Writing 3 Final Project

Article

PREVENTING INTERNET ADDICTION TO AVOID

MENTAL DISORDER

Fauziatul Husna

83598/07

Regular 2 BK

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT

FACULTY OF LANGUAGE, LITERATURE AND ART

PADANG STATE UNIVERSITY

2009

Preventing Internet Addiction to Avoid Mental Disorder

Introduction

In the late 1990s, most parents worried about their children habit of spending too much time playing video games. Long time before, when television first invaded every houses in the world, watching too much TV would give children and teenagers a long lecture about managing time from their parents. Those facts show that every time has it own kind of addiction, for we are now considering that both of attitudes above as addictions. However, the worst according to psychologist Mark Griffiths is what we face today in our daily life called internet addiction.

The use of internet is basically good and in fact gives so much help to people in every kinds of job field they have. In short, people now tend to rely on internet in doing all of their activities. While businessmen manage their companies by using internet, teachers are also using it to teach their children at school. As the result, we are familiar with the new terms related to internet such as e-learning, e-banking, e-mail and even e-book. However, internet can also gives people a very bad effect if it is used unwisely which in this case means “over use”.

Psychologists have been studying abnormal internet use since the late 1990s and most of them believe that over use of internet is a kind of addiction that is destructive. Their strongest reason for saying so is that when people over use internet, their brain work abnormally. Internet addict uses the internet with no real purpose, just like when sophaholics buy so many things at the same time whereas they know that they don’t need them at all. The same theory appears at the study about cleptomaniacs, they steal something with no reason but the satisfaction they get after doing it.

Those phenomenon, in short will lead to a conclusion that any kind of addiction do the addict no good. On the other hand, it gives so many bad effects including the wasted time and a kind of depression and stress when they happen to not be able to do their addicted habit. The example of this is when we see that a sophaholic will build a very huge number of debts and takes their life at risk just to buy more and more things. That nature of addiction makes it should be avoided with no further question.

Several countries in Asia, particularly South Korea and China, have been reported to have the highest incidence of internet addiction among young people. A survey by a child psychiatrist at Hanyang University in Seoul confirms up to 30% of South Koreans under 18, or about 2.4 million people are at risk of internet addiction. In China, 123 million people had gone online, in which 14.9 % were teenagers below 18 (China Internet Network Information Center, 2006).

In Indonesia, we have much lower number of internet addiction cases than South Korea and China do, but the growth is very rapid and unpredictable. Here is the table that shown the number of internet users in Indonesia today.

YEAR	Users	Population	% Pen.	GDP p.c.*	Usage Source
2000	2,000,000	206,264,595	1.0 %	US$ 570	ITU
2007	20,000,000	224,481,720	8.9 %	US$ 1,280	ITU
2008	25,000,000	237,512,355	10.5 %	US$ 1,925	APJII

source: United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs.

From the table above we know that the increasing number of internet user among teenagers is running very fast and can be out of control. Meanwhile we realize that the effects of the addiction are very harmful. We can not take our children and teenagers’ live at risk without doing anything. We can not take our own live in dangerous possibility by let the future leaders of this country drawn into a very deep ravine called internet addiction. More over, not like TV compulsion, internet addiction is costly that will make a possibility for teenagers to do criminality to get money like what happen to the junkiests. That is why prevention of internet addiction should be conducted and every element of society has to take a part in it.

What Is Internet Addiction?

The prevention itself has to be done as soon as possible for we do not know how much time we have. However, it will not become a worth thing to do if we have no idea about what internet addiction really is.

Internet addiction is all but over or abnormal use on internet. Janet Morahan-Martin and Phyllis Schumaker conduct a survey which give them the conclusion that there are three classifications of internet user. The first group is called Pathological user with average 8.5 hours of internet use per week. Second class is people with limited symptoms average 3.2 hours per week and the last is those with no symptoms 2.4 hours per week.

As what have been said before, internet addiction is the condition when the user can not control their use of internet. That is counted as the pathological user according to the research that is stated earlier. When people come to this situation, they will find it difficult to not use internet. It may sounds trivial, but it is absolutely not because there is a case where the internet addict literally can not stop himself in using internet and at the end it breaks his entire live. He begins to skip classes, does not have time to do assignments and has no money left. Some students, according to the survey conducted by Korea Agency for Digital Opportunity & Protection, skip school or cancel various appointments in order to access the Internet.

