The internet has become a global resource for all things. It is now commonplace as we use it everyday. We are wholly reliant on it for social networking, communication, directions, news source, marketing, entertainment and the list continues. The internet holds the answers to everything that we want to know. But what cost is this having on the way that we think and recall information on our own? Is the internet actually making us mindless? Even though the internet may be helpful, it is changing the way that we think because conceptualizing and gathering ideas is now a simplified process. A few keystrokes and pages of material is presented within a matter of seconds. Our attention span is declining as we “power browse” …show more content…
The sad aspect is that more and more people are becoming glued to the internet. They have a strong driving pressure to be on the internet all the time. Numbers show that the internet is being used to avoid unfavorable emotions and feelings. . There are marked symptoms of internet addiction some of which are: withdrawing from the reality of life, declining health, loss of relationships, sleeplessness and feelings of worthlessness. (Washington Post, The Dark side of the Internet) Aboujaoude, the director of Stanford 's Impulse Control Disorders Clinic, said that a small but growing number of Internet users are starting to visit their doctors for help with unhealthy attachments to cyberspace. (med.stanford.edu) People who are in this situation need help. Internet addiction is a noted cause for students dropping out of college and not finishing their classes. It is the reason why people skip work, lose their jobs and are instead lost in another world online. They are dependent on the internet(The Washington …show more content…
Restart is a rehabilitation program that gives support and guidance. Their approach is to disconnect from the internet, understand what led to increased habits and make an individualized plan to avoid an unhealthy usage. The program has proven to be successful and leads to improved well-being and reduced risk factors. Internet addiction is not yet recognized by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders in the United States. In other countries such as South Korea, China and Japan internet addiction is not only accepted but is identified and considered serious. In China millions of students are diagnosed and sent to boot camps for help in breaking their addictive behavior. Those needing to go to the RESTART program have difficulty going since it is costly. The program costs $25,000 for 45 days. Because it isn’t recognized formally in the United Stated, it isn’t covered by insurance companies. (Washington