What’s the first thing you do when you wake up? If you’re like many Americans, you reach for your cellphone and begin scrolling through your social media threads.
Perhaps your boss assigned you a research project, then you traveled down a Wiki-hole, and before you knew it, it was 5 p.m., and you still didn’t finish your work.
What is internet addiction? More importantly, when does
the internet stop being a tool and begin to create problems? How can you
evaluate whether you need to seek help?
Internet addiction is a bit of a sticky widget to define.
Given the economy, many people spend long hours slaving away on their
computers. Does that mean they have a problem? Aren’t they merely trying to
earn enough to pay rent?
In some respects, internet addiction shares many similarities with compulsive overeating. You need to eat to live, and Mother Nature made it pleasurable to do so. Otherwise, you might starve to death.
It isn’t the act of eating itself that is the problem, but rather, doing so to excess. People who work long hours on the computer may have a perfectly acceptable social life, as limited as it may be by economic necessity. This behavior isn’t problematic — it’s survival.
Another way internet addiction parallels compulsive eating is that it activates the brain’s reward center when you participate in the activity.
When you click on a link that you find rewarding, levels of neurotransmitters in your brain stimulate regions associated with pleasure. The process works similarly to the way people play the lottery. There’s a low chance of getting a payoff when you click on a link, but when you do strike gold, you feel an exhilarating rush.
How do you know if your internet use is problematic or
merely a side effect of your career choices? Ask yourself the following
questions:
Internet addiction can severely disrupt your life. It can
create tension in your familial relationships when your children
or spouse grow tired of begging for your attention. It can impede your career
progress and lead to job loss. In extreme cases, internet addiction can cause
other health woes, as you neglect a healthy diet and exercise in favor of going
online.
The first step is admitting that you need help. Certified addiction counselors can evaluate your behavior to determine the extent of your issue and the best treatment protocol.
Often, professionals use a combination of therapies to treat the condition. They may employ strategies such as individual and group talk sessions. Some practice cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) or dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT). Others use art or yoga to reach the desired behavioral results.
Now that you know what internet addiction is, as well as
the signs to look for, you can evaluate your practices. If your behavior online
troubles you, reaching out for help can restore you to balance. You can learn
to use the internet as a tool and not a crutch.
