Internet Addiction

Well, I think of it as being like air. Rather than as an addiction.

 

To be honest I think beating an internet addiction isn't like beating any other type of addiction. There's no detox or cold turkey or anything. You just have to force yourself not to use it so much. If you genuinely check it out of habit then that will be a little harder to do, but like you I extremely frequently check the internet and I always do it consciously. If I wanted to stop, all I would have to do was resist the temptation and, as difficult as it would be at first, I would gradually become used to not checking my phone every 5 minutes and lose my reliance on it.

However, that's unlikely to happen for me since I have no friends or life so this forum is pretty much the only place I have any minute amount of self-worth.

 

Hi! I'm Bre and I'm an internet addict!

Nah seriously... I'm always on here and it's a serious problem. If I can't go online for a few days I have serious withdrawals... =/

 

I have mixed feelings about this.

Like a lot of people nowadays, I probably spend too much time online. But when I look at my activity online, most of it is social in some facet or another... and if it isn't social, then it's productive. Because it's the summer and my friends are all gone, when I'm bored and looking to be social, the Internet is one of my better options. During the fall when everyone's back to school, then I'd gladly just spend a few hours sitting and hanging out with my friends instead.

Activity isn't usually labelled as addiction unless it's impeding your ability to function appropriately in your daily life. That sentence is subjective of course, so if you feel that you're spending too much time online for your liking, then try and cut back.

I feel as though the Internet has become so integrated into modern society that to say one is addicted and to try and cut off all ties is not only absolutely futile but probably detrimental to your quality of life, given simply how much of our daily lives revolves around Internet usage.

Perhaps try and frame it not as "I'm spending too much time online", but "I'm not spending enough time offline". It makes you feel better to prioritize offline activities than to prioritize not having to go online.

 

I'm on over 10 Hours a Day. I think that I am addicted...

 

This is like a case of FOMO: Fear Of Missing Out, where people check a social media site every chance they get. I was never like that until I found damned EC...
Lucky I have got unlimited internet on my phone lol.

 

I'm so happy and thankfull I didn't find the internet untill I was 28! I think you should Chuck it out the window, the Internets only an imitation of life, and you don't really achieve anything, and its not AIR, if anything its anti-air!

 

^This. I've tried going cold turkey from the internet several times, and it worked quite well for me, until I had to use it for classes or filling out job applications, sending me in the loop yet again.

Sometimes I wonder what I'd do if it weren't for. I'd probably spend all my time watching television, playing video games, or reading, instead of being productive like I imagine myself without a monitor.

 

some inspiration:

I'm leaving the internet for a year | The Verge

and after one year:

I

The comments are really interesting too.

 

serious question hear how did people manage before EC arrived before the internet was available to everyone I know am going back 15-20 years I just cant see how anyone managed:eek::eek::eek:

 

Honestly, life was easier back then

 

I'm worried it's going to grow into a problem for me. Usually on my phone so I can check sites every once in a while while attempting to be somewhat productive. In all fairness, online's the only place where I feel I'm accepted and recognized as a guy so without it, I don't know how else I'd cope. So it's a mixed bag. On one hand- social life and acceptance. Other hand- phone battery's close to dead by noon.

 

it's kind of a viscous circle

 

LOL, I've gotten a power bank for my phone
Cooler Master: POWER FORT 6600 mAh

umm, but that's probably not the info the OP wanted to have... :icon_redf

 

Alright, so as far as advice goes... I think maybe finding another outlet would help if you're concerned it's beginning to grow into a problem? Work out? Get out of the house?

 

I don't... really think its that much of a problem. I mean, unless it interferes with the rest of your life. But really, you're going to fill your free time with internet. If you have a job, you do your job. If you want to go see a movie/friends/the gym etc, you do that. And do internet stuff the rest of the time.

I currently happen to have nothing but free time right now.

 

It might not be the best way to phrase it, but I'd say that it's only an addiction if you're using the internet to escape from reality, in which case you'd need to figure out why you are trying to escape reality and then seek to address the issue. Otherwise, we live in a society that has become incredibly dependent on technology, so it's a given that people will spend a lot of time at their computer.

If you're worried that you're spending too much time at your computer, add some new activities to your schedule. Some people will hang out with friends on specific days, some will go to the gym, movies, etc. It's really up to you.

 

I agree with you there. I spend most of my time on the internet because I don't have anything else to do. I have no responsibilities so why the hell not? I have and have shown the willpower to stop using the internet so much, but it's not worth it :3

 

I spend a lot of time on the internet, but I use it as a tool. I chat with my friends and let people know what I'm doing, I check recipes, I read articles and news, watch TV shows etc. I don't honestly think internet is a problem, but then again, I don't feel like I really need to be connected all the time.