Hi. My name is Brad and I am addicted to the Internet. A recent study suggests that you are too.

One in eight people exhibit signs of “problematic internet use,” according to a study carried out by researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine, published in a recent article in the International Journal of Neuropsychiatric Medicine.

The most likely candidates with an Internet addiction are single, college-educated men in their 30s, who spend 30 hours online a week in non-work related activity.

Missouri Western student Chris Shove said that he thinks that addiction to online games and video games in general is comparable to drug addiction.

“I have heard that people that are addicted to video games show similar mental functions as people that are addicted to drugs. Its a form of stimulation that you can get addicted to,” Shove said.

Shove also said that a friend of his has a problem with the Internet, and is involved in an Internet relationship.

“He’s been Internet dating her for a while,” Shove said. “They got pretty Internet-serious, and then they got Internet-engaged.”

Shove said he told his friend that the Internet relationship was far from reality. Shove said the couple’s Internet relationship is going through a rocky period but they still communicate.

Freshman Brett Weese has experienced the side effects of Internet addiction first hand.

About a month ago Weese said that he was stood up for an internet game called “World of Warcraft.”

This game and others like it are referred to as Massively-Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games, or MMORPGs. They allow a large number of players to interact with each other in a virtual world.

Senior Steven Hickman said he likes to play video games, but is not addicted.

“I don’t have an addiction problem, but obviously it exists,” Hickman said. “They even have a little reminder on the loading page [that tells users] to remember to take everything in moderation. Obviously even the manufacturer is aware of this issue.”

Junior Warren Webb does not consider himself an Internet addict. He calculated his time on the internet at about 4 hours a day. Half of that time is doing class work and the other half for checking Facebook and MySpace and looking up news.

“In the Student Union there are people who are on those computers at least six or seven hours a day, just playing the same video games all of the time,” Webb said. “I would almost say that that is an addiction.”

Webb does not feel that the Internet has had an overall negative effect on society.

“It’s so vital for communication purposes; just staying up to date,” Webb said. “I don’t know if I would compare it to alcohol [addictions]. I think the internet is more of a daily interaction like television. It’s just something to pass the time.”

“Counting the hours at work that I’m on the Internet, I’m probably online about eight to ten hours a day,” Weese said.

The Stanford study states that although the majority of previous studies have concentrated on online pornography and online gambling, addictive internet behavior may also include chat rooms, shopping sites, or just about any website activity.

Psychiatrists are finding that an increasing number of patients are complaining of internet related problems. Issues such as work and marriage are being affected in many cases. At this time Internet related problems are not officially recognized by the mental-health establishment.

According to the study’s lead author Elias Aboujaoude, perhaps the most disturbing phenomena is that some people hide their Internet surfing, or go online to escape a bad mood – a behavior that is similar to that of alcoholics and drug users.

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Internet addiction tips for Parents…
With all the fun things for kids and teens to do online, parents need to be aware of keeping their children from becoming addicted to the Internet.

- Look for symptoms of Internet dependency. Ask yourself if your child’s Internet use is affecting his or her school performance, health, and relationships with family and friends.

- Keep your computer in a public area of your house, not in a child’s bedroom.

- Encourage and support your child’s participation in other activities - particularly physical pastimes with other children.

- Examine your own online habits. Do you have trouble controlling your Internet use? Remember, you are your child’s most important role model.

- If your child is demonstrating strong signs of Internet addiction, consider seeking professional counseling. Compulsive Internet use may be symptomatic of other problems such as depression, anger and low self-esteem.

(Tips courtesy of Media Awareness Network.)