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TheAge.com.au

Internet addiction costing millions

By ROZ KING Wednesday 2 May 2001, 12:52 PM

Compulsive web surfing by internet-addicted employees could be costing Australian businesses millions of dollars, an international expert said today.

Dr James Fearing, visiting Australia from the United States to address a conference on problems in the workplace, said using the internet could be just as addictive as gambling. "It is similar to gambling in one sense in that it is more of a psychological addiction," Dr Fearing told AAP. "It is almost like a craving in the brain where people stay on the internet."

Dr Fearing said there were numerous examples of US workers being fired for spending hours in the office on the internet. "I believe companies are losing millions and millions of dollars because of the impact of the productivity of the people," he said.

He estimated that in the US between three million and 11 million people were addicted to the net. However, just spending several hours a day on the internet or sending e-mails didn't equal addiction. "Really what we look at are the consequences from spending time on the internet," Dr Fearing said. "We look at a loss of control and an inability to self-regulate. "You break promises to yourself and you break promises to other people."

The best cure for internet addiction was to go cold turkey. "If (internet addicts) do not have to use a computer, we really recommend complete abstinence," Dr Fearing said.

"Literally get the computer out of the house or out of the office if you don't need it.

"If you do need it as far as your day-to-day functioning, we ask that you have the people around you monitor your activities."

He said there were three main components of internet addiction.

"The first one is avoidance, that is where somebody goes on the internet for 10 or 12 hours rather than dealing with their issues or problems," Dr Fearing said.

"The second area would be fantasy, when someone isn't real happy with themselves they can get into a chat room and reinvent themselves in the comfort of their home or office.

"The third area is sexual and we have two areas there, one is pornography and the other one is what we call cybersex."

Dr Fearing is president and chief executive of National Counselling Intervention Services & Executive Health Systems USA.

- AAP

-- Anonymous, May 02, 2001

Answers

Guess I'm catagory 1...

I just downloaded a 3 million dollar contract for my company, an opportunity I found on the internet, tracked, bid and negotiated through the internet...

I have several others that without the internet, my company would never have had a chance....

Hell, I pop in places like this instead of the watercooler... takes a few minutes, the conversation is more intelligent, and if the phone rings, I'll answer it instead of ignoring it because I don't want to miss the conversation...

It's a new lifestyle, and it works...

I'm available 24/7, always on time, and can give you the facts on anything, anytime, anywhere in a matter of minutes...

So what's the problem?

-- Anonymous, May 02, 2001


The problem, Carl, is folks like this one secretary I know who didn't know how to use her time online intelligently. She was one of those who spent 12+ hours on the net, but she wasn't doing anything of value: didn't make any money, wasn't learning new skills (web page building, etc), wasn't contributing original thought to a board such as this one. Instead, she engaged in mindless flamewars, endless rounds of email with other bored workers, and spent hours playing a game that resembles Mine Sweeper, all the while neglecting her children, housework, and job. After she was put on notice, she got help, and her boss moved her to an office without an internet connection. Someone should've seen this coming: this woman used to spend hours watching soaps and what passes for programming on nightly primetime tv. I think she was watching something 50 hours of tv a week, but she couldn't tell you much about what she saw.

-- Anonymous, May 02, 2001

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