China Vows to Stamp Out Internet Addiction

The Chinese government is taking internet addiction amongst its youth very seriously. The government is using military-style traning on the unwilling adolescents (14-22) who have been not only dropped off by their parents, but accompanied by them. The parents must remain to be trained as well because their child's addiction is thought of as a result of bad parenting. The training is extremely expensive as well, estimated worth between 3 and 11 months of couple's salaries. One parent interviewed was more than willing to endure the burden, saying her son had bitten and struck her because he wasn't allowed access to the internet earlier that day.
The camps have come under scrutiny for excessively harsh treatment however. Recently a 15 year old was beat to death at an internet addiction clinic located within an army controlled base. The children are restricted from any internet, phone or television usage, of course, and cases of abuse are numerous. They receive medications as well as mild shock treatments, which receives negative feedback from some who say internet addiction should not receive the same treatment as drug or alcohol treatments.
Recently, 14 youth escaped their camp after tying up the supervisor to his bed and jumping into a cab. They were apprehended after trying to ditch the cab without payment and 13 of the escapees have already been returned.
The Chinese government is not only being criticized for the brutality of the camps, but now their intentions behind their crusade against internet addiction is being questioned. Many have now begun saying that the government's true inspiration is to censor what "netizens" can view on the internet.

Chinese boot camps

As we know, the Chinese have been battling internet addiction using a combination of sympathy with discipline, in a military-style boot camp near Beijing. They use a blend of therapy and military drills to help the youth that are addicted to online gaming, internet pornography, cybersex and chats. Li Yanlin says that he watched a student's grades plunge after becoming addicted to internet games. After several weeks of "rehab" the student recognized the falseness of online gaming. The Chinese government are also taking steps in banning new internet cafes and mulling restrictions on violent computer games.

Now, out of that bit that I got from that article, it sounds neat for what the Chinese are trying to do for their youth addicted to the internet. However, I am a libertarian, and I don't think that government has to step in to make these corrections. It is up to the people to decide to do something about it because each one of us is different in every way. However, this should influence the youth to get in this boot camp but on their own will, not against it. I believe that this camp is very helpful, and honestly, it makes better people. But for a government to take these steps like so, I just don't support that.

The government in reality can't do too much because for one, the population in China alone is a lot more than they can count. They can put regulations on certain sites but there is always a way around it for that the education of the youth continues to grow and they will find ways to crack the codes that block certain sites. Think of all the proxy sites the US alone has. I remember in High School when we were at the library, they would have Facebook blocked for students to access, but a friend of mine showed me that you can google the proxy and therefore utilize the proxy and gain access to about any website that the school restricts. We had to be careful because we risked expulsion if we got caught.

The only thing I would say is to just find a way to influence the population into rethinking a step back to change their ways, and not force them against their will. I know a team will only work when everyone is committed, but some you can't force them. If anything, parental influence has a big role in how our youth acts in the first place. I know my parents would beat me if I were to step out of line. If anything, I am the disciplined man that I am today if it weren't for my parents. But thats just me.

                             RAGS TO RICHES

I can understand how online gambling could become an obsession…maybe even an addiction.  In a split second, I was able to pull up countless gambling sites on the Net.  Most of them are quite intriguing.  Flashing lights, welcome bonuses, blackjack, video poker and more.  The list goes on; the temptations never-ending.

Consider this enticing strategy offered by one online promotion for a website:

There are many different strategies for online roulette, but don’t be deceived. Roulette is one of the easiest casino games to understand. Simply place bets on different number and color combinations that appear on the wheel... then cross your fingers.

Inter Casino Seriously Entertaining; Web. 3.24.13 http://www.intercasino.com/games/roulette/

What about a promise of ‘free money’?  The ad below could entice even the most disciplined of souls.

         Receive $1000 for Free Gambling at the Best Free Play Casino

Welcome to the home of free gambling! Yukon Gold Casino is renowned for providing players with the most entertaining, safe and best online gambling experience anywhere on the internet. Setting the standard for free play casinos everywhere, we have won numerous awards from Best New Online Casino to Best Casino Service.

