I have a problem with this article, which states that America is full of Internet “addicts,” who are a lot like alcoholics. This comes on the heels of a Stanford University poll which shows that some people “hide their Internet surfing, or go online to cure foul moods,” while “the compulsive drive to check email, make blog entries or visit websites” is a “temporarily pleasurable act,” just like drinking. Yeah, right, blogging isn’t fun.
My opinion is that in a technological age where one can access infinite streams of information from one location, it’s perfectly understandable that the Americans are frequently online. The whopping TWO percentages that this article attempts to shock us with can be easily explained. The 8% of respondents who “hide” Internet usage from employers can be attributed to having little work to do on a given day. Bored at work? Well, what else are you going to do? Pretty much the only option is to waste time on non-essential, non-work-related websites. Everyone I know does that. It’s not a big deal, or a symptom of ‘net addiction. A jaw-dropping 14% of people find it hard to stay away from the Internet for several days. Well, people want to see current events in real time. They don’t want to wait for the evening news or tomorrow’s newspaper for details.
I, for one, think that this comparison is inane. I’ll be the first to admit that I spend a chunk of my free time online, but it’s not impeding on my social life or effecting personal relationships. When I’m out of the house, I rarely think about the computer. When I drove around the country two summers ago, I did not go through withdrawal. I also doubt any American would become ill were they to indefinitely lose Internet access. It’s just something that’s there when we desire immediate access to information, or if we want to share a funny story with a friend.
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Yesterday, the hands on the clock couldn’t move any slower. As I sat at work waiting for the first pitch of the Mets game, I was in complete paralysis. Today I decided that I would do everything I could to not look at the clock. I woke up, and decided to go over to the little gym across the road and ride the exercise bike for an hour. After I hopped in the shower, dressed and checked my e-mail, I drove down to Wegmans in Bridgewater for lunch. It’s been a rather relaxing day, and hopefully it will end with a champagne celebration at around 11pm tonight.
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