US shows signs of net addiction

US shows signs of net addiction: "'Addicts' showed signs of compulsive internet use, habitually checking e-mail, websites and chat rooms."

10% of the population are addicts. Doesn't matter what they are addicted to. An addict is an addict is an addict. This is where notions of harm reduction and moderate use fall on deaf ears. An addict has to be treated and dealt with carefully. Often the addict will just go from one addiction to another. Stop this addiction and an addict will become addicted to something else. I guess the trick is to get it channeled into something harmless. They speak of golf addicts and workaholics. People who can't stop working often become very rich before they become very sick. Bird watching can become addictive! I don't really want to make fun because an addict is not able to cure themselves and living with one is hell. The article speaks of people hiding their Net use from their spouses or partners. Now that is addiction. The secret use and the deception. I guess at anyone time people who use the Net go through the phase of always being on the Net and checking emails etc etc. There is so much to see, so many diversions and when you first get on the Net it is a wonderland. Then you start chatting, blogging or downloading and it just goes on and on. In this household we vary our pace. Sometimes we are not very enthusiastic about the Net. Other times we are in Net mode and then will spend a lot of time of the Net. It's when people have to go on the Net when they are working that it can be a problem. They are on the Net during the day and then come home at night and are on the Net. They become exhausted. Their sleep patterns become irregular. I have a friend whose son got really angry and agressive, really threw a hissy fit and was soooo hard to get along with for a while because he became addicted to Net gaming and they decided to take action and try and stop it because he was getting lost in his gaming world and totally obsessed by it. The withdrawal was something to behold. He has a happy balance now and retrospectively can appreciate what his parents and friends did for him. Yes, it can be tough.