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Jeff has had one too many. His friends think he's spending too much time at the pub. Matters just got worse: He recently started taking up Drinking in the morning. There's cause for concern. He may be addicted to Alcohol.

Sally, on the other hand, is constantly surfing the Web. She's spending too much time at the computer lab browsing get-to-know-you sites. She's also made a habit of shopping online. And sometimes Sally will wake up in the middle of the night just to check her e-mail. Should we be worried about her?

Sounds foolish, doesn't it? But believe it or not, some psychologists would classify Sally as an addict - an Internet addict.

Pathological Internet Use
Is there such a thing? Psychologists are debating whether or not  

Internet addiction

  is even an addiction at all. Some claim people were addicted to their computers long before the Internet entered our lives. Should we call it "computer addiction" then?

No matter what, digital dependency is causing people to lose their jobs, flunk out of school, and suffer from crippled social interaction. Dr. Kimberly Young, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford (Bradford, PA) and founder of the Center for Online Addiction, an organization dedicated to helping those who suffer from out-of-control online behavior, calls this disorder Pathological Internet Use (PIU). Although the Internet has proven to be a fine Work tool, research arena, even hobby, it can cause problems with social partners, work, and school.

According to Young's study, only 7 percent of Internet addicts are ailed by Web surfing, while a striking 90 percent are addicted to two-way communication, such as chat rooms, multi-user dungeons, newsgroups, and e-mail. The rest delve into gophers and FTP sites like search engines and Web pages that can be used to download and upload files.

The Digitally Dependent
Lisa Marie Stratton, a marketing communications student at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, was voted "Most Likely to Go to Jail for Computer Hacking" in her high school. (Yes, that was a senior-superlative category!) Now Lisa Marie is interning at her College's public affairs office. Her colleagues have great things to say about her work ethic. "She's a good writer and does manage to complete her assignments on time," asserts Brenda Bredhal, communications specialist and public affairs internship coordinator at the University of Wisconsin's Office of Public Affairs. "[However], sometimes we catch her on Facebook.com, the current Internet rage on campus."

No one would categorize Lisa Marie as a cyber addict, but her coworkers believe she may be giving up sleep to surf the Web after-hours.

Amber Curto, a junior at Arizona State University (Tempe, AZ), on the other hand, thinks she may have an actual problem. "I'm one of those students who really enjoys school," she explains. "[But] I find myself doing anything and everything - particularly using the Web - to put off a particular assignment I don't want to do, and then complaining that it is taking forever [to complete]."Her favorite Web distractions: MySpace.com and Facebook.com. Amber's not the only digitally dependent procrastinator.

"These sites are full of students trying their hardest to put off assignments," Amber explains. They're posting bulletins with surveys and other random information, commenting on their Web friends' new pictures and pages, and catching up with long-lost buds.

"I check my MySpace.com page about 10 times a day; even a quick sign-on and -off to see if that beautiful 'New Message' box appears," she attests. If "New Message" is a no-show, Amber signs off, moves on, but checks again an hour or so later.

Sound fun? These get-to-know you sites can create a serious problem. "A few of my friends are canceling their accounts because it's taking too much time away from their school work," explains Amber. "I am considering it, but then how will I procrastinate?"

Cyberholics Anonymous
Think you may have a problem? Take the Internet Addiction Test at www.netaddiction.com/resources/internet_addiction_ test.htm. After you answer the 20 questions regarding your online habits, calculate your score. You may find you're an average online user and there's no cause for concern. On the other hand, if your Internet usage is causing significant problems in your social and academic life, you may want to visit the Center for Online Addiction's immediate help center at www.netaddiction.com. Its Virtual Clinic offers affordable and confidential counseling. You can also check out the listed books-on-tape on Internet addiction to learn more.

Warning Signs
Who's a victim of PIU? The New York Times recently reported that six to 10 percent of American Internet users can be considered addicts. These "Net Junkies" exhibit the following behaviors:

• use the Internet to fill their time, becoming increasingly dependent on their "logon"


• make less of an investment in relationships - for instance, with a boyfriend or girlfriend


• withdraw from social activities and events


• lose sleep and feel excess fatigue


• display general apathy or irritability when offline


• rationalize what they learn on the Web as superior to their classes


• lie about how much time they spend online and what they do during that time


• voluntarily or involuntarily move their fingers as if typing


• constantly try out new browsers, research Internet vendors, join Internet groups, and download materials


• continue surfing the Net despite the problems it fuels -- loss of sleep, relationship conflicts, poor academic or work performance, and loss of significant friends

http://www.collegesurfing.com/content
Ysolt Usigan is a frequent contributor to The CollegeBound Network. Learn more about finding a school that's right for you.

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