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Internet Addiction ( Pathological Internet Use ) Essay

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Internet Addiction ( Pathological Internet Use ) The Internet has become one of the most universal methods for communication with over 100 million users worldwide. From e-mail to the possibly billions of web pages, there is an infinite amount of information flowing. And another enticing aspect of the Internet, is the opportunity to interact with other people. Chat Rooms and MUD (Multi-User Dimensional) games offer the person the ability to talk and mingle with others online. But with this newfound freedom, also comes the possibility of abuse and addiction.

Internet addiction, also known as Pathological Internet use, has emerged as a very destructive force in today’s society. David Greenfield believes “an estimated 6 …show more content…

Young of AddictionSolutions.com. “Neglecting family activities, social events, work, school in order to spend more time on the Internet is probably the biggest sign of Internet addiction.” (Young) But also suffering withdrawal symptoms, not being able to limit time online, constantly thinking about the next online session, and preferring to talk to cyber-friends rather than face-to-face conversations are also signs.

There are about 3 distinct situations in which internet addiction can take form although they all are based on the need of personal contact, and ability to change personal status to gain peer recognition Online games, chat rooms, and cyber-sexual addiction. Greenfield tries to identify these separate cases. “One way a person becomes addicted to the net is through online games. It is a fantasy world where the player takes on the name of a character and they battle other on-line players accumulating “points” and status from other players. While online, the player feels in control of their destiny, yet off-line they feel less competent and maybe awkward when not playing.” (Greenfield) I have been part of this MUD gaming system, and I must say that it was exciting. Although I wasn’t that really interested in it after a few times of play, because the others were a lot better than I was, and I would lose almost every match almost indefinitely. I didn’t feel a real need to return to the site to continue the game mostly due to the fact that I wasn’t

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