapy groups.

In cases where a computer is essential to a job, monitors and alarms prevent the user from venturing into alluring and addictive places such as chat rooms or gaming areas.

"A computer addiction is like an eating disorder. People with eating disorders can't stop eating, but they could stop eating sugar. People today can't stop working with computers and the Internet, but they could stop with the games," said Cash.

"In this day and age, people have to learn how to use the Internet in manageable ways."

Too much Net?

You may have an Internet addiction if you:

Cannot predict the amount of time spent on the computer. Fail at attempts to control personal computer use for an extended period of time. Experience a sense of euphoria while on the computer. Crave more Internet time. Neglect family and friends. Feel restless, irritable and discontent when not at the computer. Lie about computer activity. Struggle to balance school and work with computer use. Feel guilty, ashamed, anxious or depressed about computer use. Change sleep patterns. Suffer from carpel tunnel syndrome, eye strain, weight change and back aches. Deny, rationalize or minimize adverse consequences stemming from computer use. Withdraw from real-life hobbies and social interactions. Source: Internet/Computer Addiction Services of Redmond ----------------------------------------------------------------------P-I reporter Amy E. Nevala can be reached at amynevala@seattle-pi.com and 206-448-8132.

-- Maya (Maya@eck.ist), May 21, 2000

Answers

We just got a $360 phone bill from our cell phone use. Come to find out, our 12 year old daughter has a chatroom friend in England and called her on our cell phone. She had heard us say that we get free long distance (in State) on weekends on our cell phone. She'll be paying on that for a long time with baby sitting money.

-- sandy (sandy@aol.com), May 21, 2000.

For SOME folks, a monitor with an internet connection replaces a T.V. My oldest brother [who would never own a home computer] spent every evening after work parked in his chair in front of the T.V. Didn't Archie Bunker do the same? My mom and I watched "Fried Green Tomatoes" on Mother's Day. I can only think of the character's name as "Tawanda!", but her husband came home EVERY night after work, took his plate from the table and parked himself in front of the T.V.

Everything in life comes with a possibility of addiction, from such basic "functions" as sex to obsessive cleaning/recleaning of a house. It's up to the individual and their real-life significant others to decide where to draw the lines.

-- Anita (Anita_S3@hotmail.com), May 21, 2000.

Anita,

I agree with you, some people are just plain addictive/compulsive personalities. This can manafest itself in many, many areas.

With the folks outlined so far, if it wasn't the internet, it would be something else.

How many people do all of us know or come in contact with that are obsessed with sex, religion, food, sports, cars, the list is endless.

-- Richard (Astral-Acres@webtv.net), May 21, 2000.

This is really sad. I know of a mother of three kids who would just get around to making them dinner at about 10 pm, always had a sink full of dishes and dirty floors. In fact she let her horse starve to death. She let her marriage crumble. She didn't work, she did NOTHING. I would always start cleaning as soon as I walked in the door. I felt so sorry for her kids and her husband and her animals. Of course I dont feel inclined to visit there anymore. I just can't watch it. But I told the kids they are welcome to come to my home any time.

I think most people would have the sense to examine their life and see what is happening before it got to this level.

I wonder if the attraction to these things is the control they have over it. Not the addiction, but their cyber world. And their remote control. Control that people just don't have in their immediate surroundings anymore. And it becomes a safe haven for their minds, a comfort zone.

-- cin (cin@cin.cin), May 21, 2000.

Survey disputes notion that Internet encourages isolation

May 10, 2000 Web posted at: 9:59 a.m. EDT (1359 GMT)

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Far from encouraging social isolation, the Internet improves communication with friends and families, according to a study released Wednesday.

The Pew Internet and American Life Project also indicates that more than 9 million U.S. women logged on to the Internet for the first time in the last six months, closing the gender gap among Web surfers and raising the total number of Americans who use the Internet daily to 55 million.

"It's clear that the Internet is being woven into people's most important relationships," said the project's director, Lee Rainie.

The survey results are based on telephone interviews conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates among a sample of 3,533 adults in the United States from March 1-31. The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.5 percentage points.

Using the Web to stay in touch

In February, a study by professors at Stanford University and the Free University of Berlin found that spending a lot of time online made some people reclusive.

The Pew study contradicts those findings.

It found that 72 percent of Internet users visited a relative or a friend a day earlier, compared with 61 percent for nonusers. Internet users also were more likely to have phoned friends and relatives.

Fifty-five percent of Internet users say e-mail has improved communications with family, and 66 percent believe contact with friends has increased because of e-mail. Among women, 60 percent reported better contact with family and 71 percent with friends.

"E-mail is a tool that many people now use to deepen and improve their ties to family and friends," said Rainie. "Use of the Internet actually enlarges and enriches most users' social worlds. And that is particularly true for women."

Steven Jones, a professor of communications at the University of Illinois-Chicago, said the Pew findings confirm his own research that Americans are using the Internet as a communications tool as fundamental as the telephone.

Keeping it light

The Pew study found that while the Internet may increase the frequency of contact between friends and relatives, most keep the content light -- e-mailing jokes, news tidbits or family announcements. The study found that most e-mail users are reluctant to use the Internet to discuss upsetting or worrisome topics with friends and relatives.