Online gambling is available 24/7, in the comfort of your own home, and you don’t even have to change from your pajamas into regular clothes!  You can simply step out of bed and begin playing…all day long…until midnight or 2am if you wish.  The question is…do most people have the willpower to say no?  Many do, but what about those who don’t?

Addictionhelpcenter.com lists the signs and symptoms of problem gambling:

• You gamble when you win and you still gamble when you lose
• You spend more time online than you plan to spend
• You say you will stop, but when the time comes, you find you are unable to stop
• You spend a lot of time thinking about gambling, or worrying about gambling experiences
• You begin to gamble with more money and larger stakes over time
• You become irritable when you cannot be online or gamble
• You bet in order to escape unpleasant moods or memories
• You try to win money back by gambling even more
• You have lied to friends, family, therapists or your boss about your gambling, or you try to hide your gambling habit
• You have done something illegal in order to make up for losses or to continue gambling
• You have risked or lost a significant relationship in your life because of gambling

According to addictionhelpcenter.com, if three of more of these symptoms apply to you, it may be time to seek help.

Addiction Help Center; Web; 3.24.13 http://www.addictionhelpcenter.com/online-gambling-addiction/

Online Sexual Addiction

Online sexual addictions are a large part of internet addiction.  A cyber sexual addiction is the inability to control compulsively seeking out any online sexual activity despite negative consequences. Online sexual activity can be anything that provides sexuality for the purpose of recreation, entertainment, exploration, support, education, commerce, and/ or seeking out sexual partners [1].

A person who has an online sexual addiction will display characteristics that are common in all internet addictions.  Those are a preoccupation with the internet, they display tolerance over time, they try to stop but they cannot, and show symptoms of withdrawal when they try to stop using the internet.  People addicted to the internet often lose interest in activities that they used to enjoy, lie about the time they spend on the internet, and become socially withdrawn. 

An internet sex addiction is different from internet infidelity.  An internet sex addiction displays the characteristics described above.  Individuals with an internet sex addiction typically have poor interpersonal relationships and they don’t usually have personal thoughts or feeling toward their online sexual activities.  An internet sexual addiction may involve others in a chat room, but it is not about forming relationships.  An internet sex addiction is more about spending a lot of time on the internet searching and viewing online sexual activity.

Internet infidelity involves a relationship with another person in secret behind the back of another partner.  Internet infidelity is not an internet addiction.  It is using the internet to cheat on your partner.  It is less about the time spent online and more about the secret relationship.

[1] Jones, Kathryn, E., and Katherine, M. Hertlein. "Four Key Dimensions For Distinguishing Internet Infidelity From Internet And Sex Addiction: Concepts And Clinical Application." American Journal Of Family Therapy 40.2 (2012): 115-125. CINAHL Plus with Full Text. Web. 21 Mar. 2013.

The Firm's Dilemma

Social media addiction has positive and negative effects in the business world. Firm's globally gain from social media by reaching out to new prospective buyers. It can allow businesses to recognize future demand and to react to it timely.

Advertising is the cash cow for social media networks. To understand how firms around the world mutually benefit from these advertisements, we must understand the concept of the social capital theory. Social capital is the perceived trustworhiness of information shared amongst members of social communities (virtual in our case). Businesses are taking advantage of the social media networks' abilities to build a strong social capital for themselves.

CRM is a large asset to the firm which can benefit directly from positive social capital. Social media greatly enhances a firm's ability to learn how the customer feels about their products or services. This advantage can allow the firm to quickly adapt to any inefficiencies in it's services. This can be very important because it is cheaper to retain a customer than it is to gain a new one.

Social media can be a double-edged sword for the firm, unfortunately. Firm's productivity can suffer from worker's distractions due to their social media addictions. Breaches of companies'  online securitiy has occurred as well, because of careless sharing of information across social media networks. The aggregate misuse of social medias in the workplace can be detrimental to a firm.

