Be Warned: Internet Use Can Be Addictive
You see them in line at the movies, in their cars at stoplights, seated at the local coffee shop: Internet junkies that can’t put down the computer, iPad, or smartphone. Checking their Facebook status, tweeting their location, cruising Slate for the latest news tidbit. Many label it obsessive, compulsive, an addiction, and new research supports that there are clear signs that it fits the bill of one of those medical diagnoses.
A study conducted by Intersperience, an international consumer research organization, queried 1,000 participants in the U.K., aged 18-65. The participants answered a lengthy questionnaire and were requested to refrain from any internet use for 24 hours.
Probably the biggest stumbling block for the respondents was actually stepping away from the internet. For some, the thought was inconceivable. Others labeled it one of the hardest things they had done, likening it to a nightmare. Some even had symptoms of withdrawal, similar to drugs or alcohol addictions.
"Online and digital technology is increasingly pervasive," said Paul Hudson, chief executive of Intersperience. "Ourr esearch shows how just dominant a role it now assumes, influencing our friendships, the way we communicate, the fabric of our family life, our work lives, our purchasing habits and our dealings with organizations."
Younger people had a more difficult time unplugging, that did their over-40 counterparts, and very few people embraced wholeheartedly the concept of an internet-free life, even for a mere 24 hours. Fifty-three percent acknowledged being upset when denied access ot the internet, while 40 percent indicated they were lonely when unable to communicate with friends on the internet.
“The way we engage with technology has occurred faster than many of us had anticipated,” said Hudson. “This has profound implications for society both from a personal and commercial perspective.”
