Internet Addiction
 

Ever find yourself staying up way past your bedtime to go online and just do whatever? I swear I've had that problem off and on for a while now. Sometimes I wish I could just stay up all night and surf the web, while other times I just want to turn off my laptop with a sledgehammer and get some rest! Maybe I wouldn't be such a basketcase if I managed my time a little more and quit going on Facebook and YouTube... among other places on the inter-webs.

I know exactly what you mean. Plenty of my time on the internet is just wasting time on youtube, facebook, message boards, etc.

Message boards? Ya don't say.... I should have been writing today, but I ended up- here....

I don't see why you call it an addiction. Nowadays most people DO spend several hours a day on internet or various social media. Its common place.

Its not like we're in 1995 anymore.

I'd say it becomes an addiction when you spend a lot of time on the internet wasting time when you could be doing something more productive. If one isn't addicted, then one wouldn't spend so much time on the internet, would he?

As long as surfing on the internet isn't interfering with work, school, or the things you have to do in daily life, I don't see the problem.

If going on the internet takes time away from you doing other leisure activities like watching TV, videogames, or a hobby...that doesn't really count. Just manage your time better.

Well obviously "internet addiction" isn't anywhere near on being addicted to substances such as alcohol or drugs.

Addicted? Certainly.

I'm a definite night owl... pair that with being hooked on being online, or just on the computer doing stuff in general... I've had many many many all nighters in my life.

As it is right now it's ten minutes still 7am and I was saying to myself since shortly after 6 that I need to go to bed soon for a bit. And long before then saying to myself I hadn't intended on staying up until 5.. or 4... 3...

But I got in the middle of a project. Knew I shouldn't, but, well, you know... you get some idea or inspiration and you just go with it now while it's there. And then you end up staying up all night. And of course I have to check here, FB etc before I give up.

Could be studying, but.......the Internet is way better.

I'm too addicted to the internet. I guess I just have a habit of checking Facebook, checking work emails, watching YouTube, etc. I hope I can cut my time on that soon.

I am definitely addicted. I constantly check social media and other stuff even though I know nothing new happened in the 10 minutes since I previously checked it. I think the smartphone did it to me.
But I need the smartphone for work, the internet for work and school. So meh. Maybe I'll try to do more cut-off days.

I think I have a mild addiction. I don't like it a lot of it stems from boredom and restlessness, mainly checking some online forums or looking stuff up. I don't mind some Internet stuff, as it did help me to find important information that would have taken a very long time to find in books, however I would like to not spend as much time on it as I have and just mainly use it for brief times.

While I have been on it (starting at age 25) I have noticed my tolerance for waiting has grown shorter and shorter, with everything nowadays being 'instant.' People are also not talking as much anymore to each other, even active conversations I have noticed tends to get punctuated periodically by glancing at some electronic device, as if they can't get away from it.

There was some guy on Wireless or some such other online magazine (I can't remember which) who chose to attempt 'unplugging' for a year as a project. He still would have other people put up his articles and the daily journal for him that he wrote, but he himself would return to using physical mail, ordinary telephones, and no computer.

I'm wondering if that might be a 'go to' thing to try for some people, a kind of re-stepping into the physical world and remembering what life was like before the deluge of e-things.

Would be difficult for me to step away from it... it's so closely tied and necessary with some things I'm involved in that I'd have to just give up were it the case. Primarily a small studio I've been a member of for years but does not have a physical location, just a collection of people who are scattered across different states.

Annoys me a little when some decide I'm on the computer too much and base it only on their experience of what the computer and internet is for in their view; that while in their case they may more often just be playing online, looking up info, shopping, or paying a bill, simple stuff like that...a good portion of the time I'm on it I'm working. (With scattered breaks on forums like this and what not.)

I do try to make sure I get outside for a while during the warming months though, which I'm glad are coming back. The amount of computer use in the winter, holed up inside all the time, does get old and painful on the mouse hand.

When I first got internet access in college and discovered the forums, I was definitely addicted for a few years. It was a HUGE new world, and I went nuts with it. I was up all hours of day and night exploring every subject possible. Once I graduated from college, I went almost cold turkey for a good year or two.

Now, I'm so busy with computer stuff at work, I'm getting to the point where I'm happy to get away from computers and do anything non-electronics/computer related. Walk, garden, help my brother with his projects. The most I do at night is listen to youtube music and chat with a friend on AIM. That and I've gotten to the point where I can't stay awake past midnight anymore. :P

I don't have facebook, twitter, instagram, pinterest.... nothing. And I'm so glad I don't.

I don't have those either, I could never stand to be connected to that degree.

Yup. Ditto to this. I spend a LOT of time in front of the computer because of my writing, though MOST of it ends up being spent looking things up or on forums like this one, doing research or getting new ideas.



Yeah, I'm the same way.

I'm not addicted to the Internet, but I loathe that it is the absolute laziest thing I can do, because I just end up hanging out late at night instead of doing something I actually want to. I'm so worn out by the end of the day that it's the least amount of effort to do this and I hate that.

Well why would you NOT be addicted to the interwebz? It's a wonderful place. Everything's here!

A little. I have tons of sh*t to get done and I really need to get it done already.

I wind up staying an hour late online than I should by the time I want to go to sleep. And most of it is just time spent browsing forums. I don't even use facebook or other social media stuff.

This so much.

I check in in the morning when I wake up for a few minutes, while I have lunch for a few minutes, and before bed for a few minutes. I don't understand how some people can sit on the Internet all day.

Its rather easy for time to fly by when you're on the internet. Sometimes you don't even realize how much time you've sitting there and then 1 hour goes by. The internet is a lot more then, "checking e-mail" or whatever.

I visit multiple sites and/or forums a day for news on stuff I keep up on like TV shows, games, movies, etc. It takes up a lot more time than you'd think.

That's been my deal this weekend too. I haven't done jack...lol! Course some weekends are lazier than others.

I use Coldturkey. It blocks "unproductive" websites for a set amount of time. The only problem is, it has absolutely no mercy. If you want to get on to Youtube after you've blocked it, there's no way to do it.

I think I'm addicted to Pinterest. ;P

Nope. Not addicted. I come on the Internet in the morning and late in the afternoon, and that's it. Evening is spent with TV time, and that's fine by me.

Ohhhh, heeeeeeeeeeeey.

More like tmnt time haha

Well, that's only on Sundays, but I have other shows I watch at night, so that's what I do. I stay off the computer at night, and that's a good thing for me. It's all about moderation and balance. I read more than I stay on the computer.

If I have any free time and can get internet access, I'm usually on it!