Businesses must learn to find a middle ground with social media usage for the future because it's usage is increasing enormously.While firm's can gain revenues from social media, it can lose revenues from distractions in the workplace as well.


ProCon.org."Are Social Networking Sites Good For Our Society?" ProCon.org.(12 Dec. 2012): Web. 2 Mar. 2013. http://www.procon.org/headline.php?headlineID=005134.

Rodriguez, Michael, Robert M. Peterson, and Vijaykumar Krishnan. "Social Media's Influence On Business-To-Business Sales Performance." Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management. 32.3 (2012): 365-378. Business Source Complete. Web. 1 Mar. 2013. http://ehis.ebscohost.com.librarylink.uncc.edu/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=b46fe0c8-561a-4d0d-af9d-c5c9925d9168%40sessionmgr15&vid=6&hid=17.

Could it be unavoidable?

Our generation is full of stuff that people from back in the day could of never imagined having. Back then, it was the old school landlines to communicate via phone. Now we have smart phones, video conferencing, etc. Back then, people would purchase a news paper to know whats going on with the world, and now there are several websites to just look up news such as CNN. For how technology has advanced, we might are naturally addicted to using the internet.

Many companies around the world are connected by the use of the internet. Video conferencing has to be a big part of it. Instead of having to pay for a plane ticket to go to a meeting in China with other executives, you can just set up a video conference from where you are with the use of a computer and a webcam. Most of the other communication is via email. Yeah, you could just text another executive, however, to some, its just not professional.

How do you pay your bills? If you didn't say via internet, your probably lying. What about checking your bank statements other than the statements you receive in the mailbox? You are using the internet. What about certain shopping? I personally look for deals online all the time and get my items delivered to my door.

The biggest point here is what would we be without the internet? We are, in a way, uncontrollably addicted to the internet because it remains in existence, unless if we actually have a zombie apocalypse one of these days when we would have to take other matters into our own hands to stay alive. Ultimately, it is ok if you are addicted to the internet. There is no escape at this point. Technology will continue to advance and were just going to want more of it because it's cool.

It Takes a Village                           March 13, 2013

Do we need to worry about our children’s Internet habits?  According to Matthew Edlund, MD, the answer is yes.  Dr. Edlund puts forth some disturbing results from a Chinese study of 14-21 year olds indicating that Internet addiction can actually change human brains in the same way that drug addiction and gambling do.[1]

In this study of adolescents, MRI’s demonstrated decreased gray matter in the areas of the brain that control decision making and emotion.  White matter, which connects different areas of the brain, appeared disrupted just as it does for those who abuse alcohol and drugs.  This is scary stuff.  It makes you wonder if the changes are permanent.

When it comes right down to it, parents are the ones that must take responsibility by becoming aware, and staying aware, of how much time their children are sitting in front of a computer screen.  The American Academy of Pediatricians recommends no more than 2 hours of TV and/or computer screen time a day.[2]  How many parents are even aware of this recommendation?

We live in a different world today than we did just a short 5 years ago.  Kids who are ‘plugged in’ for too many hours of the day can experience depression, anxiety and nervousness.  Many of them have trouble staying away from the Net even when they try.

I see the present as a time when teachers, parents, grandparents, and even friends will need to be educated about this potentially damaging habit that some of our kids have developed.  The Internet has brought innumerable positives to the general public, but at the same time, overuse has been shown to create problems.  Because we have the ability to ‘log on’ anytime, anywhere, without any controls in place, the possibility for abuse exists.  The temptation for instant gratification that is satisfied by ‘Netting up’ any time of the day or night has proven to be too much for some people to handle.

Guidelines for TV and Internet use should be incorporated into doctors’ plans of care for every office visit our kids make to their Pediatricians.  It has to become an important and essential topic of communication between parents and their children’s physicians if we hope to control the Internet habit.