Internet addiction is a compulsion that can be divided into several specific addictions. It means that they who are internet addicts become tied up with internet because of some different things as listed below:

1. Pornography

It has already known for so long that pornography is something very hard to refuse by teenagers. It is mostly because on one side they are physically able to have a sex but on the other side they are not mature enough to do so. This condition makes them curiosity doubled and once they have a connection into a media where they can find the porn material like porn sites, that can be found easily in internet, it will very difficult to stop them.

As widely known, pornography compulsion has the obviously serious bad effect to the teenagers. Many research show the fact that porn material can reduce the capacity of the brain, decrease concentration ability and create introvert personality which will make the addicts become antisocial when they reach adulthood.

2. Games

Just like pornography, games are something very close yet very dangerous for teenagers if they get involved too deep into them. Games are basically harmless. They even are such a very effective way to get relaxed and make the brain works at the same time. However, over gaming will in fact harm teenagers whether we see it from use of time side or the health side.

Internet, coincidentally provides an unlimited sources of games. Online games, that are very popular recently, are really interesting for teenagers since they can play a game with someone from anywhere they want. This fact makes the game itself become more fun since people especially teenagers are very likely want to get in touch with as many strangers as possible since it is such an exiting experience.

3. Online Social Networking Sites/ Blog

Online social networking sites such as Friendster and Facebook is obviously popular today. Everybody wants to join it whether they need it or not. Such kind of sites is predictably addictive because people who once open the site will find it difficult to stop, for they can find as many friends they want and even have a real connection with those friends of them that may be they never seen for years. In Facebook, for example, we can search our old friends very easily; just type their names and within a minute Facebook will find them for you.

As well as Facebook, blog is also can be addictive since it frees people to write anything they like and then publish it freely and have a chance to be the one who his/her writing read by may people. In short, blog give us an opportunity to practice writing extensively or even to be the real writer. That is why online social networking system and blog are one of the reasons of internet addiction.

4. Online Shopping

Through online shopping, we can at least get three advantages: saving time, have various choices and get a chance to buy things with a very low price. However, over online shopping will cause internet addiction as well as the three things above. This way of shopping is not very common yet in our society today, but still we have to be aware because online shopping can be one of things that makes people can not turn off their computers. In online shopping we do not need to stand in the very long line just to pay or to go into a crowded store in order to get a big sale.

The Causes of Internet Addiction

From the 4 kinds of internet addiction above, the first three are the ones which more likely have by teenagers. The question now is what make internet become so popular and attract so many people, especially teenagers. Sarah Kershaw (2005) argue that the ACE model (Accessibility, Control and Excitement) best explain the three main reasons causes these addictive behaviors.

1. Accessibility

In the past, gaming meant you have to have a play station that of course not everybody an afford to buy because its expensive price. Shopping meant to go to the crowded and noisy stores. Pornography, as well as those two things, was more difficult to find that it is today. However, internet and its accessibility makes it remain very easy. Just sit in the front of yoir computer and then everything you want is there right on the screen.

2. Control

Through internet, people have a very absolute power to have a control of their activity without any invention by others.

3. Excitement

In each case of internet excitement got by someone, the excitement itself that surrounding the activity becomes a powerful hook that continues to reward future behavior.

The three reasons above are the general ones, whereas there is opinion that the most important reason of internet addiction is just the same with the cause of another kind of addiction: psychological problem. Those who support this theory believe that the ones who will be the internet addicts are they who try to run away from problems such as depression, anxiety and impulse control disorder. Nevertheless, it is unlikely to be true because internet addiction is not always related to psychological side. For example someone who is addicted to online game does not need to be a lonely person. In fact, they are usually person who is happy and have an active social lives and the online gaming itself is the manifestation of it since they can “meet” many people through internet connection. In addition, the lonely ones who have psychological problem tend to avoid any relationship with others.

There are so many cases of internet addiction that end sadly. For example, here are two comments by an internet addict about an article about internet addiction:

Some mind-blowing statistics!!!

Being a 20-year-old IT uni student myself, I spend a lot of time online... and would deny being addicted, but (perhaps sadly?) can understand the 'withdrawal' these South Koreans are experiencing.

Chris
www.cyberbullying.info

January 18, 2008 |Chris

I basically spend every waking moment online, at work, at home and furthering my education. Although the large majority of my online time is work-related and is part of my jobs.

Addicted? I can only say the imprint of my laptop is permanently embedded in my belly!

January 21, 2008 | Internet Safety Educator

Further more, from a blog of an Indonesian teenager, I find out that most of them are tied up to internet as the result of their curiosity of new things. In his blog, a teenager state his problem that he has suffered from internet addiction for more than a year and no he just need help to heal.

