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Internet Addiction: What It Is, How to Identify It, and What to Do About It
was written to help those dealing with Internet Addiction Disorder, as well as those concerned that they or a loved one may be developing a problem with internet addiction. Although it has several uses, the first and most important is that it informs readers that internet addiction is a real and serious problem, every bit as real as other kinds of addiction. It is only once this fact is understood and accepted that people can take real steps to address the issue.
It’s a real addiction, but it can’t be dealt with quite the same way as other addictions. Internet addiction is unique among other addictions in that while the compulsion matches that of other addictions, simply stopping internet usage is an impractical solution. Alcoholics should never drink and heroin addictions should never use heroin, but with very rare exception, internet addicts will have no choice but to use the internet for certain things, especially work and school.
The key, then, is striking the proper balance between online and offline worlds. The internet was never intended to be an activity. It was designed as a tool to help people gather information and communicate with one another. For internet addicts, though, it is often used as an escape from real life or an alternative to dealing with serious problems.
Not all people who spend a lot of time online are internet addicts.
This book helps readers to distinguish between those people who simply need to use the internet a lot for school, work, or other serious, productive pursuits, and those who simply use the internet compulsively without a compelling reason other than the need to feed their addiction. Understanding this difference is essential to anyone who thinks they or someone they know may have a problem.
So what’s next?
If in reading this book you determine that you or someone you know does in fact suffer from internet addiction, it offers several solutions to dealing with the problem. Detailed recommendations are given, and suggestions are made on places where you can go if the do-it-yourself solutions prove insufficient to help overcome the condition.
Don’t simply ignore the problem.
Because internet addiction is a fairly new phenomena, many people attempt to minimize the problem or explain it away. Whether through damaging personal relationships, decimating personal finances, or even physical health problems, internet addiction can destroy a person’s life if ignored. While we still have much to learn, that is no reason to dismiss the severity of this problem or to let it go unaddressed.
Take action today! Whether you buy this book or not, don’t wait another day to address this serious problem. Take at least one step toward beating the addiction and either taking control back of your own life or helping a loved one do the same. The real world simply has too much to offer for you to spend your life in cyberspace.
