Yesterday something terrible happened. I got home early thinking I might try this 'working from home' thing, which means you can sit in the garden, stroke the cat AND pretend to be thinking about work at the same time. A nice concept, but rudely thwarted when I tried to turn on my computer. It all started when trying to log into Messenger - no success, Wireless network is showing full reception so I start scratching my head and wonder whether Airport Base Station is having hiccups. Go downstairs, plug laptop straight into router, router blinking happily showing what is known in IT circles as 'activity', to me I just know the thing isn't bust yet - but no, nada, niente - plenty of blinking but NO INTERNET. Panic grabs hold of me - this can't be...surely. Reset Router, faff around with ports and cables, unplug from phone filter, replug, phone works, router still OK, but Internet? No way, Jose. What to do?
Want to ring Internet service provider, discover I don't know the number - no problemo, just look it up on their website - ah, forgot NO INTERNET. Panic second time, feel isolated, ring partner ask him to look up their number and then ring 'Broadband Service Update' hotline only to get recording of chirpy chap saying something about them experiencing problems with L. O. U. network, causing intermittent break in service connections... INTERMITTENT - how about being on the dark side of the moon and getting NO CONTACT WHATSOEVER for the whole NIGHT. What's wrong with saying - 'there is a problem, in these areas, we are working on it - and this is the time we expect to have fixed it?
Anyway, this all got me thinking. The Internet is such an all pervasive thing in my life and particularly after beginning to blog, I felt truly divorced from the world yesterday.
A New York Times article
called "Hooked on the Web" says some specialists believe 6 to 10% of
Internet users have an unhealthy addiction to the Internet -- and they
are ready to offer addiction recovery services. Some are even calling
it Internet Addiction Disorder
or IAD. And, of course, blogging is listed as one of the addictive
Internet activies in the article. How long before some mental health
professionals come up with BAD or Blog Addiction Disorder and offer
recovery services to boot?" (excerpt from Bloggers Blog... see link below)
Having sat there in my communication void yesterday (tried to browse Internet with my new fancy mobile phone, but to be honest - it feels like reverting to dial-up after years of getting used to the instant access delivered by Broadband) it got me thinking though. I'm exhibiting symptoms of going 'cold turkey' - silly really, but that's the truth. Check news, weather, my favourite blogs, emails, visitor numbers to my own blog, new comments, write entries what-not, I have got so used to it I hardly notice how much time I spend every day in front of the computer, invariably with at least one window open to the Internet all day - a window into the world.
"The growth of a hardly satisfied and very innovative population has created an environment where the saturated use of the computer, and its additional benefits is an orthodox. It no longer matters where one travels or how much room for luggage one has, a computer can be brought regardless of the inconveniences. This availability opens a door to the Internet that can be accessed from almost anywhere a person whishes to render its services. Just like any other hobby however some of its users start to spend an extended amount of time in it, which can lead to an addiction of the pastime. These people who cross the line are said to be suffering from a newfound diagnosis termed by researchers as Internet Addiction Disorder or (IAD) (Dr. Grohol, 2003, par.1).
Dr. Grohol has made a model where the individual is said to go through phases in their discovery of the Internet and its resources. The first stage occurs when the individual is new to the environment, a newcomer, or is an existing user that finds a new activity, it is referred to as the stage of enchantment or obsession (Dr. Grohol, 2003, par. 20). This is the phase that is highly “addictive” to the individual until of course they reaches stage two, disillusionment (Dr. Grohol, 2003, par. 20). In this stage the individual has to become uninterested in the activity they engage in so often, once that is accomplished the individual can safely reach the third stage, Balance (Dr. Grohol, 2003, par. 20). This balance symbolized a normalized usage of the internet, it is reached at a different period by everyone and the phases can still be recycled if the individual finds another interesting new activity (Dr. Grohol, 2003, par. 20).
....Researchers who concur that the Internet is addictive have already established that the disorder develops into a dependency for the person; they experience tolerance and withdrawal affects (Ferris, par. 1). Similar to what an addict of any other substance goes through, and becomes just as isolated as them. Rejecting the real world and adopting the Internet as a route of escape to a mood altering experience (DeAngelis, 2000, par. 8). (excerpt from AIIPsyc Journal)
So there we are - I think I might be an addict? Not sure, I do have a tendency to be obsessive about things I take on.. reading, writing, music, design.. maybe I'm just an obsessive-compulsive sort of person? Perhaps it's time we bloggers started our own Blog.Addicts.Anonymous? BAA humbug I say!
