Dependency or Normality?
Tuesday, July 28, 2009 by Katie
Psychologists have found that technological dependency is an authentic addiction, on par with alcohol and drug addiction. However as technology evolves and becomes essential to everyday life, does this addiction become irrelevant? Arguably, if everyone that spent 13 hours a week online (as stated in this article, in my opinion an easily achievable feat, especially if your job required this) were classed as addicted then we'd have a seriously troubled society right?!
So maybe this isn't an addiction or dependency but the way forward for the future? I guess that's something only time will tell.
Yes, I wonder if we risk diluting the meaning of addiction. I'm probably as addicted to coffee and music as I am to the Internet but I don't consider these particularly serious afflictions. Obviously, there are some extreme instances of e-addiction of various sorts, but spending 13hrs a week online doesn't strike me as very extreme at all. We could all use a bit of balance in our lives, I guess (I try to ration my own and my kids' use of the Internet to a moderate amount) but I'm sceptical about yet another social 'problem' arising which keeps the experts busy and us feeling anxious.