Addiction to Internet

Shama Shaleha
English 1002: College Writing II
Dr. Cynthia Andrzejczyk
Addiction to Internet In the text The Globalization of Addiction, Bruce Alexander emphasizes the four different types of addiction (Addiction1, Addiction2, Addicition3, and Addiction4), which include behavioral disorders that apply to habitual uses of technology including the Internet, video games, and other modern technological gadgets. The traditional definition of addiction in the Oxford English Dictionary “Humans beings often undergo full psychological metamorphoses by becoming so involved with a new habit or pursuit that their involvement is comparable to voluntary slavery” (Alexander 30). However, the new definition of Addiction states, “Overwhelming involvement with any pursuit whatsoever (including, but not limited to, drugs or alcohol) that is harmful to the addicted person, to society, or to both” (Alexander 29). The classification of the addiction: Addiction 1(Alcohol), Addiction 2(Substance abuse (drug)), Addiction 3(Behavior addiction), and Addiction 4(Devote (excessive) turn cause/action). Since an individual spends immoderate time in their addiction to whatever it is, he or she will change what they do and who they are overall to accustom the addiction. If an individual follows in the category of Addiction type 3, he or she will not change what they do, but they change who they are completely to habituate their addiction. (Alexander 35) Even though an individual might drink alcohol, it is not necessary that they are addicted to drinking as classified on Addiction1. On the other hand, if an individual spends moderate amount of time on a particular activity, it is not necessarily that they are addicted to that particular activity as classified in Addiction3. With the guidelines of counselors, self-help groups, or other programs to help treat the people who are classified under Addicition1, similarly the same steps can help treat the type three-addiction individuals. Addiction4 is the shadow of Addiction3, but addiction 4 is less common in today’s century. People who fall within the category of Addiction 3 usually feels out of control, which leads to depression, suicide, or violence. However, people who accepts their addiction and maintain their addiction usually feels guilty of their addiction (Alexander 35-38). As Bruce Alexander states, “Depression and addiction are closely intertwined problems people who suffer from one of them very often suffer from the other. Although the harm that addiction 3 causes addicted individuals can be great, the social harm can be greater. But the spread of addiction 3 has done far too much harm to be discredited by those who exploit it for vanity or profit” (Alexander 40-42). The transformation of personality that is entailing to addiction 3 can is extremely harmful, but addiction 3 is easier to study, because people talk about their addiction openly in public (Alexander 47). Mark Griffiths studied five different individual (Gary, Jamie, Panos, Jodie, and Dave) for six months in regards to excessive computer use and published an article Does Internet and Computer “Addiction” Exist. Griffith’s point of view in technology addiction is “technological addictions are a sub- set of behavioral addictions and that behavioral addictions feature the core components of addiction” (Griffiths 211). Gary a 15-year-old British male is one of the candidates who spends 3-4 hours a day (weekdays) and five or more hours a day (weekend) on the computer, and he has neurofibromatosis behavioral problems. Gary’s mother observed that Gary always had socially problems, and it was hard for him to make friends, he was bullied and teased, lack of confidence, which leads into depression. His mothers implies that Gary is an intelligent child, and who is very good at computer programming, and he doesn’t spend his time playing computer games. Since Gary has hard time making friends and therefore he does not have a social life, and he sees his computer as a friend. Gary does not believe that he spends too much time on the computer, but he is getting help from a psychiatrist and Gary see’s his counseling as a quick fix. At the end of 6 months Griffith’s comments about Gary’s case was the he fits in the stereotype of computer addicts and who does not have “little or no social life or no self-confidence” (Griffiths 212). The outrageous computer usage in Gary’s is a place of isolation from the real world where he forgets about his socially problems and medical conditions (Griffiths 212). Another candidate in Griffiths study was a 35-year-old Canadian female name