It was Sunday night, and graphic arts major Trent Edwards had a five- page paper due the next day, a math test to study for, and an oral presentation coming up that still needed work.
He took a seat at his computer. But instead of researching his topics, he signed on to Myspace.com. There he stayed, consumed, for four hours.
“I admit it. I use the web as an excuse to avoid finishing homework,” said Edwards, 18. “I also use it as a way to socialize. I logged on to Myspace 15 times in two days, only a few minutes at a time, but I thought maybe someone had left a new comment on my page. Plus, you know, more time to avoid studying.”
Edwards is among the hundreds or possibly thousands of college students for whom the lure of the Internet is so irresistible that his time spent there hurts his grades, his health and his life.
Psychotherapist Todd O’Hearn, who has been practicing in Ventura County for seven years, said that the Internet is a problem in the lives of a growing number of people. In fact, for some, the problem is so serious, it’s clinically classified as addiction.
“We [in the mental health industry] classify something as an addiction if it interferes with a person’s everyday functioning or relationships,” he said. “So by those standards, anybody who uses the internet for recreation more than four hours a day could be considered addicted.”
Dr. O’Hearn also explained that those who are socially anxious tend to be more likely to have this sort of problem, using online interaction as a substitute for real life interaction to avoid conflicts.
“And at a time as critically important as college is for social development, this type of avoidance is very detrimental and unfortunately, pretty common,” he said.
Myspace.com is an online meeting place where members showcase photos of themselves and post summaries about what they like and do not like to do. People communicate on Myspace.com via email and bulletin posts, making it possible to reach the entire Myspace.com community in one swoop.
Myspace is just one of many- Friendster.com and Downelink.com are two other very popular and similar sites.
It’s not just the social sites with intensely strong attractions. Others who may be considered addicted are overusing diversions like Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games, such as “World of Warcraft” or “Counter Strike”. Still others are distracted by blogging and online journaling on sites like LiveJournal.com and Xanga.com
A 20-year-old undeclared Ventura College student said he spends at least two-thirds of his waking hours playing “World of Warcraft” (WOW) and admits that he not only misses classes but even quit his job to spend more time playing. He acknowledges that he is “very addicted”, but sees no reason to break his addiction, even though it interferes with his relationships and daily life.
“I don’t go to school, and I quit my job so I could play WOW,” he said. “It’s like a whole ‘nother life on here, man. I fill my soul with this game.”
Mathew S. Eastin, associate professor of communications at Ohio State University, co-authored a paper called “Unregulated Internet Usage: Addiction, Habit, or Deficient Self-Regulation?” He and his colleagues surveyed 465 students at two Midwestern colleges and found a correlation between depression in college students and internet overuse.
“There is a history of literature that talks about the idea that we use media to regulate moods. So, we may use media to cure loneliness,” explained Eastin, in the September 2003 Edition of “The Chronicle of Higher Education”.
Experts at Texas State University say people who suspect they are overusing the Internet should keep a log of time spent online, including time in chat rooms and online gaming. Another strategy is to put time into another hobby or activity, one that takes the user away from the computer.
Edwards said his problem is distracting him from what needs to be done in his life.
“I need to get back into it- start working on my homework and hanging out with people instead of emailing them.” He paused for a moment to glance down at his friend’s laptop which was open to Myspace. “But it’s going to be hard. It’s just so easy to sign on and forget, you know?”
