Internet Addiction: The Greatest Social Crisis of the 21st Century?


ellielza's avatar
What are your opinions on the addiction to online communities and games? My partner, Kai Harrison, is writing an essay discussing the problems and his deeply held concerns on this matter from his own experience. Has this effected you? Do you agree? 

Quote 1 by ellielza

Forthcoming essay on the addiction of the internet focusing on online chat-rooms and internet relationships. Kai writes about the increasingly disturbing culture of the internet and the attraction to young people to spend their formative lives playing computer games and making friends in the online world.

Quote 9 by ellielza

The essay goes into detail about the denial, delusions and perversions of the online world through communities which exist entirely online engulfing themselves in denial about their lives and careers. The essay looks into what should be done from government and from parents to prevent this culture from becoming the greatest crisis of the 21st century.

Quote 3 by ellielza

Quote 8 by ellielza


*edit: I am fully aware that "worse things" blight the planet such as sexual assault, poverty, assault. As the title implies I'm referring to an issue alone to the 21st century and computer age, primarily in our privileged, 1st world environment. That aside I take how people may interpret the title and will make sure the final draft stresses the topic more. - Kai.
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lindentr33's avatar
skulkey below has said just about all there is to say on addiction.

In fact the statement is alarmist and baseless.

In practice it's up to every individual to know whether or not they're addicted. I know that I'm addicted because it is taking time away from my work, and I feel guilt about it. If GUILT and self loathing are one of the measures of addiction, then that's me. 
ellielza's avatar
I disagree, if every individual knew they were addicted we'd have a much honest culture for one, and there'd be no use for the term being in denial. -Kai. But I concede that of course you can know you're addicted, I wouldn't say I'd trust an addict to tell me the truth about their addiction, it'd make a psychologists job very easy.
RedvioletStorm's avatar
I met my best friend online, and I see nothing wrong with that, and it doesn't make my other friendships seem less real. Just like most things, it depends on how each person uses it and handles it. 
ArtisticAxis's avatar
Yes, the internet really has messed up our society but it was bound to happen sooner than later. We're just chillunz wading into the pool of technological wonders.

But let's be serious here. If internet addiction really is our great crisis, we've got it made. People are starving in our world and here we are worried that we're jerking off to too much furry porn and not going outside enough. It's quite funny when you step back for a bit.
spoems's avatar
Though it's common practice, I think it's a little pretentious to make sweeping generalizations about what "real life" consists of, as well as characterizing online activity as some sort of surrogate social experience. Of course, as with all things, doing something in moderation is often best.
JessicaRabbitLuvsYou's avatar
I was doomed the day I realized I could have more than one email account.
AndyVRenditions's avatar
I want to say that there are greater crises going on elsewhere, but every time I see an infant or a toddler using a tablet, I can't help but realize just how real this addiction is. I see that it exists, and I believe it needs remediation, else it's all just the start of something larger down the road.
bedroom-inc's avatar
People being appreciated on the Internet is still people being appreciated albeit in a different way. :p

I do agree though that real life contact is better for social skills and such.
LazyBoneArtist's avatar
If someone is using the Internet as a form of escapism does that say there is something wrong with the Internet or "reality"?
ArtisticAxis's avatar
It says there's something wrong with the individual him/herself. You can't truly escape reality, no matter how shitty it is.
Abstract-Mindser's avatar
Its transcended addiction and into basic need.
3Ravens98's avatar
I strongly disagree with the points made about this essay.
Firstly . . . there are a lot of things worse than internet addiction, like some people have already pointed out: War, famine, drought, etc.

The feeling of 'being appreciated' is not an addiction. That's just a feeling. It can happen in any path of life one decides to take. One can have a feeling of being appreciated for artwork, literature, amongst family and friends. It's normal. I feel like, if a person has a NEED to be appreciated online, then it can be classed as a form of addiction.

