Internet Addiction…America’s New Dysfunction
I have heard of bizarre cases of internet addiction in China… and even that there are some pretty harsh boot camps in China to deal with internet addicts. The odd thing is that the addicts respond in every way exactly like any other addict would when they are deprived of the object of their addiction. It seems that the reality of internet addiction or “Excessive Internet use” is upon us… and is actually linked to depression.
Excessive Internet use is linked to depression
People who spend a lot of time browsing the net are more likely to show depressive symptoms, according to the first large-scale study of its kind in the West by University of Leeds psychologists.
To me this is a serious wake up call because I spend an incredible amount of time on the internet… (like right now writing this post!) The reality is that we are slowly trading the personal interactions of the real world for the sterile transactions of the virtual world… No matter how we polish it, the internet is slowly disconnecting us from the reality of our lives. As we further disconnect from reality our morals and ethics become less important or even relevant to us because … after all … its not real! right?
In my head it feels like I have somehow looked into the face of advancing technology and seen too far… too far for comfort at least… and all I want to do is walk away… partly because I am beginning to recognize the intrinsic value of life… inconvenience… and even Oranges… and partly because I have a very real feeling that in the not too far distant future possibly within in the next generation… that we will be struggling to retain our humanity as we become less connected to the physical world around us and more connected to more interesting “virtual” realities.
Getting back to the subject… statistics show that a good majority of our country is clinically depressed and rather than going after the key causes of depression we often choose to continue our lifestyles and sidestep the issue with medication. I am not condemning the use of medication for the treatment of depression. I actually took Lexapro for a year myself for depression/anxiety. My point is more that we cannot ignore the drivers that are creating the condition of depression in so many people!
- How do we move forward as Christians in an increasingly disconnected society where social interaction is so sterile?
- How can we deal with technology like the internet that is so addictive?
What do you think about this?
Good stuff to consider. It is certainly ironic that the very technology that promises to connect us often leaves us more disconnected, and more out of touch with reality. Technology is definitely a blessing but the addictive nature in humans will latch ahold of the internet just as easily as any other drug. But unlike harmful drugs that people have to completely walk away from the world has become a place where you cannot do anything apart from computers and the internet. So the big issue for recovery from internet addiction will be learning how to live with it in a healthy way and I am not sure if I've even figured that one out yet.
My recent post Worship Leader Pop Stars
Hey Crispin,
good to hear from you!… you hit the nail on the head… balance is critical! thanks for the comment!
Hmmmmmmmm… great post.
I was just getting ready to write a post about multi-tasking- linked to "digital lives".
We watched a great documentary a few days and I've been thinking about it ever since.
This is definitely related… more thinnkin to do i guess!
multi-tasking… thats something to think about… whats really wrong with doing one thing at a time? … hmmm may be material for another post
Great post…I feel like my computer has become my 'precious' sometimes, that and my phone…maybe we are all going to turn into a bunch of Golums. That reminds me, I need to finish the book I have been avoiding so that I can stare at this thing.
Luke
My recent post Rain, Rain, Rain, Snow
Luke,
Thanks for stopping by! yep It's pretty hard to just step away from the internet… seems like you just end right back as soon as the mailbox "dings"
No problem, stumbled across this blog and have had a little read, its really good! You have a nice style of blogging
Gonna bookmark this one I think
Thanks! I am really glad you are enjoying it… I will do my best to keep you reading
The world is a smaller place now I guess, but even though our friends are no more than an instant message away, I think that we are all further apart than ever, with increasingly fractured social lives because of "the net"
The free radical in me would quite like the internet to just cease existing, but then the normal me starts wondering what I would do with my time….
Its the one true paradox of this age that we live in I guess
I really like that!… its exactly how I feel! thanks for coming by.