Hooked On The Web
Roger Ridgway is a webaholic. He is hooked on the web like other people are hooked on drugs or alcohol. Late into the night and first thing in the morning he logs on to the Internet, and he will spend hours at a time telling total strangers things he wouldn't even tell his best friends. Not that he has any "real" friends anymore. Roger's life has shrunk to the size of his computer screen. Even his family hardly know him anymore.
Roger, who is a 19-year-old student in Bristol, admits that he seldom gets to lectures, and that he is getting low grades. When he is off-line he gets restless and irritable.
"I once went two days without going on-line," says Roger. I hated it. Talking to real people just wasn't any fun."
But Roger is not alone. A recent study into Internet addiction shows that the number of so-called webaholics is growing appreciably. The study showed that the Internet is as addictive as alcohol or gambling. The characteristic Net addict uses the Internet not for seeking information, but for social support, and the opportunity to re-invent themselves as someone else.
"In cyberspace, a shy, unassertive person can become outgoing and forceful," said Dr Jenny Allbright, a psychologist at Abel Tasman University. On the Internet users can conceal their real name, sex, age, and appearance. "People who in real life are social disasters find that chat rooms and discussion groups offer them an outlet for their personality", says Dr Allbright . "While this may be a good thing in moderation, it can lead to dependence and obsessive behaviour." Those most at risk, it seems, are introverted adolescent boys.
Others are less convinced that it really is a problem. Being addicted to the Internet may be no worse than watching too much TV. "We seem to be in an age where everything is an addiction if you do it to excess." says Dr Graeme Young, of the University of Technology, New Hampshire. Besides, if the Internet offers otherwise lonely people a chance to make friends, it may be fulfilling an importance social function. " If these people didn't have the Internet, they might turn to something worse, like real drugs, or real alcohol," suggests Dr Young.
Nevertheless, support groups and help-lines for Net junkies are growing by the day. Ironically, the best place to find help is on the Net. On-line counselling is readily available and chat groups for fellow sufferers are flourishing.
So, what should Roger do? Many people think that the best way to beat Net addiction is to pull the plug or unhook the modem. Dr Diane Phelps, a professional counsellor, disagrees. "The Internet is an incredibly useful tool. It is simply a case of finding a balance." Dr Phelps' treatment involves identifying the factors that trigger "binge" behaviour. At the same time, users should learn to regulate the time they spend on-line. She recommends keeping an egg timer by the computer. "Set yourself a time limit, and stick to it."
Others have turned their addiction to good use. Beatrice Gribble, 39, used to spend hours on-line. Her husband, a computer programmer, nagged her into doing something about it. She is now director of a Grimsby-based company that develops e-mail software. "I kicked the habit and kicked off a business, " she boasts.