Hmm.. say no more - it's Bank Holiday weekend here in the UK, so perhaps I should impose a Blog Ban on myself over this weekend to see how much of an addict I really am. 
To DenMan - I think you're wrong. When people are writing blogposts, they are using brainpower - they are researching or being witty or showcasing something that the public would not otherwise know about!!
This has got to be better than mind-numbing TV watching!!!
PLUS - if they aren't out living som 'real-life' they'd have nothing intersting to blog about.
I think it provides an excellent networking and information sharing tool.
Of course I'm biased as a 'hooked' blogger!!! :)
Posted by: Holli | September 20, 2009 at 17:16
Blogging takes the fun out of living life. Speaking from a recovering "blog addict." It's all just commentary. Sitting in a corner commenting on life. I lived for seeing all the comments my photos would get, couldn't stay away from my computer for even a couple for hours, always looking at my own profile over and over. Until I was actually without internet. That's when I realized. I was losing my mind without being connected to my own little world I created online, my online identity. I couldn't post to twitter every few hours - what I was doing, what I was eating, what I was wearing that day.
Ha, now I'm blogging about blogging addiction!
It's a vacuum, so in my opinion - step away from the computer!
Posted by: Chrissy | June 07, 2009 at 16:08
Any free time my 12 y/o son was playing WOW. I thought it would never end. I was so sick of it. Hopefully, my best friend recommended me to try parental control software Ez Internet Timer http://www.internettimer.net. It provides me control, schedule and filter Internet activity on my children PC. It can also block Internet browsers, e-mails, Ftps or messengers and keep them blocked for as long as you schedule it
Posted by: Joseph | January 11, 2009 at 18:43
Agree. I have friends that post everything on their blogs or websites. They just want attention, and comments, and "hits." We live in such a televised generation, nothing is sacred anymore even the most intimate of moments. I don't know why so many people are just dying to expose absolutely everything about themselves. I think they just need validation, but really, I think it's all a lie.
Posted by: Landon | September 21, 2008 at 16:36
Isn't there such a thing as privacy anymore? It's so strange that we live in a generation that has no concept of that anymore, if anything, it's the exact opposite. Where do people even have the time to sit at a computer revealing everything about themselves? Especially "bloggers" that update their stuff every few hours. Pathetic.
Posted by: Reena | September 19, 2008 at 04:07
Doing a research paper, came across this - yes, I think blogging is a waste of time, I don't see how people can spend hours and hours starring at a computer screen, and themselves. I think blogs and file-sharing, constantly updating a profile and hoping for comments is just another way of starring at a mirror, yes, I think people are typing for attention. Hoping to shed some light on people stuffed away in their corners blogging their life away - live your life for yourself, not your audience, I know that seems boring, but give it a try.
Posted by: Kimberly Castanon | April 18, 2008 at 15:09
So i was doing a search on addiction images on google so that i may find one that would express my frustration of lack of personal productivity due to blogging - and i came across your cartoon! Thanks for the laugh! I totally needed it today! Have a great day fellow blog addict.
Posted by: Nella | March 19, 2008 at 23:06
Hi
Love the cartoon. Where did you get?
Posted by: Simone's Butterfly | December 02, 2007 at 06:10
As for me, I know people who became addicted to the Internet ant to the blogging. In the Internet they lead another life. And this virtual life differs from his real one.
Posted by: toothpick_tp | October 16, 2007 at 04:58
This certainly makes a good point. I'd like to see the response of others on this topic. Makes interesting reading.
For More Details:http://www.stop-addictions-secrets.com
Posted by: carol | May 24, 2007 at 11:31
For the life of me I can't understand how so many people are becoming addicted to the Internet and to blogging. Are our lives so void of meaning that we get hooked on the first thing that seemingly fills that void? If this is even partially on target, what a sad commentary on our “enlightened” society.
DenMan7
http://www.Alcohol-Information.com
Posted by: Denny | December 08, 2006 at 21:43
Whew!...I thought I was the only one...already in recovery but only to find out how powerless I really am over my behaviors...Thanks, good/funny/real...love and peace,..sometimes,..somewhere..,B.
Posted by: Bruce Ryerson | May 01, 2006 at 01:54