Deb pointed me toward this Internet addiction test. I scored a 38, which translates to: "You are an average on-line user. You may surf the Web a bit too long at times, but you have control over your usage." Phew. But, as Deb says:
I wonder, is it even legitimate to speak of an internet addiction? The internet is many things: communication by email or instant message, blogging, playing games, watching videos, reading news, shopping, etc. Can you be said to be addicted to the medium that brings these disparate things into your life, or can you only be addicted to those disparate things individually? I can't think offhand of any parallels in real life.... Unless it's similar to saying that someone is addicted to leaving the house, because in leaving the house they get to go shopping and visiting and so on.
Well put. I think if someone if forgoing all, or even most, real-life personal situations in favor of online activity, then that's clearly a problem. But I've traded a great deal of mall-shopping for online shopping, for instance, and that's anything but a problem—it gives me back hours of time I can spend doing more meaningful or productive or fun or convenient things.
Good point about the time-saving merits of the internet. So if I'm dreaming about being online and typing in my sleep is this a bad sign? I think so.
Posted by: Julie Q. | October 21, 2006 at 06:44 PM
I'd have to say I disagree with that assessment. I think that it's possible to be addicted to an endorphin high from being online, period - and not just because you like Huffington Report or a few bloggers. Just as it's possible to have addiction to the act of shopping - and exactly what you buy is not important.
(Spoken like a woman who just scored 63. Jeez!)
Posted by: pam | October 21, 2006 at 09:58 PM
Got the big bad 39. Whoa.
Posted by: Jack | October 22, 2006 at 02:34 AM
You're right, Pam, but I don't think this test adequately measures that addiction. A question like "How often does your job performance or productivity suffer because of the Internet?" is good, but a question like "How often do you form new relationships with fellow on-line users?" isn't.
I think that considering solely the amount of time spent online isn't enough -- nor, for that matter, what activities one is forgoing during that time. In other words, if I stay up a little too late playing sudoku or following all my favorite bloggers' blogrolls just for fun, that's not so good. If I stay up too late registering my kid for soccer, ordering 3 parkas and 3 pairs of snowpants from Lands' End, finding a good price on my next book-club book, emailing my kid's teacher about a problem or concern, etc., then I'm actually being efficient and checking things off my to-do list.
Posted by: Karen | October 22, 2006 at 08:44 AM