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It's not a habit, it's cool, I feel alive.

I think I spend too much time on the Internet. I think most of us spend too much time on the Internet. But I wonder if this is an addiction or just a necessary way of modern life. Furthermore, can something like this be considered an addiction?

I believe I spend roughly seventy hours a week online. It's a staggering amount of hours, and it doesn't seem like such a big deal. I like checking my e-mail regularly and surfing the web, and a portion of my job requires being on the Internet. Is it a crime to be up to date on everything sent to me virtually? I don't think so. So, what gives?

Maybe addiction is really only a problem until it starts to affect how you interact (or don't interact) with people. For example, there have been a few Dr. Phil segments on married men addicted to watching Internet porn, treating the topic as a problem. Men choosing to look at naked women online more than their wives naked? Then that's a problem. Men checking the score of a college football game every two minutes on their BlackBerry? Not seen as a problem.

Maybe addiction is really only a problem when there are physical side effects, like with drinking too much alcohol, smoking cigarettes, or taking hard drugs. I don't know, but I know there's plenty of life out there and life's too short to spend it all surfing the web.

Comments

Nick / Dogme 95 said…
well said and i agree with you buddy. i think surfing online is a healthy excercise. of course most things are ok in moderation. but for someone who likes to check news, music, movies and ebay. it can be just fine.

unfortunately there are many people that abuse the internet and get into trouble.

rockin
nick
3:42 PM
Todd Carruth said…
I sometimes fear that I have an internet addiction. I actually set my phone alarm to go off at 10:30pm reminding me to log off and go to bed. (damn Digg.com)
9:36 PM
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