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Post by Admin on Nov 9, 2015 19:30:42 GMT -4
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Post by kunalgandhi on Nov 10, 2015 22:47:22 GMT -4
This article points out a disturbing trend in modern society where a convenience becomes an all-consuming obsession. For most, the internet is a great way to stay in touch with family and friends across the world, yet for some it's manifested into this bizarre competition to see who can have the most perfect and interesting digital presence. However, calling an over-reliance on the internet an "addiction" does seem quite alarmist and increase the propensity to always seek a pharmacological cure. We don't designate people who watch too much television or talk on the phone too much as addicts. Instead the important thing is to identify if there are any underlying stressors or emotional triggers to prompt such behavior. Devaluing addiction by comparing something as life-threatening as heroin or alcohol to watching too many YouTube videos doesn't help anyone, and it seems strange that a center ostensibly created to treat addiction would not want to label people as patients but has no issue throwing around the word addict. I do think it's important for people to open up about why they can't let go of their technology in hopes of revealing some lingering emotional issues, but paying $20,000 to stay in a glorified summer camp seems a bit steep for that revelation. If a person who couldn't let go of his phone went to a psychiatrist and therapist once a week, would the identification of issues or treatment goals really be any different? In addition, the exorbitant cost of these places only further the divide in how people perceive addicts based on socioeconomic background.
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Post by David Whitfield on Nov 11, 2015 23:33:39 GMT -4
The Rise of the the Internet-Addiction Industry. Why are people surprised? We live in a world where family members will text each other across the house to communicate that dinner is ready. Like it or not, this is “our” world. You can fight it, like my parents, give in like my nephews or embrace it and make it yours. The medical world is not a well oiled fast adapting machine but the business world is and the later is the world that drives our spinning blue planet. If we, that is the medical community wants to keep up with the 24 hour service and product driven Western world then we have got to get with the times as young kids say. I have to agree with Charles O’Brien about taking unlicensed treatments and treatment facilities with a grain of salt. There are many unscrupulous peoples out there waiting for a chance to pounce on people in real need or perceived need and the medical community as a whole must be involved in helping out all parties involved. On the other hand I do not completely agree with Mr. Allen Francis about the slippery slope of attaching an “Addiction” title to extensive internet use. If the shoe fits mentality can be used here and that is to say that if it fits the criteria set forth by the governing body then it gets the title it should. Just because it is new or unconventional is no excuse to keep it from being treated in the mainstream. Just using the term “extensive” denotes a problem whether diagnosable or not. It was not too long ago that the idea of Sexual Addiction was laughed at. Anything taken to an unhealthy extreme should and will sooner or later be called an addiction. This is why we constantly update the DSM. Keep up or get left behind.
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Post by AnthonyJohnson on Nov 12, 2015 0:22:19 GMT -4
After reading this article, I do believe that Internet usage can be similar to addiction. I know personally of examples where I have lost my phone (internet access) and have felt lost without having the Internet my disposal. But in an evolving society with continued technological advances I feel that it has become a part of normal behavior to use the Internet, even if at times it may be in excess. Today in most of our college’s one cannot pass college courses without using the Internet. Spending $30,000 on a desert detox camping facility is absurd, when in a real life setting the usage of the Internet has almost become a necessity in every field. I don’t believe that a technological advancement can necessarily be viewed as addictive, especially when its capabilities make life easier. I believe that instead blaming the Internet, the addictive behavior is what should be treated.
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Post by Asia Filatov on Nov 12, 2015 2:11:21 GMT -4
“It’s almost like a cult,” says Tony Dimitri Peniche, a 29-year-old self-described serial entrepreneur living in Portland, Oregon, who took to FACEBOOK to talk about how much he loved Camp Grounded after a recent off-the-grid weekend. Post-retreat Mr. Peniche posted on Facebook his grand success at Internet camp possibly contradicting his whole experience and completely defeating the purpose of digital detox. It is almost impossible to escape the use of Internet, every field, subject, content and communication is addressed via Internet. From education to medicine to completely isolating the human race. It is true that we have become a technologically driven generation, losing our individuality and the power of communication and interpersonal relationships. As far as attending a rehabilitation facility it is excessive, it is unfeasible to avoid the use of Internet. Addiction to specific attribute of the Internet is in need of treatment such as video games, pornography, social media, etc. Addiction is debilitating, it interferes with your ability to function within your community, obtain a job, and be a self-sufficient human being. Unless the Internet causes any of the above conflicts, I strongly believe it is not a dependence or compulsion.