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[1] “The Kids Can’t Stop: Is Internet Addiction Real?” Psychology Today. n.d. Web. 12 Jan. 2010. http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-power-rest/201201/the-kids-cant-stop-is-internet-addiction-real

[2] “Teen Depression Linked to Internet Overuse”. US News. n.d. Web 5 Aug. 2010. http://health.usnews.com/health-news/blogs/on-parenting/2010/08/05/teen-depression-linked-to-internet-overuse

Internet Addiction, is it a Disorder?

Internet addiction is a disorder that still requires a lot of investigation. Many believe that internet addiction disorder should be listed  as a diagnosis in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-V).  Many also disagree that internet addiction is a diagnosis.  They argue that internet addiction is caused by another underlying condition.

Internet addiction is defined by Dr. Weinstein and Dr .Lejoyeux as excessive or poorly controlled preoccupations, urges, or behavior regarding the internet use that leads to impairment or distress.  There are at least three subtypes of internet addiction: gaming, cybersex, and email or text messaging.  Internet addiction and all three of its subtypes have the features of withdrawal, tolerance, and negative repercussions.  Withdrawal systems that are associated with internet addiction are sweating, nausea, anger, and irritability.  People with internet addiction will show signs of tolerance by justifying the purchase of  the latest and greatest computer equipment or finding more time to spend on the internet.  Some of the negative repercussions may be social isolation, poor performance at work or at school, inability to keep appointments, and fatigue. 

There are three different proposed models for classifying internet addiction.  Those who think that internet addiction should be included as a separate disorder believe that it should be listed as a separate disorder under the non specified impulse-control disorder.  Some researchers believe that internet addiction should not be listed as a separate disorder and that it is an impulse-control disorder that is on the obsessive-compulsive spectrum.  Brain imaging and pharmacological treatment studies support this argument.  The third proposed model would be that internet addiction is a behavioral addiction.  Psychiatrists believe that it is part of a behavioral addiction because of the adverse consequences, withdrawal, and tolerance that are typical attributes of a behavioral addiction.

I think it will be interesting when more information and studies are done on internet addiction.  From the information that I have read, internet addiction is a lot like a drug addiction.  I thought it was very strange that people who have an internet addiction suffer from withdrawal symptoms like nausea, sweating, and anger.  Before my research on the topic, I assumed that internet addiction was just caused by a misuse of time.  I thought that it would only cause social problems and issues with school and work.  I did not realize that some suffer physical symptoms from internet addiction.


1.  Pies, R. (2009). Should DSM-V designate "Internet addiction" a mental disorder?. Psychiatry (1550-5952), 6(2), 31-37.

2.  Weinstein, A., & Lejoyeux, M. (2010). Internet Addiction or Excessive Internet Use. American Journal Of Drug & Alcohol Abuse, 36(5), 277-283.

Are Social Media Networks Addictive?

            The introduction of Web 2.0 internet services is enabling people to collaborate and interact with each other by creating and transferring user-generated content online. This has paved the way for exponential growth in the use of social media. Many advocates of social networking will say that it enriches peoples’ lives by giving them the opportunity to sustain or improve current relationships as well as help create new relationships. Social networking is known to help shy people make friends and also help the elderly stay connected. Social media has profoundly benefited business and customer relationships as well as the healthcare and patient relationship.

There are, as a result, studies which have noted addictions to social media sites. One such study conducted in Mexico, for example, linked low self-esteem and depression with social networking addiction, noting that individuals with an inability to interact socially in the real world are enabled virtually to socialize through social media. The socially inept are therefore thought to have an increased vulnerability to addictions involving social networking.

Social media addictions are also known to inhibit employee activity. Facebook Taiwan is king of social networking in Taiwan, largely due to the introduction of “Happy Farm”, a social network game. Firms now deny access to Facebook Taiwan at work, yet there are still instances of workers losing their jobs regarding banned Facebook usage. This indicates a social networking addiction so intense, employees are willing to disregard work ethics and compromise their jobs.

