A simple "Hello" is the title of my blog because everyone multi-tasks on the computer nowadays that each time they enter a site, it is like seeing a new face or reading a page of a book but only for a short while.
This blog is dedicated to my COM 125 module - Introduction to Internet, and frankly, I am still quite unsure how I should go forth with this. I guess I shall start by introducing my addiction to the internet.
There is this illness, and I am an Internet Addict.
When I turn on the computer, there has to be Internet, or else I will tether it from my iPhone.
I absolutely love this function because I can literally get internet ANYWHERE, and need not bother about the availability of wireless connection.
According to http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=50823, there are
8 symptoms of this disorder.
Check it out, and if 5 or more apply, it is highly likely that you may be an Internet Addict.
1. Preoccupation – You constantly think about the previous online activity or keep looking forward to the next one. It is like a smoker craving for the next smoking session. For instance, I keep playing games which require the Internet, such as Smurf Village and Tap Zoo on my iPhone, and I constantly check it to see if I can continue playing (collecting the harvest, coins, etc.)
2. Increased use – To reach satisfaction from internet usage, the amount of time spent online will keep increasing and increasing. This is because of the law of diminishing marginal utility, where the perceived value of a good consumed declines with each unit acquired and more has to be consumed the next time to achieve the same level of satisfaction. Sometimes, I can use the internet for up to 10 hours without realizing it.
3. Inability to stop – You cannot cut back on the time spent on the Internet. For example, I have to keep checking my email, Twitter or Facebook for any updates.
4. Withdrawal symptoms -- You feel restless, moody, depressed, or irritable when you attempt to stop or cut down Internet use.
5. Lost sense of time – Your usage time on the Internet consistently exceeds the expected time frame. For instance, I wanted to only check my email and UBLearns, and gave myself about 1 hour. However, I ended up using 5 hours to do the same tasks because I was site-hopping and viewing Youtube videos at the same time. One link leads to another and it brings about this lost sense of time.
6. Risky behaviors -- A significant relationship, job, or educational or career opportunity can be jeopardized because of excessive Internet use.
a. One man decided to leave his wife of 22 years for someone he had corresponded with on the Internet for a couple of months.
7. Lies – Lies could be used to conceal the extent of your involvement with the Internet. Someone who's seeing a therapist for depression might not tell the therapist about her Internet use.
8. Escape to the Internet -- The Internet is used as a way to avoid thinking about problems, or to allay depression or feelings of helplessness.