Jodie who in unemployed. This individual spends at least forty hours on the Internet per week on IRC service or discussion group. She believes she is not good looking, overweight, and disabled. Due to her low self-esteem about her looks, she meets people online and after she gets to know them, she meets with the in reality, because at the point it does not matter how she looks. Through her IRC service or another source via internet she has met over a dozen people including her husband who leaves in America even after marriage. She chats with her husband 3 to 4 hours a night via the internet, and she believes that by talking via the net it has given the two individual more chances of getting to know each other. Jodie deals with verbal abuse from her mother about her marriage, because she think believes her daughter has married someone that she does not know and she has lost her mind. When Jodie does not use her Internet or IRC service, she gets depressed, and mood, because she’s on her own (Griffiths 215). Griffiths comments about this unique case, even though Jodie has the symptoms of addiction, she is not classified in the category of young male stereotype. The reason why she does not fit in the category is that she’s open about her usage of Internet and she explains why she likes socializing with people online first, and now that she’s married her situation change. (Griffiths 215)
On the other hand, another candidate Jamie who is 16 years old British Male with the same situation as Jodie is categorized in the stereotype of young men, because he refuses to accept he has any type of problem. (Griffiths 213-215) People find themselves on the Internet because he or she might not be happy with the person they are, or they cannot be in a certain group they wish to be. Majority of the time people find alternative way to create something on the web that they cannot do in person. In reality some people are too shy to communicate with other people, or would not say half of the things they say online, since the person is not in front of them. Serious consequences come with excessive use of Internet like Chak and Leung has stated in the article Shyness and Locus of Control as Predictors of Internet Addiction and Internet Use” shatter families, relation- ships, and careers” (Chak and Leung 560). Since, individual who spends majority of their time using the Internet to fulfill the desire and needs the individual does not spent much time with other people face to face. Individual use cyberspace to create a false identity and pretend to be someone other themselves and fulfill the desire and happiness. Many individual are not addicted to Internet, but spend a lot of time using the Internet for socializing; on the other hand, other individual use the Internet for the same reason to socialize will be addicted to Internet. This set of individuals denies that they use Internet for an outrageous time and the reason why they use cyberspace.
Works Cited
Alexander, Bruce K. "Addiction1, Addiction2, Addiction3, Addiction4." The Globalization of Addiction: A Study in Poverty of the Spirit. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2010. 27-47. Print.
Chak, Katherine, and Louis Leung. "Shyness And Locus Of Control As Predictors Of Internet Addiction And Internet Use." Cyberpsychology & Behavior 7.5 (2004) : 559-70. Academic Search Premier. Web. 6 Dec. 2012.
Griffiths, Mark. "Does Internet and Computer "Addiction" Exist? Some Case Study Evidence." Cyberpsychology & Behavior 3.2 (2000) : 211-18. Academic Search Premier. Web. 6 Dec. 2012.
Hall, Alex S., and Parsons Jeffrey. "Internet Addiction: College Student Case Study Using Best Practices in Cognitive Behavior Therapy." Journal of Mental Health Counseling 23.4 (2001) : 312-27. Google Scholar. Web. 1 Dec. 2012.

Cited: Alexander, Bruce K. "Addiction1, Addiction2, Addiction3, Addiction4." The Globalization of Addiction: A Study in Poverty of the Spirit. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2010. 27-47. Print. Chak, Katherine, and Louis Leung. "Shyness And Locus Of Control As Predictors Of Internet Addiction And Internet Use." Cyberpsychology & Behavior 7.5 (2004) : 559-70. Academic Search Premier. Web. 6 Dec. 2012. Griffiths, Mark. "Does Internet and Computer "Addiction" Exist? Some Case Study Evidence." Cyberpsychology & Behavior 3.2 (2000) : 211-18. Academic Search Premier. Web. 6 Dec. 2012. Hall, Alex S., and Parsons Jeffrey. "Internet Addiction: College Student Case Study Using Best Practices in Cognitive Behavior Therapy." Journal of Mental Health Counseling 23.4 (2001) : 312-27. Google Scholar. Web. 1 Dec. 2012.