Internet addiction and how to beat it.

ГБОУ Гимназия 1552

Кафедра иностранных языков

Тема: Internet addiction and how to beat it

Автор: Шилов Владислав Сергеевич

10 класс

Телефон:8(915)196-69-73

E-mail: vladislav.shilov.98@mail.ru

Научный руководитель: Александрова Ирина Юрьевна

Contents

Introduction-------------------------------------------------------------------------------2

I. What is Internet Addiction? --------------------------------------------------------3

II. Signs and symptoms of internet addiction ------------------------------------6

III. How to beat this serious “illness” -----------------------------------------------7

     3.1. Self-help tips for breaking internet addiction---------------------------7

     3.2. Internet addiction breaking, counselling and support---------------8

     3.3. Opinions of doctors------------------------------------------------------------11

IV. My research. Analysis of research---------------------------------------------13

Conclusion--------------------------------------------------------------------------------15

Bibliography-----------------------------------------------------------------------------16

INTRODUCTION

The theme of my research work is “Internet addiction and how to beat it”. Nowadays in the internet we can find lots of social networks and forums. People got used to them and now use them to chat with friends sitting on the couch. But why they do that when they can just call their friends or go outdoors and meet them and have a talk in real life? I want to discuss this problem in my work.                

My hypothesis was “Nowadays people spend more time in the internet than in real life”.

Internet absorbs people, making them spend all their possible time in it. Nowadays people prefer virtual communication to live talks in real life. They sit in the internet without thinking what problems may appear afterwards.

The object of my research work is internet. The Internet is a large group of computers which are connected to each other. The Internet is used to send information quickly between computers around the world. It has millions of smaller domestic, academic, business, and government networks and websites, which together carry many different kinds of information (facts and details) and services. So in other words, the Internet is a network of networks.

The most popular and useful things about the internet are considered to be the social networking services. They make it possible to connect people who share interests and activities across political, economic, and geographic borders. Through e-mail and instant messaging, online communities are created where a gift economy and reciprocal altruism are encouraged through cooperation. Facebook and other social networking tools are increasingly the object of scholarly research. Scholars in many fields have begun to investigate the impact of social-networking sites, investigating how such sites may play into issues of identity, privacy, social capital, youth culture, and education.

The subject of my research is the internet addiction-one of the most discussed problem nowadays. This problem means that people spend all their free time in front of the computer chatting, playing internet games, etc. instead of doing the something useful in real life.

The aim of my research work was to understand if this problem is really very serious and should be dealt with. Also I wanted to find out pupils’ opinions about it.

There are cases when a man indulged in stress because other people didn’t like his post in social network. This leads to deep mental and health problems. And that’s not the only problem. Many people don’t understand that information about them that they are posting in social networks can be used by anyone, not always with good intentions, for example, debt collectors or criminals.

I searched for information about internet addiction, opinions of doctors and ordinary people, examples of it and ways of beating it. Also I conducted a survey among pupils of our school and asked them what they think about this problem.

I. WHAT IS INTERNET ADDICTION?

Internet Addiction, otherwise known as computer addiction, online addiction, or Internet addiction disorder (IAD), covers a variety of impulse-control problems, including: 

• Cyber-Relationship Addiction – addiction to social networking, chat rooms, texting, and messaging to the point where virtual, online friends become more important than real-life relationships with family and friends.
• Net Compulsions – such as compulsive online gaming, gambling, stock trading, or compulsive use of online auction sites such as eBay, often resulting in financial and job-related problems. 
• Information Overload – compulsive web surfing or database searching, leading to lower work productivity and less social interaction with family and friends.
• Computer Addiction – obsessive playing of off-line computer games, such as Solitaire or Minesweeper, or obsessive computer programming.

The most common of these Internet addictions are online gambling and cyber-relationship addiction.

Do any of these stories sound familiar to you?

At Home:

• A mother has difficulty getting her child to do chores when computer games occupy all after school time. 
• A husband finds his wife increasingly neglects family duties, is irritable at family gatherings, and the phone bill has risen astronomically to an on-line service number.
• Someone connects to the Internet at 9:00 PM and suddenly discovers it is dawn and he has not left the computer.

At School:

• A child's grades fall and the teacher notes that he/she is falling asleep in class.
• A college freshman gets a mid-term warning because he is not keeping up with course work. Instead, he is spending every evening on the Internet communicating with all his family and former high school classmates, and rarely joins in social activities on campus.