            It would be easy to assume that people would inevitably fall victim to an addiction to these social media networks. Research on the matter has, however, been deemed insufficient for inclusion into the DSM V (fifth edition of the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders).

With the rapid expansion of social media usage, researchers will certainly have plenty of data to record regarding social networking addiction. It is a matter of time until this addiction is accepted as a behavioral addiction in the DSM. American usage of social media networks nearly doubled to 50% between 2008 and 2011, ensuring the U.S. will have no shortage of new social networking addicts in the future.

 

Cheng, JMS, et al. “Social Media Usage and Work Values: The Example of Facebook in    Taiwan.” Social Behavior and Personality 40.2 (2012): 195-200. Social Sciences Citation Index. Web. 28 Feb 2013. http://ehis.ebscohost.com.librarylink.uncc.edu/eds/pdfviewer?sid=a2c55eda-ef64-4e48-9c72-66dba0c9cfd2%40sessionmgr10&vid=4&hid=17

Pamoukaghlian, Veronica. “Social Network Addiction-A Scientific No Man’s Land?” Brain Blogger. (7 Jan 2011): Web. 25 Feb. 2013. http://brainblogger.com/2011/01/07/social-network-addiction-a-scientific-no-mans-land/

ProCon.org.”Are Social Networking Sites Good For Our Society?” ProCon.org. (12 Dec. 2012): Web. 2 Mar. 2013. http://www.procon.org/headline.php?headlineID=005134

How addicted to the internet are you?

Other than the fact that we have certain addictions, who thought that we would be capable of being addicted to the internet? We’ll look at you now when you are mid way through the day at work in your office, not even knowing how much of your time you have been on the internet.
   
Now, sometimes being on the internet at an employer is for good reason, such as communicating to other branches of the business or suppliers, retailers, etc via email. Maybe, some of the transactions that must be done is through the internet.

The internet does have its advantages for a business. Everything is done faster than ever before. Businesses can pretty much connect worldwide for a business. However, this privilege can have its nasty downturn on a business because there is so much out there.

It can come to a time, you are on the computer at work and then your boss comes in to drop off something and you immediately hit the exit button on the page you had pulled up to look like you were working, or you might be too slow and get caught. Imagine if the business had visitor such as stock holders come by, they would say to hell with putting my money for this company if this is how things run here.

The most popular distraction would have to be social networks. how else would you communicate with someone during work? You could with a cell phone, however, it might be company policy to not use your cellphone at all other than business purposes. So when you have your own desk, you have a computer, so then you have the internet.

Outside the office, it can even get worse, especially in a production floor like one that I worked for after my senior year in high school before I left for UNCC. You would imagine how easy it is to access the internet now and days, especially since technology has progressed so much. There was a time when cell phones were flip phones and now we have cellphones that do almost EVERYTHING! I was working at a plastic recycling plant on the production floor, and there were about 10 occasions that could of resulted in forklift accidents due to the use of a cellphone to check their facebook notifications. Others that did the same would slow down production.

What is being done in the office is the computers would be equipped with content filter software to prevent employees from being able to access certain websites that doesnt relate to work. Where I was at, there are many parts of the building that is designed to block cellphone signal so that the use of a cellphone is diminished. It didnt workout so well since the managers on the floor couldnt communicate with the managers in the office so now the plant is equipped with security cameras.

So a crazy thought of wondering if you’re addicted to the internet, you might want to find out for yourself.

Video Game Addiction in Adults: Is it a Problem or Will It Correct Itself Over Time?

 
Many of the studies that have been done on video game addiction have been conducted on adolescents.  In an Australian study that looked at adolescents classified as pathological video gamers, 84 percent were still addicted to video games 2 years later.  This and other studies suggest that video game addiction in youth and adolescents can last for several months or even years.  Long term gaming addiction in adolescents has been associated with poor mental health, academic, and social outcomes.  A recent study has suggested that video game addiction is very different in adults and it will correct itself overtime, but some news stories still show dire situations when it comes to adult video gaming addiction.  Should video game addiction be a concern in adults?