And although contact increases, it does not necessarily bring relatives emotionally closer. Only 40 percent found e-mail bringing them closer to family, and only 25 percent said they learned more about their family since using e-mail. The numbers are higher for friends.

Rainie said families and friends are close to begin with, so it made sense that the Internet would not always make them closer. The important finding, he said, was the increase in contact.

Women log on

The survey also found online use among women reaching that of men. Women now make up 50 percent of the online population, although men go online more frequently.

Women also are more likely to go online to search for health information, jobs or just to play games. Men were more likely to search for news, sports and financial information, as well as shop and trade stocks online.

The Washington-based Pew Internet and American Life Project is a new research center funded by the Pew Charitable Trusts. Its mission is to explore aspects of the Internet relating to children and families, communities, schools, the workplace, and civic and political life.

-- Internet (is@more.effective.communication), May 21, 2000.

If they think Internet addiction is bad, wait until they find out about "Y2K pseudo-fame addiction". We have some really serious cases of that right here. For example, CPR thinks his 15 minutes of fame are still rolling, even though his prediction of a CRASH in oil prices has proven laughably incorrect. Another sad case is Decker, who thinks someone is still interested in his boring, rambling diatribes on something or other. I'm sure both of these, and many others here, will have a serious risk of going postal when their drug is taken away from them. If they are wise, which seems very unlikely, they will start to wean themselves from their addiction as soon as possible, to avoid the possibility of having to go cold turkey later.

-- Objective Observer (Just@objective.Observer), May 22, 2000.

I'll be more than glad to help out anyone with an addiction to cleaning their house.

Break out of that mold! Come clean MINE.

-- Chicken Little (messy@barnyard.net), May 22, 2000.

not half as bad as TV addiction

-- richard (richard.dale@onion.com), May 22, 2000.

I noticed the mention of EVERQUEST in that article. EVERQUEST is an addiction all of it's own. I know four people who are now addicted to that game, one was a best friend of mine, the others are my husband and my teen son, and a friend of his. I've been so tempted lately to trash the computer in this house..just to have one day with them back here in the real world. It takes ALL their home time. All of it. I swear if I asked my husband to chose between the game and me right now, he would chose the game. (so I dont ask) It makes it hard to continue on with your own real life when those around you aren't part of it anymore. I keep praying they'll finally get sick of it.

-- kritter (kritter@adelphia.net), May 22, 2000.

Here's an article with an interesting twist, in that it doesn't try to separate internet addiction from others. Interesting also is that they ask "Is the Internet causing addiction?" or "Are addicts using the internet?"

More on Internet Addiction

I remember when my cousin first told me about ICQ. He'd spent MONTHS communicating with family via ICQ and once I got hooked up, we chatted every day at first. We had a lot of catching up to do, since we hadn't seen each other in YEARS. That was where he invited me to go balooning with him in Albuquerque. I surprised him by accepting his invitation and we spent a week together crewing at the Fiesta. We became like brother and sister. As time moved on, however, we chatted less and less often. Jim said this was consistent with his chatting with the other family members. After a time, there's just not as much to say.

Gaming can be more closer defined to gambling. It's fun because there's a certain amount of skill required that improves with practice. There's also a sense of accomplishment when one reaches a new level of expertise. I know my son is always excited when he masters a particular "level" in a game. I've also seen this excitement when he finally beats an internet player in chess that had previously been beyond his level.

A forum is not like a chat room in that relationships develop much more quickly due to the rapid exchange. Both, however, are social interactions. We learn from talking or even typing with others. As many have said on this forum alone, it's not as though folks are lining up IRL to discuss books we've read, articles we found interesting, or even philosophies. With feedback, we don't just learn about others; we learn about ourselves.

-- Anita (Anita_S3@hotmail.com), May 22, 2000.

The internet closes some gaps left by distance. Although I do e-ail my neighbor, two houses down....

I did not choose my neighbors and really am not in the least interested in standing outside listening to them tell me about their childrens bowel movements.

In the 4+ years I have been on-line I hae made some life long friends, mentored (I hope) a group of young people, learned to spell better (I hope) and funnest of all, had to use my brain to a great extent to work out the technical details of embeddeds. Thanks to that I now know how building management works, learned about railroads, power distribution, lots of interesting things I never would have learned if I had never been on line.

Anything can be taken to extremes, it is considered normal for people to sit in front of the TV and stare slack jawed at it for hours, (I tended to read while watching TV-although I hardly ever sat down to watch it, except for baseball) but now people who get mental stimulation on the internet is considered addicted. Um, gee, at least on line people have to read and use their minds to think even if it is in conversation with other people.

But it appears that any new thing that comes around that people tend to enjoy is considered addicton. Well better addiction to the web than to drugs, I say!

-- Cherri (sams@brigadoon.com), May 22, 2000.

the forum is probably one of the best features of the net, the amount of real scholarly type information it contains is very little, oh and yes its a good mail order catalogue and of course just straight EM

-- richard (richard.dale@onion.com), May 22, 2000.