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Post by Caroline Estiverne on Nov 12, 2015 2:44:47 GMT -4
Technology is a very inclusive part of life especially the use of the internet. I can understand how people can get addicted to it. Although Internet addiction is not formally recognized in the United States as a mental illness, I can understand the growing concern among medical practitioners. We have become so dependent on the internet and increasingly more of us are confronting the hard truth: that we love it too much. It is very hard to part ourselves with our phone, ipad, ipod and laptop. Children have started to use them at such a young age that they don't have time to interact among themselves. I understand the parents' fear concerning addiction. Internet addiction and the dangers that excessive computer gaming poses to children and adolescents can affect their quality of life. But I also think that sending the kids away is not necessarily the answer. Parents need to monitor the children screen time and set some rules. Internet usage is important at all level these days. Parents need to ask themselves: "What kind of childhood memories do we want our children to have? So, all of us need to have it in our daily routine. We have to know how much is enough and control ourselves on how we use it. I don't think that the internet is solely responsible for its overuse. But the people should do their part. There's nothing here we can't improve. The biggest danger is denial.
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Post by Andrew Hariraj on Nov 12, 2015 3:35:44 GMT -4
When looking at Internet addiction and assessing the issue, it is important to ask what is healthy and what is not. Yes the evolution of technology and the Internet acts as a source of entertainment and allows people to connect to one another. The question becomes how much time is being consumed with Internet usage and in what manner? For instance, risk factors for Internet addiction may be brought on by anxiety, depression, lack of social support, stress and decreased mobility. If these issues are not dealt with the platform for Internet addiction exists. It is similar to any addition as the environment plays a role in what is available for the individual. Thus, it is imperative that individuals try to identify any issues they are having as something like Internet addiction can be analogous to people choosing different vices.
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Post by Danielle Gordon on Nov 12, 2015 10:11:27 GMT -4
Everything in life requires balance and that can heavily be said for technology and the internet industry. Technology has greatly revolutionized how we see the world through our daily interactions, medical advances, and social exploration, but there's been a cost: we end up relying too much on it. How can we stop this? Is there light at the end of the tunnel? Honestly, my response is "I don't know". I think we can continue using the internet without it becoming "addictive" but it's all on an individual basis. Many times we see people on social media or Youtube using the internet as a means of self-validation and when that's taken away it's anxiety provoking. We should do our part as individuals to use the internet for what it's worth and still maintain healthy, balanced lives outside of the computer screen.
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Post by Norah Essali on Nov 12, 2015 10:35:34 GMT -4
Retreats/Camps for "detoxing" from internet addiction are addressing the coping mechanism that the person resorted to as a mean of addressing his underlying concerns. In the case of Griffin, he is stated to have depression and anxiety, yet we did not read about how those have been managed, we read that he was sent away to be "treated" for how he dealt with his issues. I don't believe that internet addiction is a valid ailment as it is not decided on by Psychiatrists. Instead it is being promoted by those making $30000 for a few weeks of "detox". Again, Psychiatry is falling victim to its own lack of an objective way to quantify what's normal and what's not, and business owners as well as pharmaceuticals are always quick to jump at any opportunity that blurs the lines of sanity to prescribe meds and profit from it. An addiction is a state of constant craving and desire for something that disrupts the other aspects of your life. If you are still able to function, work, have relationships despite checking Facebook 100 times a day then that's not an addiction. On the other hand, if you have withdrawn from the world and took to your laptop 24/7, then you need help figuring out what is causing that withdrawal. Once that is done, you will naturally become more involved in your own life again and you definitely don't need a fancy retreat to do that.
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Post by reshikamendis on Nov 12, 2015 11:13:43 GMT -4
Addiction, according to the DSM, is defined as a maladaptive pattern of substance use leading to clinically significant impairment or distress, as manifested by three (or more) of the DSM criteria, occurring any time in the same 12-month period. Even though internet addiction is not yet classified in the DSM, I personally believe it should. The article states that affixing the label “addiction” to excessive Internet use could lead to stigma and unnecessary medication. However, if the criteria for Internet addiction were clearly and more concisely defined by the DSM then a lot more could be prevented. Unfortunately we do live in a society where more and more people live in a virtual world, where these people barely see the light of day and where the only they communicate with on a daily basis are within their computer. Sadly, this community, eventually, lack the need to communicate with family members, friends, or people who have been or are there for them outside the virtual world or even get jobs or create a real life for themselves. This lack of need isolates them from the rest of the world and when that happens and they realize it, they get themselves into a deep depression and feel worthless, anxiety kicks in, and more and more psychological conditions that are could have been prevented at an early age. It is not about the medications or how slippery the slope is, as that ship has already sailed for a chosen few. It is about what excessive use of technology at an early age is doing to the future generations, and what we are going to do about it.
