You see them in line at the movies, in their cars at stoplights,
seated at the local coffee shop: Internet junkies that can’t put down
the computer, iPad, or smartphone. Checking their Facebook status,
tweeting their location, cruising Slate for the latest news tidbit.
Many label it obsessive, compulsive, an addiction, and new research
supports that there are clear signs that it fits the bill of one of
those medical diagnoses.
A study conducted by Intersperience, an
international consumer research organization, queried 1,000 participants
in the U.K., aged 18-65. The participants answered a lengthy
questionnaire and were requested to refrain from any internet use for 24
hours.
Probably the biggest stumbling block for the respondents
was actually stepping away from the internet. For some, the thought was
inconceivable. Others labeled it one of the hardest things they had
done, likening it to a nightmare. Some even had symptoms of withdrawal,
similar to drugs or alcohol addictions.