At Work:

• An employee starts to fall behind at work and a rising number of sick days raises questions about usefulness to his/her employer. 
• A corporate department head stays late each night to meet deadlines.  In-house monitoring of computer use reveals he frequently accesses inappropriate sites, including gambling and pornography.
• An office supervisor suddenly resigns from her job. A lot of work is unfinished and the company asks her family to encourage her to return. They find her at home, hunched over a computer and out cold completely oblivious to her surroundings.

These are all examples of a condition called Computer Addiction, Internet Addictive Disorder or Cyber addiction. It is a problem very similar to Pathological Gambling or Compulsive Shopping. Like other addictions, it affects other people -- family, friends, and co-workers. Spouses complain that their loved ones neglect them. Couples separate when one of the partners finds someone else on the Internet and leaves home. Like gamblers they compulsively keep investing time and money. They fantasize that the next connection they make will solve all their problems.

While gambling has been a well-documented problem for years, the availability of Internet gambling has made gambling far more accessible. It has also made it harder for recovering addicts to avoid relapse. Online or virtual casinos are open all day, every day for anyone with Internet access. People, who don’t live within close proximity of a traditional casino or betting track, for example, or even those who are too young to gain access, now find it much easier to gamble online.

Net compulsions such as compulsive stock trading or online auction shopping can be just as financially and socially damaging as online gambling. eBay addicts, for example, may wake up at strange hours in order to be online for the last remaining minutes of an auction. They may purchase things they don’t need and can’t afford in order to experience the excitement of placing the winning bid.

Compulsive online gamers can isolate themselves for many hours at a time participating in virtual reality or online fantasy games, neglecting other aspects of their lives such as work and family.

When used responsibly, the Internet can be a great place to interact socially, meet new people, and even start romantic relationships. However, online relationships can often be more intense than those in real life. Our fantasies are given free reign and the idea of being with our online love can exceed all realistic expectations. Since few real-life relationships can compete with these wild, fantasy relationships, the Internet addict will prefer to spend more and more time with their online friends.

Another problem is that about 50% of people online lie about their age, weight, job, marital status, or gender. When online friends meet and the real-life person fails to match the online persona, it can create profound emotional disappointment.

The Internet provides a constant, ever-changing source of information and entertainment, and can be accessed from most smartphones as well as tablets, laptops, and desktop computers. Email, blogs, social networks, instant messaging, and message boards allow for both public and anonymous communication about any topic. But how much is too much Internet usage?

Each person’s Internet use is different. You might need to use the Internet extensively for your work, for example, or you might rely heavily on social networking sites to keep in touch with faraway family and friends. Spending a lot of time online only becomes a problem when it absorbs too much of your time, causing you to neglect your relationships, your work, school, or other important things in your life. If you keep repeating compulsive Internet behavior despite the negative consequences in your offline life, then it’s time to strike a new balance.

Many people turn to the Internet in order to manage unpleasant feelings such as stress, loneliness, depression, and anxiety. When you have a bad day and are looking for a way to escape your problems or to quickly relieve stress or self-soothe, the Internet can be an easily accessible outlet. Losing yourself online can temporarily make feelings such as loneliness, stress, anxiety, depression, and boredom evaporate into thin air. As much comfort as the Internet can provide, though, it’s important to remember that there are healthier (and more effective) ways to keep difficult feelings in check. These may include exercising, meditating, and practicing simple relaxation techniques.

For many people, an important aspect of overcoming Internet and computer addiction is to find alternate ways to handle these difficult feelings. Even when your Internet use is back to healthy levels, the painful and unpleasant feelings that may have prompted you to engage in unhealthy Internet use in the past will remain. So, it’s worth spending some time thinking about the different ways you intend to deal with stressful situations and the daily irritations that would normally have you logging on.

