Computer Addiction 'a Growing Problem'

[peter991]

Computer addiction 'a growing problem'

Tom Wood was always irritable, tired and not interested in anything but his "bloody computer", his father Ray Wood said.

It was not until Mr Wood smashed Tom's keyboard into 100 pieces that the 16-year-old schoolboy realised he had an obsessive dependency - computer addiction.

According to Tom, a recent study showed that about 30 per cent of Australian children are addicted to the internet.

But recent stories of children hiding with laptops under their doonas to avoid the wrath of their parents indicate that the modern day problem is growing by the minute.

Melbourne psychologist Sally-Anne McCormack says that as a conservative guess, 50 per cent of her clients suffer from computer addiction, with some staying up until 4am to feed their obsession.

"I have clients who hide under their doonas with their laptops," Ms McCormack said.

"I have some clients who are on the computer for 16-plus hours a day ... some have dropped out of school. A lot of these have Asperger's."

Ms McCormack says computer addiction is "really scary" and Asperger's syndrome - a form of autism typified by social isolation and eccentric behaviour - is one outcome.

"I've got some adults who are just as addicted as children," she said.

"There's endless information on the internet and you can keep searching and expanding your knowledge."

Tom Wood, who is known for cracking the federal government's $84 million PC filters in just 30 minutes, says he would suffer withdrawal while away from a computer screen.

"I was absolutely tired all the time, had a daze over me - not being as alert and attentive in class," Tom said.

"I was having headaches from information overloads ... sometimes being more aggressive at home and feeling bad if I was not up-to-date. What worse could there be?"

Tom says that when his father took his computer out of his room, the habit started to break.

His obsession with checking email messages and responses to his web entries on social networks such as Facebook had impacted on his wellbeing.

"I didn't realise I was addicted until well into the routine I got into, of getting straight on the computer whenever I was home, and neglecting previously enjoyable things like eating, watching TV, and seeing friends and family," Tom said.

"It happened for months and months - I never thought I was addicted though, I always thought I had control.

"But after telling myself to get off at midnight and then staying on until 3am for nights and nights, I just got really angry.

"The point where I realised (I was addicted) would have been towards the end of last year. I was checking for updates at every available chance at school - and when going on a school trip to Alice Springs I had to get on a computer and would be worried about what I was missing out on."

Tom says he did nothing to stop his addiction, despite consulting professionals.

"I sort of realised I was addicted but lacked self-control to rectify it - even when speaking to experts," he said.

Tom, who is now helping the federal government address computer issues, says boys at his school are addicted to games such as World of Warcraft, turning sociable extroverts into "tired-looking quiet folk".

"I was also speaking to a 12-year-old boy in Year 7 the other day, and he was already staying up until 2am with a laptop in his room playing an online Java game, Rune Scape," Tom said.

"The problem is, the generation gap and secretive youth nature of this topic covers up the true expanse of addiction.

"We need to get in a lot of collaborative research, involving kids on their level ... visit schools, record the trends of kids to find out the full extent of not only this, but many cyber problems."

Computer addiction has also hit the tertiary sector, with the University of Melbourne saying a rising number of students are engaging in "problematic and excessive internet use".

"Some of the academic consequences for students of problematic internet use is that they may stop attending lectures, withdraw from peer contact, or not organise their time to attend to the work required to pass subjects despite spending many hours in front of a screen," said University of Melbourne counselling services manager Jonathan Norton.

The university's counselling service is now developing an information package to warn students of the dangers of internet use.

Mr Wood says cyberspace is like the wild west with no rules or laws, but its problems must be addressed urgently.

"It must be recognised by society and the medical profession as a real and rapidly spreading epidemic - many suicides have occurred - and free support mechanisms should be made widely available," Mr Wood said.

"Cyber Safety education must be included in all school curriculums as well as government sponsored, extra-curriculum sources such as publicity campaigns and help lines."

Mr Wood says government-sponsored net filters should be installed by an internet service provider only, not by choice of home users.

"A national youth advisory panel should be created to assist and advise the politicians and the bureaucrats - who have limited knowledge - with this evolving technological incredible invention cum monster," he said.

Victorian government spokesman Cameron Scott says the $132.4 million Kids - Go For Your Life initiative seeks to limit computer use and other electronic devices.

"As part of this, the 'Turn Off, Switch to Play' campaign encourages children to decrease screen time - television, electronic games, computers - and increase active play," Mr Scott said.

"It is important that people learn from a young age the value of striking a reasonable balance to enable them to make the most of life's opportunities."

Peter

[PhilHarries]

I use a computer nine hours a day at work (like now). It is always logged on to TV and I do my bit whilst waiting for the project database to open a file (can take 15 minutes on a bad day). When I'm not at the PC I'm out and about around the construction site.

I almost never use a computer in my quality time as I prefer interaction with flesh and blood people.

But yes, business itself is now almost totally dependant on computers and many people also in a personal sense. On the personal front I think it is just an extension of the television soap opera dream world. Reality is just way to frightening for some folks.

Future social problems? Certainly.

Solution? Don't ask me.

[RKASA]

   It is not a social problem its a personal problem.  Some people don't order their life well.  Should not  make it other peoples problem or start controlling everything because a few have bad coping skills.  We don't need a net nanny of a gov. mandates net meter on everones PC.  This kind of issue turns into gov. need to control every time.  If no one had a PC these same people would still have problems in some other form TV or Radio or Books, Sex, drugs.  Its not the problem your seeing but the simptoms of a problem they have.

Its not even an internet or PC issue.