11 Ways To Cure Internet Addiction

Lifehack.org:

The problem with many addictions is that it can be hard to tell when a hobby has become more than just that, and taken a hold on you. It can also be hard to be honest with yourself when facing a list of symptoms, so make the extra effort now - we're going to go through a few.

1. You spend more time with the computer than with people. Doesn't matter if they are your family, your friends or random people you stalk at the mall - the first symptom of the problem is spending more time with the hunk of metal on your desk than with the people in your life.

If there are no longer any people in your life because you spend so much time online, then you really need to close your browser and book an appointment with a professional! A good start would be to use the paper version of the phone book.

Read the whole story: Lifehack.org

Comments

[marymansour]

09:19 AM on 06/16/2008

There's a post script in today's Huff Post. Major servers are considering cutting users time on the net. With that, it will become a moot point.

[marymansour]

10:35 AM on 06/13/2008

I have no intentions of curing my internet addiction. It suits me fine. It makes my retirement a good one and I keep in touch with the world through cyber space.

[StrayTalk]

03:05 PM on 06/12/2008

12. Stop reading the Huffington Post

[cinemaven]

01:10 PM on 06/12/2008

I was seriously addicted my first year with a computer in the early 90's. Every spare second was spent on the computer and very quickly, even seconds that weren't spare were spent there. One day I woke up and realized that it had effectively taken me out of my life so I stopped.

We went from two computers to one. I generally spend 2 or 3 hours a day on the computer and it's normally in 15 minute increments. It's been over a dozen years since I spent a full day online and I don't miss it. I check e-mail twice daily and all of my clients know that. I write content for websites so I deal primarily with people who want their content today but also want me to be reachable on IM every second of the day. It surprises them when I explain that I don't work that way but they soon get used to it and they enjoy getting my content much faster than they do from others.

I've also cut out a lot of other technology. I've given up the answering machine and cell phone. I limit phone conversations to 15 minutes and I only answer if I have time. You can't reach me just because you want to but my social life has improved greatly because I am always happy to go out with friends and family. I've become much more of a face to face kind of person. (arrgghh... word limits)

[cinemaven]

01:15 PM on 06/12/2008

(continued from above)


I constantly hear from all of my crackberry addicted friends that they envy me. Many of the people I know are exhausted from being so completely available to everyone in their lives.

I think I'm at the leading edge of a new trend because we've reached a point where no one has boundaries any longer. Everyone is instantly reachable and the expectation is that everyone will be available 24/7 which is not conducive to production or healthy relationships.

If you were to ask people how many hours they spend on the telephone, the answer would be about 10X more than it would have been 10 years ago. Add that to internet usage and you'll see that for many people, their lives are tied up in a long technological knot and it's not making their lives any easier or more productive.

[shengirl]

02:52 AM on 06/14/2008

I go for days at a time without talking on a phone, any kind of phone. All this endless chatter is junk food for the ears.

[dadw5boys]

01:43 AM on 06/12/2008

If you value your eye sight you has better spend 2 hours a day outside if you use the compouter a lot!!!!!!!

You will get floaters in the eye fliud!

[thinbluetorpedo]

12:44 AM on 06/12/2008

OMG... who is not these days.

[pbfishtaco]

11:11 PM on 06/11/2008

I don't have time to read the article. What was it about??

LOL

[johnnygoodwud]

05:29 PM on 06/11/2008

hello is anyone out there? HELP!

[mamacat]

07:11 PM on 06/12/2008

You have reached an unlisted number...............................

[shengirl]

02:50 AM on 06/14/2008

I've gone outside...