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Post by Payal Manohar on Nov 12, 2015 11:45:50 GMT -4
This article brings forward the new craze around the world, technology and Internet. Technology has advanced so drastically over the years that a new apple product is being launched every few months and people are obliged to buy the product due to one or two update in the previous software. We are so dependent on Internet nowadays, everything you need is just one app away. Us as medical students find it more convenient to have all of our books and questions on one device rather than carrying around 10 books everywhere we go. Social media has become a way of marketing and selling products through someone famous. Influencers post a picture with a green tea or a workout method and everyone is buying it the next day, and it becomes the new trend. People don't realize that these influencers are getting paid thousands of dollars per picture they post, most likely they don't even use the product they're advertising. Internet addiction camps are not necessary in my opinion, paying 30,000 dollars to go to a campo learn how to build fires and survival tactics just seems ridiculous to me. I would rather go on a vacation and not take my phone or laptop with me as way of self detoxing. I think people just need to be smart about what they use Internet for and not let it control your life to an extent that you think you can't survive without it.
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Post by msingson on Nov 12, 2015 12:12:20 GMT -4
I'm a firm believer in that everything in life needs to be conducted in moderation. In the discussion of Internet use, I for one rely heavily on Internet, I check email first thing in the morning, stream music rather than playing music on repeat from my current library, and keep in touch with friends via Facebook, etc. The latter is is handy to connect with friends whether they're across town or across the world but just blankly staring at the monitor waiting for an alert to pop up that someone "liked" a recent post is ridiculous. Or how much time can someone really spend scouring YouTube for videos? For those parents who struggle with having a child that "spends too much time online" (I intentionally put the phrase in quotes because labeling this practice as an "addiction" i find absurd) their children's current behavioral practices could have easily been curtailed with discipline and parents taking a more active role in being present in their children's lives, reinforcing rules and limits. The last thing the parent should do is feed into this idea of "internet addiction" and shell out $30k on an 8-week wilderness program.
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Post by Peter Ezika on Nov 12, 2015 12:19:55 GMT -4
Internet addiction is described as an impulse control disorder or individual’s inability to control his or her use of the Internet. Internet addiction results in personal, family, academic, financial, and occupational problems that are characteristic of other addictions. Impairments of real life relationships are disrupted as a result of excessive use of the Internet. Individuals suffering from Internet addiction spend more time in solitary seclusion, spend less time with real people in their lives, and are often viewed as socially awkward. Studies has shown that the use of the Internet is a way to escape from problems or to relieve a dysphoric mood e.g. Feelings of hopelessness, guilt, anxiety, depression. Hence, I strongly agree that it depends how much time is spent being productive on the internet defines whether one could be classified as an internet addict or not
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Post by Evangeline Joseph on Nov 12, 2015 15:33:57 GMT -4
Internet addiction is definitely a problem we face today. Though it is not a diagnosis listed in the DSM V, Internet Gaming Disorder in listed in its appendix as requiring further study. But is it worth $30,000 to go live in the wilderness and detox? I believe that the decline in family time coincides with a rise in Internet use and the popularity of social networks along with the importance people place on them. Technological advances have always affected the way family members interact. Our love of tech -- our smartphones, tablets, social media and the Internet – however is now becoming a source of chronic tension, compromised physical health, emotional distress, decreased performance at work and school, and an obstacle to emotional intimacy. The first part of the solution lies in bringing emphasis back on the family.
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Post by Judith Ukabam on Nov 12, 2015 19:08:03 GMT -4
Internet addiction is rapidly becoming the most feared psychological side effect of our increasingly technological society. In just the past two generations it seems that the way we spend our time and relate to one another has completely changed. The article emphasizes the extreme measures that some people are taking to extract themselves from the grips of this new entity. I don't believe these addictive behaviors are anything new but are rather the present day manifestations of anxiety and mood disorders. The internet might be used as a coping mechanism. In fact, we have seen these classifications of addiction in the past in "television addiction", "video game addiction" etc. If an adult feels that they spend too much time with these distractions, they can check themselves into these programs and see if they find relief. My main concern is when teenagers are sent off to these places against their will. They are already vulnerable and putting them in the hands of these programs with questionable techniques may be setting them up for serious psychological trauma. If someone came and took me from my bedroom in the middle of night and dropped me in the middle of nowhere, I would be terrified. If they told me it was because I spent too much time online, I'd probably be too scared to even be seen around a computer when they let me go home.These measures are too extreme and the underlying reasons why one would choose to spend all their time online should be explored rather than just blaming the Internet.
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