What is Internet Addiction?

Posted by Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen Apr 16, 2007

Stanford university researchers are quantifying what exactly an internet addiction is: Is it it's own psychological disorder or is it a symptom of depression or obsessive-compulsive tendencies?

These researchers found that 60% of companies surveyed had disciplined their employees for surfing the net on company time; 30% were fired for it. A "great deal" of non-essential internet use takes place at work - from online pornography to gambling to shopping to personal emailing.

Whether all this internet surfing indicates a serious cyberaddiction or simply "normal" goofing off on company time remains to be seen.....but I'm certain we've been goofing off since cave man days! That tips the scale towards mere goofing off. However, the internet addiction thing is a little scary. I know I'm hooked on the net, and wouldn't give it up for all the tea in China.

Of course, I'm not a tea drinker so that doesn't mean much. :-)