Internet addiction

[theu2fly]

I have an internet addiction. One that goes on so far, to the point where I have been fired from two jobs for internet browsing.

I have this constant need to check certain websites, for updated information, as if it comes first before anything else.

Somehow I think I am an exception to the rules, when in reality I am not. I never think that I'm going to get caught, but end up do. I let myself, as well as the company, and friends and family down.

However, I believe my next job should not involve computers, due to the temptation that they bring. I've been fired from four jobs so far in my life, two have been computer issue related.

How can I disconnect myself from this habit?

 

[vaz02]

getting a life .....
jk lol.

if you dont mind me asking what type of sites do you visit in particular ? if its music try stop talking about it for a day or week or avoid muscial convo's.

this helped me when i used to play WOW

 

[BonoIsMyMuse]

How can I disconnect myself from this habit?

Get rid of the internet. Period.

The internet is a great form of procrastination, and I admit it slows down my progress a lot of times when I'm working on something (right now, for instance, I should get back to grading papers for the online class I'm teaching this summer). But when I need to get something done, I turn off my modem and hide it behind my computer far enough away that I have to get under the desk to turn it back on. That makes me stop and think before I check my email for the tenth time in one hour or get on here.

Procrastination is one thing, but if you've lost two jobs over your time online, you need to get it out of your life, at least for a little while, until you can learn to be more disciplined about the time you let yourself spend online.

 

[pgv]

I am exactly the same, when i go on holiday i find myself gravitating to the internet cafes, when im away from home i try and get home to get on the computer. It gets ridiculous, but i have the obsessive need to check like you said certain websites and my email address. I couldnt get rid of the internet because i use it on a daily basis for school..but i do find involving myself in other things such as reading (involving myself in other things where i lose track of time, and forget about having to check the computer), and not letting myself go on the computer for more than half an hour at a time (for lesuire purposes, not for work) help.

 

[Liesje]

Go away for a while and you will learn it's not that big of a deal. While I was in Africa, I hardly missed the Internet. We stopped at Internet cafes like three times and each time, I bought 15 minutes and usually gave my last few minutes to someone else. Go camping or go to a third world country. You will see that life can and does go on without computers. Hopefully you're not truly addicted, but just gravitate to the computer simply because it's there. Go somewhere without computers, have some other things to do, and you'll be surprised by how little you miss it.

 

[Muggsy]

go to a third world country.

Yeah.... because we hate computers

 

[Liesje]

Yeah.... because we hate computers

There were plenty of computers. A few of the schools had as many computers as my schools growing up. ISPs are a different story. They are few and far between. Most places with computers did not have access to Internet. The kids were using computers to run learning software, write papers, manage business...not surf the 'net all day.

Either way it's beside the point - s/he should somewhere that doesn't have 24/7 broadband Internet access, whether it be camping, backpacking, a road trip, traveling countries that aren't networked by a monopoly of ISP, etc, and s/he will think of other things to get done. Even if there are computers, s/he can learn to use them responsibly.

 

[Muggsy]

There were plenty of computers. A few of the schools had as many computers as my schools growing up. ISPs are a different story. They are few and far between. Most places with computers did not have access to Internet. The kids were using computers to run learning software, write papers, manage business...not surf the 'net all day.

I know what that is like... so stop tapping me in the head. I think you are condescendent when you suggest a travel to the third country as a way to escape from computers . see where I come from? so maybe you will understand why I feel this way

 

[Liesje]

I know what that is like... so stop tapping me in the head. I think you are condescendent when you suggest a travel to the third country as a way to escape from computers . see where I come from? so maybe you will understand why I feel this way

Yes, I'm aware of where you come from. I'm not sure why it's so offensive to point out that in East Africa the lack of ISPs makes it physically impossible for many areas to have no access to Internet connection? And like I said before, I was refering to ISPs, not computers or technology in general. I did not experience a lack of computer access, only in rural homes. In fact, many East African countries have now regulated minimum standards for imported computers, so that their computers are just as good as anyone else's (I believe my laptop's CPU does not meet the minimum standard for computers brought into Nigeria). I'm sorry if this is condescending to you, that's not what my post intended. I did not mean that traveling to a third world country is a way of escaping from computers. As I said, I don't think computers are the issue with the original poster. It's the availability of an Internet connection that is the issue. Traveling to many places reduces the availability of free connections through local ISPs. The same is true for many places in Europe, the USA, etc, etc. The lack of an Internet connection does not make the location a bad place to be. Anyway, I was speaking from the point of view of someone, who like the original poster, has always worked on computers all day. I found my experience in East Africa very refreshing. The same may not be true for you, and that's fine.

 

[digsy]

i don't know if the reality of whether east africa has ISP's or not is the issue here, well it's not what's irked me at least. (i don't know where muggsy is from so i can't comment on her opinion)

i think the general idea of suggesting someone with an internet addiciton goes to a third world country comes across as condescending and superior, like being preached at, and regardless is pretty ridiculous.

more realistic is a suggestion that he gets a new job away from computers and, if necessary, seeks some professional help about it instead of "when i was in africa..."

 

[Liesje]

edit to the above: I checked the HDI for info Colombia, because I don't know much about your country, and it is classified in the higher range of the mid-developed nations (there's three categories: high, mid, low). Tanzania is in the lower range of the low-developed nations. The difference between Colombia and Tanzania is more than twice the difference between Colombia and the United States. This may explain our different experiences regarding the Internet. It also proves how flawed the term "third world" really is, since it usually desribes more than two-thirds of the world, over a range greater than the countries not considered Third World.

 

[Liesje]

more realistic is a suggestion that he gets a new job away from computers and, if necessary, seeks some professional help about it instead of "when i was in africa..."

