Addictions have been around for centuries. People are addicted to alcohol, drugs, nicotine, love, pornography, etc. and now, we have a new addiction: Internet Addiction.
The Internet can be a highway of information on just about anything in the world if used correctly. And if used in the wrong way it can destroy marriages, relationships, individuals, and families. It can even lead to murder, and disappearances, and missing people.
The world is much the same way. Whatever can be used for the greatest good, if used in the wrong way or for the wrong motives can also be used for the greatest evil. It all depends on the person, their character, their morals and their motives.
If you value your family, your spouse, your children, your job, and your time, it would be a good idea to take the following test to see if you are becoming out of balance with your time on the Internet. Marriages and families have broken up due to the misuse of the Internet.
Patricia Jones, M.A.
Pastoral Counselor
Here is a test to see if you are addicted to the Internet:
Internet Addiction Test (IAT)
How do you know if you're already addicted or rapidly tumbling toward trouble? The Internet Addiction Test is the first validated and reliable measure of addictive use of the Internet. Developed by Dr. Kimberly Young, the IAT is a 20-item questionnaire that measures mild, moderate, and severe levels of Internet Addiction.
To assess your level of addiction, answer the following questions using this scale:
1.) How often do you find that you stay on-line longer than you intended?
2.) How often do you neglect household chores to spend more time on-line?
3.) How often do you prefer the excitement of the Internet to intimacy with your partner ?
4.) How often do you form new relationships with fellow on-line users?
5.) How often do others in your life complain to you about the amount of time you spend on-line?
6.) How often do your grades or school work suffer because of the amount of time you spend on-line?
7.) How often do you check your e-mail before something else that you need to do?
8.) How often does your job performance or productivity suffer because of the Internet?
9.) How often do you become defensive or secretive when anyone asks you what you do on-line?
10.) How often do you block out disturbing thoughts about your life with soothing thoughts of the Internet?
11.) How often do you find yourself anticipating when you will go on-line again?
12.) How often do you fear that life without the Internet would be boring, empty, and joyless?
13.) How often do you snap, yell, or act annoyed if someone bothers you while you are on-line?
14.) How often do you lose sleep due to late-night log-ins?
15.) How often do you feel preoccupied with the Internet when off-line, or fantasize about being on-line?
16.) How often do you find yourself saying "just a few more minutes" when on-line?
17.) How often do you try to cut down the amount of time you spend on-line and fail?
18.) How often do you try to hide how long you've been on-line?
19.) How often do you choose to spend more time on-line over going out with others?
20.) How often do you feel depressed, moody, or nervous when you are off-line, which goes away once you are back on-line?
0 = Not Applicable
1 = Rarely
2 = Occasionally
3 = Frequently
4 = Often
5 = Always
Your Score: ________
Results:
After you've answered all the questions, add the numbers you selected for each response to obtain a final score. The higher your score, the greater your level of addiction and the problems your Internet usage causes. Here's a general scale to help measure your score:
20 - 49 points: You are an average on-line user. You may surf the Web a bit too long at times, but you have control over your usage.
50 -79 points: You are experiencing occasional or frequent problems because of the Internet. You should consider their full impact on your life.
80 - 100 points: Your Internet usage is causing significant problems in your life. You should evaluate the impact of the Internet on your life and address the problems directly caused by your Internet usage.
If you find that your score falls between 50-79 points, take that as a warning that you may be becoming addicted to the Internet in ways that are not healthy for you or your family. If you fall in the 80-100 point range then you should consider getting help for your addiction.
If you are in need of help concerning your internet addiction or know of someone in your family who is in need of help for internet addition, please do not hesitate to contact me by the Long Question Option, the Short Question Option, or you may schedule a Telephone Counseling Session with me. Please see below for instructions on how to contact me.
Book Description
The Internet is a phenomenal tool, but it can also be destructive to marriages. Easy access to sexual images, information, and chats lures some away from total commitment to their spouses. Other marriages are endangered by preoccupation with the Internet‹too much time spent in solitude rather than in building relationships. Your Marriage and the Internet shows how couples can make the Internet a resource for strengthening marriage and family relationships rather than tearing them apart. It tackles issues of pornography, escapism, instant gratification, online fantasies, and Internet addiction. Personal stories illustrate the issues, and chapters are loaded with positive, practical suggestions for building up marriage.
From the Back Cover
A timely and desperately needed resource that zeros in on the good and the bad of the Internet. It is a book for every couple concerned about what might impede and what might promote their level of intimacy.î
Drs. Les and Leslie Parrott, Seattle Pacific University authors of When Bad Things Happen to Good Marriages Is your marriage getting tangled in the world wide web? Do you suspect that your spouse may have an Internet addiction? Marriages are being torn apart because of Internet chat rooms, easy-access pornography, and the lure of endless private entertainment. With this insightful guide, you will learn not only how to protect your marriage but also how to strengthen it. Dr. Thomas Whiteman, founder and president of Life Counseling Services, and his coauthor, Randy Petersen, tackle the issues of pornography, escapism, on-line fantasies, and how to overcome Internet addiction. In a sensitive and accessible style, they help you set practical guidelines for safeguarding and building up your marriage. Brimming with wise counsel, Your Marriage and the Internet shows you how to use the Internet to make your life better, even as you remain alert to its dangers.
Is the Internet disrupting your family life? Are you worried about a loved one's preoccupation with the Internet? Your fears may not be unfounded. According to Real Solutions For Overcoming Internet Addictions by Stephen Watters as many as 10% of all Internet users may be addicted to either cybersex, online gambling, online games, or other problem areas.
Psychologists noticed that as soon as having Internet access became as common as having a microwave in the kitchen, online support groups started receiving requests from people seeking help for out of control Internet habits.
It may be that more people than we realize are struggling with Internet usage problems particularly in the areas of distraction/obsession with new technology (surfing, chat rooms), money (online trading, auctions, and shopping), games (gambling and multi-user dimension games), and sex/relationships.
Watters, an Internet Research Analyst for the department of Legislative and Cultural Affairs at Focus on the Family, admits that Internet addiction is not an officially recognized as a psychological disorder. However, this does not mean it does not exist; it took twenty years before gambling was listed on the DSM-IV (Diagnotic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders).
If you're wondering if this is a problem for you or a family member, Watters says ask yourself some probing questions. "Have you embraced the excitement and novelty of some area on the Internet only to find yourself on a roller coaster where the highs are followed by the lows of anxious thoughts, guilt, and a growing sense of dependency? Or are you the person on the outside looking in, watching someone you love abandon you, hobbies and activities, and everything else that used to be important, to spend countless hours staring at a computer monitor?"
Watters, says to determine whether there is a potentially damaging Internet problem assess your `Internet life'. Is it affecting your relationship with God and your family? Is it affecting your work, health, and reputation? If you have answered "yes" to any of these questions, it is likely you have a problem that is worth addressing.
Watters emphasizes that Internet obsession needs to be nipped in the bud. "Your first step is to delete any accounts, special downloads, or profiles that you have created in order to indulge your addictions-especially if you have been hiding them from your friends and family. Remove programs for games that have gotten out of control, profiles used in chat rooms, accounts created for gambling or day-trading, and other arrangements that directly fuel your addiction." He also recommends setting up a filtered Internet service.
The author goes on to suggests that people with Internet addiction get professional help-Christian counselors, support groups, and accountability partners.
Solutions For Overcoming Internet Addictions is a thoughtful self-help book that will aid you in determining whether you or a family member needs help with an Internet addiction, in addition to providing you with down-to-earth solutions to get life back on track.
