Editor: The topic of internet addiction is a hot one. I met the author, Susan, on the net and she asked me to share some of her ideas with you. Some would argue if the internet could be an addiction as is defined for, say drugs and alcohol… I am not a hair splitter…my feeling is that if you are using anything in a way that causes life problems, you might want to do something about it. Here we go:
How to Kick Your Internet Addiction
By Susan White
It’s not an addiction that most of us would admit to, but one that nearly all of us have anyway.
We spend so much time on the Internet and somehow, that seems to be the normal thing to do, and this is why we don’t consider it an addiction. But it is similar to the dependence we have for drugs, alcohol and cigarettes, because when we are cut off from the online world, we are out of sorts and crave to get back to it at the earliest. We practically live online, what with all the social networks that we are a part of and all the online friends and followers we have managed to accumulate.
In short, if you’re not online, it’s like you’re not alive.
So how would you go about beating your addiction to the Internet? Before you answer this question however, there is another, more practical query that needs to be addressed – why would you even want to be rid of the Internet? I mean, isn’t it just about the greatest thing to happen to us since sliced bread? Does it not add so much value to our lives and keep us connected to our loved ones even though they’re on the other side of the globe?
Yes, it’s true that the web has done wonders for our world and made life so much easier for us. But as with any weapon, its value depends on how we harness it – as long as we use it sparingly and only when needed, we’re not addicted. But when it becomes more than a necessity, when you find yourself logging on to all your email accounts, your Facebook page and your Twitter account as soon as you open your eyes, when you refuse all social invitations (in the real world) because you’re so caught up in your online life, and when work begins to suffer because you’re building farms and buying fish online, that’s when you know you need help.
Kicking the Internet addiction is easy enough if you acknowledge that you have a problem. Once you do that, half your addiction is gone. The next thing to do is remove yourself from temptation – so if you’re always connected at home, get out of the house for a few hours. Visit a friend, play a sport, exercise at the gym; do anything it takes to get your mind off the web. If you’re connected to the Internet at work, disable it explicitly on your computer. Or ask a colleague to monitor your browsing habits initially until you’re able to kick the habit on your own.
The best way to get rid of your Internet addiction is to wean yourself off it slowly – give up one activity at a time. Set aside just a few hours in the day when you allow yourself to use the Internet, and get a limited plan from your service provider so that any usage above this limit will incur you additional cost. And just so you’re extra careful, disable Wi-Fi on your smartphone so you’re not tempted to browse using this device.
It takes a bit of time, but if you understand the detrimental effects that an addiction to the Internet has on you, you’ll find it easier to beat this addiction.
By-line:
This post is written by Susan White, who writes on the topic of Becoming a Radiologist Technician . She welcomes your comments at her email id: susan.white33@gmail.com.
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
this is so true internet has played a great part of me, it’s like if i don’t have internet i’m not alive. all my friends are busy with other stuff so I let myself online to meet other people to stumble upon stories I can relate to.
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Yes, I believe that people can definitely be addicted to the internet. My son doesn’t smoke, drink, or do drugs, for which I am extremely grateful, but he spends hours and hours and hours on the internet.
It doesn’t totally consume him, though as he does work and also goes to college.
You echo my feelings buddy. And this is what my friends complain about: ever since I have gotten addicted to the internet I rarely meet them. Recently I installed the Firefox add-on leechblock and it helps me from getting distracted unnecessarily, to an extent. Thanks to the addon, I am now able to finish off my tasks quicker than I could otherwise.
Thanks for the tips btw.
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The first time I used internet was to complete some assignments from school, at that time I didn’t feel that I was addicted to internet. After I graduated from college and then got a job, I used internet for working reason, but unfortunately it’s continued until I got home, I also used internet at home and couldn’t loose from it. I got more friends from internet rather than from the real world. My mom started to get upset at me because at the holiday I rarely went out from home and prefer to stay at my room and use the internet. I think I have to cut it down, using the internet for work is enough, I don’t need to use it after work.
This is so true and a major issue in our society. I definitely would have to say that I spend a majority of my waking hours on the internet, whether it be on my iphone at work, my laptop in class, or my pc at home. it definitely upsets me when I am having connection issues for as little as like 15 minutes. This post definitely made me really think this through and rethink my internet usage, because I know if it weren’t for the internet, I would be much more productive during my days.
Somehow, it is just so easy to spend more and more time online. I started with emails, then blogging, then Facebook, then Twitter, and it just adds on and on. Now, I kind of like building pages at Squidoo and Hubpages. It’s addictive. But, so far, I have managed to get it under control. I think it has to do with your ability to be able to really separate the online world with the real world.
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Without Internet I am lost. I admit that I am addicted to Internet but It is a sweet escape and way of relieving stress for me.