You are at greater risk of Internet addiction if:

• You suffer from anxiety. You may use the Internet to distract yourself from your worries and fears. An anxiety disorder like obsessive-compulsive disorder may also contribute to excessive email checking and compulsive Internet use.
• You are depressed. The Internet can be an escape from feelings of depression, but too much time online can make things worse. Internet addiction further contributes to stress, isolation and loneliness.
• You have any other addictions. Many Internet addicts suffer from other addictions, such as drugs, alcohol, gambling, and sex.
• You lack social support. Internet addicts often use social networking sites, instant messaging, or online gaming as a safe way of establishing new relationships and more confidently relating to others.
• You’re an unhappy teenager. You might be wondering where you fit in and the Internet could feel more comfortable than real-life friends.
• You are less mobile or socially active than you once were. For example, you may be coping with a new disability that limits your ability to drive. Or you may be parenting very young children, which can make it hard to leave the house or connect with old friends.
• You are stressed. While some people use the Internet to relieve stress, it can have a counterproductive effect. The longer you spend online, the higher your stress levels will be.

II. SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF INTERNET ADDICTION

Signs and symptoms of Internet addiction vary from person to person. For example, there are no set hours per day or number of messages sent that indicate Internet addiction. But here are some general warning signs that your Internet use may have become a problem:

• Losing track of time online. Do you frequently find yourself on the Internet longer than you intended? Do a few minutes turn in to a few hours? Do you get irritated or cranky if your online time is interrupted?
• Having trouble completing tasks at work or home. Do you find laundry piling up and little food in the house for dinner because you’ve been busy online? Perhaps you find yourself working late more often because you can’t complete your work on time—then staying even longer when everyone else has gone home so you can use the Internet freely.
• Isolation from family and friends. Is your social life suffering because of all the time you spend online? Are you neglecting your family and friends? Do you feel like no one in your “real” life—even your spouse—understands you like your online friends?
• Feeling guilty or defensive about your Internet use. Are you sick of your spouse nagging you to get off the computer or put your smartphone down and spend time together? Do you hide your Internet use or lie to your boss and family about the amount of time you spend on the computer or mobile devices and what you do while you're online?
• Feeling a sense of euphoria while involved in Internet activities. Do you use the Internet as an outlet when stressed, sad, or for sexual gratification or excitement? Have you tried to limit your Internet time but failed?

Internet or computer addiction can also cause physical discomfort such as:

• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (pain and numbness in hands and wrists)
• Dry eyes or strained vision
• Back aches and neck aches; severe headaches
• Sleep disturbances
• Pronounced weight gain or weight loss

III. How to beat this serious “illness”.

3.1. SELF-HELP TIPS FOR BREAKING INTERNET ADDICTION

There are a number of steps you can take to get your Internet use under control. While you can initiate many of these yourself, it’s important you get some outside support as well. It can be all too easy to slip back into old patterns of usage, especially if you use the Internet heavily for work or other important activities.

• Recognize any underlying problems that may support your Internet addiction. If you are struggling with depression, stress, or anxiety, for example, Internet addiction might be a way to self-soothe rocky moods. Have you had problems with alcohol or drugs in the past? Does anything about your Internet use remind you of how you used to drink or use drugs to numb yourself? Recognize if you need to address treatment in these areas or return to group support meetings.
• Build your coping skills. Perhaps blowing off steam on the Internet is your way of coping with stress or angry feelings. Or maybe you have trouble relating to others, or are excessively shy with people in real life. Building skills in these areas will help you weather the stresses and strains of daily life without resorting to compulsive Internet use.
• Strengthen your support network. The more relationships you have in real life, the less you will need the Internet for social interaction. Set aside dedicated time each week for friends and family. If you are shy, try finding common interest groups such as a sports team, education class, or book reading club. This allows you to interact with others and let relationships develop naturally.

Modify your Internet use step by step:

• To help you see problem areas, keep a log of how much you use the Internet for non-work or non-essential activities. Are there times of day that you use the Internet more? Are there triggers in your day that make you stay online for hours at a time when you only planned to stay for a few minutes?
• Set goals for when you can use the Internet. For example, you might try setting a timer, scheduling use for certain times of day, or making a commitment to turn off the computer, tablet, or smartphone at the same time each night. Or you could reward yourself with a certain amount of online time once you’ve completed a homework assignment or finished the laundry, for instance.
• Replace your Internet usage with healthy activities. If you are bored and lonely, resisting the urge to get back online can be very difficult. Have a plan for other ways to fill the time, such as going to lunch with a coworker, taking a class, or inviting a friend over.

