by Lorelei Cohen

Created on: July 21, 2010   Last Updated: December 14, 2011

The Internet has brought about a new twist to what it means to be addicted. In the past the word "addiction" was generally associated with an inability to control one's use of drugs, alcohol, or food, but our modern era has brought about a new form of over indulgence.

Internet Addiction is the inability of some individuals to remove themselves from the Internet. Their behavior has gone beyond simply enjoying what the internet has to offer into a compulsive behavior.

The World Wide Web contains an amazing arena for social opportunities, business resources, information, fantasy and game play. It brings the world to our fingertips, and makes it all to easy to delve into it's many pathways, to find ourselves transported to another place and time.

So when does our infatuation with the Internet become too much? Exactly what does it mean to be addicted to the Internet?

People can spend countless hours Online and yet never have it develop into an addiction. Work, social isolation, or even the gloomy old drudgery of winter may be reasons for people to spend additional hours on the Internet. Internet use only develops into a problem behavior when there is an inability to discontinue the observance despite any negative consequences that may occur.

Many individuals work Online, so find themselves spending a minimum of eight, to twelve hours a day simply conducting business on the Internet. Others become infatuated with Online games, and spend the majority of their day delving in, and out of the numerous game sites that they play on. Social, dating, or porn sites also draw individuals into creating a new social sphere that can be completely independent of their real world existence, and considerably more addicting.

If you discover that it is a necessity for you to turn to the Internet to fulfill your emotional, or physical well being, then you may be addicted to the Internet. The internet is an addiction when your Internet usage interferes with your life, or the life of someone that you associate with, and you cannot give your habit up despite realizing this fact. 

When the individuals you interact with on the Internet become more important to you than the ties, and bonds of your personal life, then you may indeed have a problem that you need to deal with. Internet addiction, like all addictions, can be detrimental to yourself or to the many other individuals who exist within your social network.

A recent news release broadcast the death of a small child due to

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