In Australia a study was done of adults that identify themselves as playing video games for at least one hour every week for the past three months.  Of those video gamers they were split into two categories.  Gamers who identified themselves as having a video gaming problem and those who did not identify themselves as having a problem.  The group that identified themselves as having a video gaming problem had higher baseline scores on the problematic video gaming test than the group that did not identify as having a problem with video gaming.  In both groups the problematic video gaming seems to recede after 6 months and then again after 18 months.  These results may suggest that there may be a natural recovery among all adult gamers.

Even if people suffering from video game addiction will naturally recover over time, I believe that there is still reason for concern.  More research should be done.  In 2010 an English woman is charged with neglecting her three children and two dogs.  Her excuse was that she was playing an online game called “Small Worlds”.  Her children were found malnourished and her dogs were found dead from starvation in her dining room.  In 2005 a Korean man died after playing “Starcraft” for 50 hours.  He only took breaks to go to the bathroom and for very short periods of sleep.  The authorities believe that he died of heart failure stemming from exhaustion.  You also hear reports of people losing their jobs and people who are unable to maintain their responsibilities because of gaming addictions.  While I do think that these stories may be the extreme cases, I do think that continued research should be done. It seems that there are individuals that either have an underlying condition that may make them more venerable to a gaming addiction or that gaming addiction in itself is a mental health problem.

1.        King, DL, PH Delfabbro, and MD Griffiths. "Trajectories Of Problem Video Gaming Among Adult Regular Gamers: An 18-Month Longitudinal Study." Cyberpsychology Behavior And Social Networking 16.1 (n.d.): 72-76.

2.       Martinez, Edecio. “Mother Obsessed with Computer Game Neglects Kids, Starves Dogs” CBS News.  14 Sept. 2010. Web. 24 Feb. 2013.  http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-20016322-504083.html

 3.        “South Korean Dies After Gaming Session” BBC News.  10 Aug.  2005. Web.  24 Feb. 2013.  http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4137782.stm

 

Internet Junkies...Really?

Who among us believes that the Internet can be addicting?  I do!  I have seen people (including myself) sit for extended periods of time searching different articles on the Net.  The myriad of topics out there in cyberspace fascinates me. 

On a positive note, the Internet (if used productively) can spark ideas and get the creative juices flowing.  Conversely, if one spends hours on end searching the Net or playing mindless electronic games to the detriment of real-life social relationships, it could spell trouble. 

Even though I believe that Internet addiction is real, some experts don’t agree.  Tori DeAngelis, author for the American Psychological Association, writes that just because someone spends too much time doing something doesn’t mean that ‘thing’ should necessarily be classified as an addiction.  She claims that published studies on Internet addiction are scarce.  Further, she states that most studies have taken the form of self-selecting surveys with no control groups.  To substantiate her stance on the issue, Ms. DeAngelis points out that David Greenfield, PhD, founder of Center for Internet Studies, has conducted one of the largest studies in existence.  In 1998, he studied 18,000 Internet users and only 5.7% of the group met the criteria for compulsive Internet use.[1]   

In an opposing view, the American Psychiatric Association says that people with Internet Use Disorder experience preoccupation with the Internet and have shown withdrawal symptoms when the Net is no longer available.  Symptoms include loss of interest in other activities and unsuccessful attempts to stay off the Net.  Some scientific studies have even shown that those who suffer from Internet addiction exhibit abnormal levels of dopamine, a chemical in the brain which enables us to experience pleasure and reward. [2] 

The range of opinions regarding chronic use of the Internet, and the potential for addiction, certainly appears to be expansive.

[1] “Is Internet Addiction Real?: American Psychological Association. n.d. Web. 23 Feb. 2013.  

http://www.apa.org/monitor/apr00/addiction.aspx

2 “Internet Addiction: The New Mental Health Disorder?” Forbes. n.d. Web. 23 Feb. 2013.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/alicegwalton/2012/10/02/the-new-mental-health-disorder-internet-addiction/

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