- Internet (Remote) Addiction
- An estimated 13.9 million households (57 per cent) in Great Britain could access the Internet from home between January and April 2006. This is an increase of 2.9 million households (26 per cent) since 2002, and 0.6 million (5 per cent) over 2005. Including Northern Ireland, the number of households with Internet access in the United Kingdom in 2006 was 14.3 million. The region with the highest percentage of households with Internet access was the South East with 66 per cent. The area with the lowest access level was Scotland
- with 48 per cent.
*Sources: National Statistics Omnibus Survey, Northern Ireland Omnibus Survey and Survey of Internet Service Provider.
Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD) is one of the new psychopathologies of the internet era. The first mention of "internet addiction" was in a 1996 paper by Drs O.Egger and M Rauterberg of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne.
Although internet addiction is not yet an official disorder, obsessive internet usage is increasing.
- Signs that an individual may be suffering from “Internet Addiction”
- Increased internet usage, while reducing other 'real world' activities.
- Continually checking emails.
- Going online every day (non work related).
- Attempts to hide the fact that they are frequently online, often visiting - 'dubious' sites.
- Others commenting/complaining about the amount of time someone - spends online.
- Arriving before work, staying after work, skipping lunch and avoiding co- - workers, all in a bid to use the Internet.
- - Continual internet usage, despite negative physical and / or social
- consequences.
Similar to other addiction, recovery begins with the realisation that there is a problem. The next step is identifying the reasons why the individual is 'escaping' from the real world, in favour of spending time on the internet. Once this is understood, it is necessary to decrease their online activity and replacing it with healthier activities.
Help for Internet Addicts
1. Monitor and log usage, then set goals for alternative daily activity; following- up with more monitoring and strategic planning.
- 2. Document “when” you go online and “why” and “where.” Over time they will
- begin to recognise the triggers and learn to deliberately undertake
- alternative activities. e.g. instead of logging into their email, they may
- choose to use the telephone instead, or rather than reading e-books and
- forum posts for several hours, they may choose to read a magazine or go
- to the gym.
- Essential it's about taking charge and making right choices. A registered counsellor may be able to help with this process.
