Can You Unplug?

by Maria F. Aldana — April 5, 2008

The idea of Internet addiction seems silly, especially since it is part of almost everyone's daily life. According to Dr. Jerald Block, author for the American Journal of Psychiatry, "excessive gaming, viewing online pornography, emailing, and text messaging have been identified as causes of a compulsive-impulsive disorder."

The disorder is so common, it is now included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Block states, "The relationship is with the computer...first, it becomes a significant other to them. Second, they exhaust emotions that they could experience in the real world on the computer, through any number of mechanisms: emailing, gaming, porn. Third, computer use occupies a tremendous amount of time in their lives. Then if you try to cut the cord in a very abrupt fashion, they've lost essentially their best friend. That can take the form of depression or rage."

There are many daily activities, feelings, and emotions that can be taken for granted by this addiction. The four main components of Internet addiction according to Block are:

• Excessive use, often associated with a loss of sense of time or a neglect of basic drives.
• Withdrawal, including feelings of anger, tension, and/or depression when the computer is inaccessible.
• The need for better computers, more software, or more hours of use.
• Negative repercussions, including arguments, lying, poor achievement, social isolation and fatigue.

Remember to take the time to unplug and reconnect with the outside world!