Internet Addiction: The Next Great Dilemma?

OK, so I’m totally going to cop out today and post my interview from Stop and Think Radio & TV, because I could write about this all I want, but I think its nice to do a visual thing every now and then. I think internet addiction is becoming more and more widespread as time goes on, and apparently they seem to think I’m an expert on it. You be the judge!

Are you addicted to the internet? There’s a test you can take online to determine whether or not you are. As far as statistics go, I said you could Google Internet Addiction Statistics and find them. Here’s what I found: 

 (From Websense) “The survey, which was conducted by Harris Interactive across a swath of 305 employees, determined that the average worker spends more than one entire workday each week surfing Web sites that are not work-related.”

(From Stamford University) “The researchers found that 68.9 percent were regular Internet users, which is consistent with previous studies, and that:

• 13.7 percent (more than one out of eight respondents) found it hard to stay away from the Internet for several days at a time
• 12.4 percent stayed online longer than intended very often or often
• 12.3 percent had seen a need to cut back on Internet use at some point
• 8.7 percent attempted to conceal non-essential Internet use from family, friends and employers
• 8.2 percent used the Internet as a way to escape problems or relieve negative mood
• 5.9 percent felt their relationships suffered as a result of excessive Internet use

Among those polled, 67 percent confessed to visiting Web sites for personal reasons. Compulsive workplace shoppers claimed 24 percent of those polled. News junkies came in second at 23 percent, pornography hounds at 18 percent, gambling at 8 percent, and auctions at 6 percent.”

So it seems as though Internet Addiction is a big problem. How do we fix it? More on that later on this week. In the meantime, check out my interview and let me know what you think!