Tips for dealing with Internet addiction:

• Ask yourself, “What am I missing out on when I spend so much time on the Internet?” Write down these activities and decrease your Internet time to pursue some of them.
• Set reasonable Internet use goals and stick to them. Take frequent breaks, at least 5 minutes each hour, and do some other activity.
• Alter your routine to break your usage patterns. If you spend evenings on the Internet, start limiting your use to mornings.
• Seek out friends and acquaintances who “couldn’t care less” about the Internet. Take time to appreciate the fact that all life is not yet online.
• Stay connected to the offline world. Visit newsstands, book and music stores, and participate in entertainment such as museums, music, and live theater. Novels and poetry readings are hard to experience online.
• Treat the Internet as a tool. Stay focused on the fact that the Internet is a means to an end. Plan your strategy—whether you’re looking for information or entertainment—with the end in mind and you’ll save valuable time.

3.2. INTERNET ADDICTION TREATMENT, COUNSELLING AND SUPPORT

Therapy and counseling for Internet addiction

Therapy can give you a tremendous boost in controlling Internet use. Cognitive-behavioral therapy provides step-by-step ways to stop compulsive Internet behaviors and change your perceptions regarding Internet, smartphone, and computer use. Therapy can also help you learn healthier ways of coping with uncomfortable emotions, such as stress, anxiety, or depression.

If your Internet use is affecting your partner directly, as with excessive cybersex or online affairs, marriage counseling can help you work through these challenging issues. Marriage counseling can also help you reconnect with your partner if you have been using the Internet for most of your social needs.

Group support for Internet addiction

Since Internet addiction is relatively new, it can be hard to find a real-life support group dedicated to the issue like Alcoholics Anonymous or Gamblers Anonymous. If that is a simultaneous problem for you, however, attending groups can help you work through your alcohol or gambling problems as well. There may also be groups where you can work on social and coping skills, such as for anxiety or depression.

There are some Internet addiction support groups on the Internet. However, these should be used with caution. Although they may be helpful in orienting you and pointing you in the right direction, you need real-life people to best benefit from group support.

Tips to helping others with Internet addiction

• Be a good role model. Manage the Internet and computer use in your own life well.
• Introduce the Internet addict to other people who handle their Internet use sensibly.
• Get your friend involved in non-Internet related interests.
• Talk to your friend about your concerns with their Internet use.
• Support their desire for change if they think they have a problem.
• Encourage them to seek professional counseling.

Helping a child or teen with an Internet addiction

It’s a fine line as a parent. If you severely limit a child or teen’s Internet use, they might rebel and go to excess. But you should monitor computer and smartphone use, supervise online activity, and get your child help if he or she needs it. If your child or teen is showing signs of Internet addiction, there are things that you can do to help:

• Encourage other interests and social activities. Get your child out from behind the computer screen. Expose kids to other hobbies and activities, such as team sports, Scouts, and afterschool clubs.
• Monitor computer use and set clear limits. Restrict the use of computers or tablets to a common area of the house where you can keep an eye on your child’s online activity, and limit time online. This will be most effective if you as a parent follow suit. If you can’t stay offline, chances are your child won’t either. 
• Use apps to limit your child’s smartphone use. If your child has his or her own smartphone, it’s very difficult to directly monitor their time on the Internet. However, there are a number of apps available that can effectively do the monitoring for you by limiting your child’s data usage or restricting his or her texting and web browsing to certain times of the day. Most of the major carriers offer parental control apps. Other third-party apps are also available that eliminate texting and emailing capabilities while in motion, so you can prevent your teen using a smartphone while driving.
• Talk to your child about underlying issues. Compulsive computer use can be the sign of deeper problems. Is your child having problems fitting in? Has there been a recent major change, like a move or divorce, which is causing stress?
• Get help. Teenagers often rebel against their parents but if they hear the same information from a different authority figure, they may be more inclined to listen. Try a sports coach, doctor, or respected family friend. Don’t be afraid to seek professional counseling if you are concerned about your child.

3.3. OPINIONS OF DOCTORS

For over 15 years Dr. Orzack, a licensed clinical psychologist, has treated addictive behaviors at McLean Hospital, where she is founder and coordinator of the Computer Addiction Service and a member of the Harvard Medical School faculty. She is also a faculty member of the Cognitive Therapy Program, and in private practice in Newton Centre, Massachusetts. In addition she has studied recreational drug use and thinks that inappropriate computer use is similar. Her sense is that we are just seeing the tip of the iceberg. Our society is becoming more and more computer dependent not only for information, but for fun and entertainment. This trend is a potential problem affecting all ages, starting with computer games for kids to chats for the unwary or vulnerable adult.

