ARE YOU ADDICTED?

Do you spend too much time on Internet? Do you prefer to spend time on the Internet over going out with your friends or being with your family? Do you lie to other people about how much time you spend online? (1)... . Is it the only thing that you can’t live without now? If your answer is yes to most of these questions, be aware. You might be addicted to Internet.

Ben is a university student. He was a very successful student at high school, he always had good grades and wanted to become a biologist. Soon after he started university, he started playing an online multiplayer war game. “It was fun to be online with friends and playing with them” he said. (2)... . In the beginning Ben was only playing for a few hours a day. About three months later he was playing for 16-17 hours a day. He said that he didn’t find his classes or the university life interesting and enjoyed socialising and meeting people while playing the game more.

As a result of his addiction he started missing classes and even exams. (3)... . Finally he was told that he couldn’t continue anymore. First he sought for help from a programme that treated people who had any kind of addiction. He said that the programme wasn’t good for him. Then he decided to start another one only for Internet addiction. It was designed for people who were addicted to games, online shopping, constant texting and even social media.

(4)... . It is very expensive because the center can only have six patients at a time. They take counselling and psychotherapy sessions at the centre. They also do household chores, exercise and go out. They have no access to Internet. The only two technological devices that they are allowed to use for a limited amount of time are the TV and their mobile phones.

Ben said that it was very difficult for him when he started. (5)... . On his first days he had anxiety attacks. He didn’t want to do anything other than sleeping (the only time he didn’t think about computer games). Then he started enjoying other things in life such as a tasty lunch, cycling in the park or even playing Monopoly with the other patients at the centre. At the end of the camp, he wasn’t even thinking about going online again.

He now says we won’t even download a game to his phone ever again. He uses his phone only to make plans with his friends.