I am genuinely offended by the religion thing (yeah, I believe in God, not a fundamentalist/creationist tho), but my butthurtedness aside, that whole point in itself feels quite insulting. If a person is able to leave their monitor for more than just food/bathroom/shower breaks, then by no means are they 'deluded'. While I cannot argue the last points made for someone who may have a genuine addiction, it feels like the writer of this essay is simply condemning a medium which is rapidly growing and spreading. Yes, you should not spend extended periods of time on the internet, or sitting round watching tv (just sayin'), but that's just common sense.

I don't know, the quotes you showed just make it feel like the writer is confusing 'Internet Addiction' with 'General Internet Usage'.
hannoth's avatar
asking this website about internet use being a bad thing is like asking why drugs should be illegal in a crack house.
LaikaFlash's avatar
I can stop any time I want. Llama Emoji-45 (Smug) [V2] 
DutchConnaisseur's avatar
Sure, it is the worst thing this century, after war, famine, discrimination, abuse, ebola, aids, poverty, natural disasters, dictatorships, lack of freedom, child labor, rape, and so on.

O wait, it is of limited importance. That is what I meant to say.
ellielza's avatar
Last time I checked all the horrific things you listed there existed way before the 21st century. I don't deny they're much more obscene than Internet addiction but what I am referring too is specifically the 21st century and a social crisis for the 1st world.
DutchConnaisseur's avatar
You did not mention you were looking for new Social Crisis.  And still, about how many people do are we talking and how much suffering is really involved?
It is pretty limited. As addictions go, the consequences are rather mild compared to other addictions.
ellielza's avatar
The consequences are *mild* at the moment. This is what I write about. When you have an entire generation which holds friendships and entire relationships online what happens when they grow up? What happens when at school they don't realise their potential because they paid no attention in class? The over-stimulation which generation Y experiences is something which no previous generation has experienced. We have the first generation in humanities existence filling much needed gap-time (time spend playing on your phone in a waiting room for example). We need gap-time to function as creative thinkers and to be able to come to terms with our surroundings. An entire generation which suffers from the subsequent over-stimulation will create a crisis. It breeds introversion, anxiety and obviously creates an addiction. I can't stress how a government, economy and a society will suffer from a large group of people who perform badly and achieve nothing. Skype calls/chat rooms etc cause over-stimulation and the human brain to wire up incorrectly especially in a young child. - Kai.
skulkey's avatar
ItsNotFilia basically made my point for me, just more concisely.  people are social animals, and the internet is merely a tool for socialization.  pre-internet age, people were still socializing in clubs, and still "addicted" to games, be they of the video variety, or card games, and so on.

i've come to really hate the term "addiction" in regards to activities like this.  anyone who has had a physical addiction to a drug likely feels the same.  beyond personal struggles with actual addictions, from the standpoint of a scientist who has studied addiction in depth, it's a load of cack to say people are "addicted" to the online world.  unless you can show definitively that online activity affects brain chemistry in addiction pathways of the brain (at levels greater than RL social interaction), i'm not going to buy into it.

now, as to why people find internet relationships more solid than RL ones:  it's an introvert thing, mainly.  extroverts have no problem socializing in RL.  introverts do.  it's easier for an introvert to open up online in a non-demanding fashion, where they have time to consider what they say before they type it.  RL relationships can also be exhausting to an introvert, who needs time to "recharge".  the internet merely allows them a social outlet that they lack RL.  there is no "addiction" involved.
blackbook668's avatar
You deny internet addiction exists? Despite a large number of Japenese youths not leaving their room and having no social contact? Or the existence of people who spend so much time online and on games that they piss into bottles which they collect in their rooms? You deny that is the behaviour of someone addicted?
CrimeRoyale's avatar
Hikikomoris and NEETs (I assume what you're talking about in your post) have all sorts of social issues. The internet isn't even scratching the surface of what's wrong with them.
blackbook668's avatar
You could argue that they don't exactly help. The internet is something they use to distract themselves from reality. Pretty sure alcohol isn't the root cause of an alcoholics problems but you wouldn't deny they're alcoholic because of that.