Like any addiction this one can be treated. Dr. Orzack believes that one of the most effective methods to deal with all these types of problems is Cognitive Behavior Therapy, which teaches the patient to identify the problem, to solve the problem and to learn coping skills to prevent relapse. Often the treatment is helped by medication. In addition she recommends support groups for the other affected persons. She does not treat online, stating, "I'm licensed in Massachusetts, not in cyberspace".

A British psychologist, Mark Griffiths is studying "Internet addiction" by comparing clinical examples with established definitions of addiction. He defines "technological addictions" as "non-chemical (behavioural) addictions which involve human-machine interactions" (Griffiths, 1997). His presentation at APA was impressive, but I was bothered by the fact that he compared Internet addiction with "Star Trek" addiction. Evidently some mental health professionals in Great Britain are studying "Star Trek addicts" and consider them to be suffering from a legitimate disorder. Griffiths would consider "Star Trek addiction" and "Internet addiction" to be examples of technological addictions.

Griffiths uses a fairly traditional definition of addiction which involves the following features:

• Salience: the activity or drug becomes the most important activity in a person's life
• Mood modification: feeling a buzz or high, or feeling numb or tranquil.
• Tolerance: Increasing amounts of the substance or activity are needed over time to produce the same euphoric effect.
• Withdrawal symptoms: unpleasant feeling states which occur when the substance or activity is removed.
• Conflict: Interpersonal conflict because of the substance or activity, and intrapersonal conflict within the individual.
• Relapse: the tendency to repeatedly revert to earlier pathological patterns of use, and for the most extreme patterns of use to be quickly restored after many years of control or abstinence. (summarized from Griffiths, 1997)

Griffiths then presents some case studies and evaluates them on these dimensions. One example is that of a 15 year old male with a physical handicap who spends time with his computer to the exclusion of family and friends. The example does not mention whether the teenager has access to the Internet. Another example is a 16 year old college student who spends 40 hours per week on the net chatting about Star Trek with other Trekkies. A third example is a 20 year old Greek college student who describes himself as having been addicted to computer games at a younger age. The last two examples are older. A 35 year old unemployed Canadian female spends 40 hours per week exclusively in IRC (Internet Relay Chat) chat rooms. She has made friends online and later met them in real life. She even married one of them. The last example is a 32 year old employed British male who turned to IRC chats after a job change which resulted in him spending more time at home alone. He left his marriage and moved to the United States to be with the online friends that he had made.

Griffiths believes that the first two examples are examples of addiction, and that the remaining examples fall short of meeting the criteria. The first example does not even mention the Internet, however. If this teen is addicted, it is an addiction to computers in general. The second teenager may be "addicted" to science fiction, or even to chatting about science fiction. I'm not sure that you can say that he is addicted to the Internet.

IV. MY RESEARCH. ANALYSIS OF MY RESEARCH.

Results show that most of pupils of our school are already internet addicted, exactly to social networks and online-games. For more than 3 years they spend practically half of the day in the internet.

CONCLUSION

Nowadays people prefer virtual communication to live talks in real life. They sit in the internet without thinking what problems may appear afterwards.

The most popular and useful things about the internet are considered to be the social networking services. They make it possible to connect people who share interests and activities across political, economic, and geographic borders. Through e-mail and instant messaging, online communities are created where a gift economy and reciprocal altruism are encouraged through cooperation. Facebook and other social networking tools are increasingly the object of scholarly research. Scholars in many fields have begun to investigate the impact of social-networking sites, investigating how such sites may play into issues of identity, privacy, social capital, youth culture, and education.

Internet addiction is and will be one of the most serious problems of humanity. With the invention of new electronic devices internet will get deeper and deeper in life of a normal man. An international group of psychologists has recently suggested that anyone who surfs the Internet for long periods is clinically ill and needs medical treatment. According to their report, Internet addicts should be treated in the same way as alcoholics or drug addicts.

During my work I came to the conclusion that people spend most or all of the free time in the internet. The Internet got deep in the life of an ordinary man. All current electronic equipment has an access to internet. Every organization has a site. Internet shops are gaining popularity. So, I can say that every one of us is internet addicted.

Bibliography

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