It was simply offered as an example/personal experience of a more general suggestion: try something that doesn't involve the Internet. Like camping, traveling, whatever. Anything that doesn't come with a dependence on Internet accessibility. I'm willing to be s/he'd be pleasantly surprised by how easy it can be. If his occupation revolves around computers, it may be unrealistic to find a job that is not related computers. I suggested spending some time off the Internet so s/he could work on other hobbies and try to get rid of the dependence on the Internet. Like I said, as someone who like the original poster has an occupation that revolves around computers, I've found this to work for me. Just disregard my original post since it's not being interpreted the way it came through my head.

 

[Shag On A Rock]

theu2fly:

The internet is mostly crap. Unless you are reading educational websites you are playing. There is no difference between surfing the internet, watching the tv, or doodling on a piece of paper. A workplace wouldnt allow you to stop working and sit down in front of the tv and watch the Bold and the Beautiful. Neither would it be permissable to surf the net. As for curbing your addition, I have no advice. Maybe visit a shrink who can assist you to overcome this issue. (Or fill your house with small children who are so demanding you wont be able to get near the computer ) Take care.

Liveluv:

1) The term "third world" has not been used for many decades as its considered condisending (sp?). The people to which you refer are not third class citizens. The term is "developing world" (the other term for the USA etc is "developed world". ) Actually Im pretty sure the terms have changed again. Im not up on current lingo but certainly "third world" is inappropriate.

2) On the weekend, I had the great pleasure to be in the company of large number of Buddhist monks and nuns from around the world, including from Tanzania. Many of the monks and nuns had laptops, digital cameras and mobile phones. The assumption that because a person is from a developing country they will not have access to technology is incorrect.

Perhaps if you want to imply wilderness you state it that way eg "Go camping for a week" etc.

peace

 

[Techie2000]

To the original poster: Might I suggest professional help, or trying to find other activities you enjoy? Some sort of non-internet related hobby?

Re: Lies post, might I suggest that everyone else here is turning a mountain into a molehill? I might not know her personally, but from talking to her online, and from her postings, she doesn't seem like the type that intends to stir trouble or offend others...

 

[Liesje]

To the original poster: Might I suggest professional help, or trying to find other activities you enjoy? Some sort of non-internet related hobby?

Re: Lies post, might I suggest that everyone else here is turning a mountain into a molehill? I might not know her personally, but from talking to her online, and from her postings, she doesn't seem like the type that intends to stir trouble or offend others...

Don't worry about it. It's not really relevant here anymore.

But you reminded me, I thought of something today at work because the Internet went down on campus (horrors). We have a few professors and ResLife staff who, by their own request, have been put behind tight filters. Usually, it's people who've struggled with Internet porn addictions in the past. I'm not sure how the networks are at u2fly's past or present jobs, but we have a fairly simple process of enabling a login through a proxy so that content is filtered to certain degrees. We're happy to set this up for people that ask. In u2fly's case, it might be something he could request, so that his connection allows him to access the intranet, not the Internet. He could get at mailservers, fileservers, anything he needs for work off of the local network, but no access to regular Internet sites. That way, he can still do jobs in computers and also work on the Internet problem.

 

[WildHoneyAlways]

Liveluv:

1) The term "third world" has not been used for many decades as its considered condisending (sp?). The people to which you refer are not third class citizens. The term is "developing world" (the other term for the USA etc is "developed world". ) Actually Im pretty sure the terms have changed again. Im not up on current lingo but certainly "third world" is inappropriate.

Developing country and third world country are still used. Granted, the phrase "third world" came into play during the Cold War and was used in reference to countries who were not aligned with either the United States or the USSR. The term "third world" is still used in textbooks and at universities.

As of late, "developing nation" is more PC than "third world."

 

[Liesje]

The term "third world" is still used in textbooks and at universities.

Didn't think of this until you posted that, but my minor is titled "Third World Development Studies". I have no clue how the school defines "third world". I suppose by the low (third) development category in the HDI, or so we've always assumed. Interestingly, the program was just changed and given a new name this past academic year. I think it's now "International Development Studies" or something like that.

 

[pattip2000]

Re: Lies post, might I suggest that everyone else here is turning a mountain into a molehill? I might not know her personally, but from talking to her online, and from her postings, she doesn't seem like the type that intends to stir trouble or offend others...

On a random note: I was just reading LivLuvs response in another thread on the board before this one and I was thinking to myself that even though I have never had a conversation with her before, I really appreciate a lot of what she posts. I was going to post something randomly along those lines but than thought that would be kind of silly. But, than I saw this thread and I wanted to put my two cents in.


:sorry for the majorly off topic post: :return to your regularly scheduled discussion:

 

[anitram]

If somebody has a true internet addiction, then the solution isn't to send them off to the wilderness or Mars or someplace without the Internet because eventually they have to return to their everyday life and their problem will return with them. You need to learn how to function in the world with the internet, not in one without it.

Similarly, alcoholics can do well in rehab, but to truly stay sober, they need to learn how to function in the real world where they are surrounded by alcohol, not in a bubble where it's not available.

JMO.

 

[melon]

I have this constant need to check certain websites, for updated information, as if it comes first before anything else.

Get an RSS aggregator that will update sites with RSS feeds for you, so you don't have to check anymore.

However, I believe my next job should not involve computers, due to the temptation that they bring. I've been fired from four jobs so far in my life, two have been computer issue related.

How can I disconnect myself from this habit?

If you work a job that involves computers, but has no legitimate use for the internet, disconnect the internet connection. Unplug the ethernet cable completely if you have to. There's no more temptation then.

Melon