Internet addiction in the media

Recently, I have been interviewed a number of times in national and international media about the topic of internet addiction. While i disagree with the accuracy of the term, it is not that which I wished to be most known for.

If the Internet is being used in a problematic way, it is not the Internet itself that is to blame. The Internet is an environment. If a person is constantly viewing pornography online, or gambling online, it is not the Internet that they are addicted to (despite the Internet being a very powerful actor within society), it is what they are doing with the Internet that is the problem, and thus, how it effects their relationships and responsibilities. Perhaps it is more accurate to say they are addicted to sex, or to gambling, not the actual Internet itself. As I have stated in my book, overuse of the Internet in a harmful way can actually be a sign of other problems in our lives, and using the Internet excessively may be a symptom of other, deeper problems. Consider if you had an obsessive compulsive disorder, using the Internet would be one way that you could feed and increase the problem to be all-consuming.

As I found out from Professor Tao Hongkai, who treats Chinese Internet addicts through rational counseling, he pointed out that when many young people stop playing online games (such as World of Warcraft), they have nothing in their real lives, they are bored, they don't have any friends, so of course, it is no surprise that they go back online to at least have some value and purpose. Many people are replacing their unhappy biological lives with meaningful virtual ones, which to me only is a concern if they are no longer functioning as a member of society. Just because it's 'not what we used to do before' doesn't mean it is 'bad'.

It is a complex issue which will only be increased as we continue to become more and more dependent on the Internet in our everyday lives.

Check out a recent podcast made by Greg Dyett, Senior Producer of SBS Radio World View at http://media.sbs.com.au/audio/worldview-090930-c5a.mp3. See the source at http://www20.sbs.com.au/podcasting/index.