Internet Addiction

Internet addiction has become more common in recent years. Many young people say that they spend more and more hours online. One of those young people is Ben Alexander. He says he started playing "World of Warcraft," a hugely popular online multiplayer role playing game, about a year ago. He was spending only a couple of hours a day in the beginning, but after a few months he realized that he spent 16 or 17 hours a day playing the game. In the end he flunked out of school. He could not stop playing the video game. Ben had an addiction. He needed help.

"School wasn't interesting," he said. "It was an easy way to socialize and meet people." Ben knew that he needed professional help and finally he found the reSTART Internet Addiction Programme. The programme was at a newly opened centre near Seattle, Washington. The programme aims to treat pathological Internet use. It is designed for people who are addicted to video games, texting, Facebook, eBay, Twitter and other technology.

Treatment centres like this one are common in other countries like China, South Korea and Taiwan. There, this type of addiction is taken very seriously but the Seattle centre is the first live-in treatment centre for Internet addiction in the United States. Patients stay at the centre for the entire 45-day reSTART programme and they pay $14000 for the treatment.

Ben is the new centre’s first patient. He spends his days going to counselling. When he is not having psychotherapy sessions, he spends his time doing household chores, working on the grounds, going on outings, exercising and baking cookies.

Cosette Dawna Rae is a counsellor at reSTART. According to Rae, Internet addicts stop taking care of themselves. They stop taking care of their homes. Addicts don't eat right. They don't sleep right, and they don't get enough exercise.

Some possible effects of Internet addiction are very serious. Some people lose their jobs. Some people constantly text-message. They do this even while driving. Texting while driving often causes car accidents. Some people have died after playing video games for days without a break. These deaths are often the result of lumps in the blood. These lumps are called blood clots. Blood clots can form when a person sits still for a long period of time.

There are many warning signs of addiction. They include constantly thinking about the Internet. Some people use the Internet longer than they actually need. Others spend more and more time online. They stay online even if it causes problems at school or work. Addicts also stop spending time with friends and family. Some Internet addicts lie to hide their Internet use.

For now, however, Ben feels that the programme has helped him. "I don't think I'll go back to World of Warcraft anytime soon," he said.