Are you addicted to the Internet? According to Jennifer R. Ferris, a psychology major at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Internet addiction is a "…presenting problem that is becoming more common in society as on-line usage increases by the day. Ferris continues, "Some say that the Internet can be addicting, to the point that it disturbs one's life and the lives of those around him. Others say that there is no such thing as Internet Addiction Disorder-- getting pleasure out of a computer is not the same as getting pleasure from cocaine or any other drug. Whether there is or is not a bona fide disorder, the Internet is disrupting many people's lives."

According to Addictions.org, there are ten symptoms of Internet addiction. Do you suffer from any of them?

1. Using the online services everyday without any skipping.
   
   
2. Loosing track of time after making a connection.
   
   
3. Goes out less and less.
   
   
4. Spending less and less time on meals at home or at work, and eats in front of the monitor.
   
   
5. Denying spending too much time on the Net.
   
   
6. Others complaining of your too much time in front of the monitor.
   
   
7. Checking on your mailbox too many times a day.
   
   
8. You think you have got the greatest web site in the world and dying to give people your URL.
   
   
9. Logging onto the Net while already busy at work.
   
   
10. Sneaking online when spouse or family members not at home, with a sense of relief.

There are ways someone who is addicted to the Internet can help themselves, according to Ivan Goldberg, who first came up with the term 'Internet addiction.'

"'First, Goldberg says, people must recognize patterns of overuse. An awareness of the basic symptoms is important. A key signal to this would be time spent at the computer, but also time spent thinking about the Internet or in activities related to the Internet. The next step, according to Young, is to identify underlying problems. Similar to other kinds of addicts, Internet addicts should ask themselves what is causing them to want to escape from everyday life? The third step is to devise and act out a plan to work through the problem, rather than escape it. Escaping from the problem through the Internet, and effectively ignoring it, does not make the problem go away. It usually only intensifies the problem. Finally, the addict needs to take steps to resolve the addiction itself. Young advises a gradually decline in use, until finally a "sensible" amount of time is reached'."

By Ellie Kuykendall