Different Arguments about Internet Addiction

Those two examples clearly show us how internet addiction can at last make the addict have a mental disorder. On one side, they realize that they are wrong to being online too long and too often, but on the other side they do not know any way to quit. For that reason, I think it is really ridiculous to think that internet addiction is not exist, just like psychiatrist Dr. Goldberg opinion. He says that internet addiction disorder is not a true addiction and may in fact be no more than a symptom of other existing disorders. The so-I think worse opinion comes from Carol Potera who agree that internet addiction disorder is inappropriately named. Potera analogs internet addiction with living in favorite town which is obviously not disorders.

However, no matter what, fact shows that internet addiction is indeed a disorder. This opinion is supported by more experts, like Maressa Orzack , the director of the Computer Addiction Study Center at Harvard University’s McLean Hospital, who states that between 5% and 10% of Web surfers suffer some form of Web dependency. Another supporter is David Greenfield, Ph.D. of the Center for Internet Behavior who conducts a study with ABC News.com in 1999 and is the author of Virtual Addiction. Greenfield says that, “the internet have unique psychological properties which dissociation, time distortion and instant gratification, with about 6% of individuals experiencing some significant impact on their lives”.

In addition, there will be no medicine or healer if there is no disease. For that reason, IAD is absolutely a disease because there are so many sources that provide its cure, for researchers have studied it for so long, here are some of the way can use to stop internet addiction, step by step.

1. Step 1

Some experts say that the internet can become an easy, uncomplicated substitute for socializing with real, live people. Start making it a point to contact a friend or family member every day, whether on the phone or in person at a coffee shop. Make a list of people you enjoy, post it on your refrigerator, and make a checkmark next to the person's name each time you make a real contact. Once you start making connections again, you will feel less urge to feed your internet addiction. Whenever you can do it, you will realize that a real contact is much better and healthier than the one you have trough internet connection.

2. Step 2

An internet addiction can be detrimental to your relationships. It can also cause other problems in your life to get worse. Many of us who become computer addicted are using the web as a way of avoiding problems. We can not avoid the problems forever. So, instead of go to the net cave and drown into an unreal world in order to forget you problem, you’d better think it over and do a concrete thing to solve it.

3. Step 3

If you were giving a friend with an internet addiction advice on how much time to be on the internet each day, how much time would you recommend? Decide on a limit for yourself. When your time is up and you start rationalizing that more time is O.K., remind yourself that you get to be on again tomorrow. Turn off the computer. Go outside and take a walk.

4. Step 4

Turn the computer and monitor off completely when your internet time is up. Cover your monitor with a cloth if your computer is not portable. Put your laptop away in its case in a place where you can't see it.

5. Step 5

Scroll down to "Warnings" to find something shocking about internet addiction. When you have known the bad effects of internet addiction, you will think twice before go online with no purpose.

The Prevention of Internet Addiction

Internet addiction is very harmful and dangerous. In this case, Indonesian have to be grateful since such cases of internet addiction are not very massive yet, compare to what happen to another Asian countries like Korean and China or Japan. However, just like what have been stated before, the increasing of internet users in Indonesia that is very drastic can someday lead to that situation of internet addiction if there is no prevention done.

For that reason, the prevention has to be done as soon as possible and by every parts that include in this problem. As what mentioned before, researchers have found many ways to heal it and also argued that therapy is the best way, but ways to prevent it is still blur and not clear. That is why, here the writer display some ways can be used to prevent internet addiction in Indonesia.

1. Teenagers

In any cases, the most significant trial to heal comes from the sicks themselves. This also applied in internet addiction disorder cases. No matter how hard the prevention that is done by others, if the teenagers themselves do not take a part in it, it will be nothing. Teenagers, as a mature person and have already have the ability to classify the wrong and the right thing, need to be alert that internet dependency that will lead to internet disorder is something that will do no good for them. After they realize it, they can begin to make a save and healthy relationship with internet. There are a lot of ways that can help them.

First, they have to make sure what they goal when they make an internet connection. It will be better, however, if they care to make a list and be strict about it. For example when the goal is to search information about English writing, they have to not allow themselves to open any of their blog or Facebook acounts. Another thing can do is make a time limit. If somehow they just need an hour to do all their goal that have been listed before, one minute more is not suggested to take because it will continue and without they realize it, they have been in the internet for more than 4 hours.

For the two ways explained above, the conclusion can be taken is that everything is based on the their self control.

2. Parents

Actually, whether people admit it or not, it is difficult for parents to control their teenage kids, for teenagers are always think that they are not children anymore so that their parents have no right to control them anymore. Even so, parents are the important part with the significant role in preventing internet disorder.

The simplest but hopefully will do good way is by demand them to manage their time. It can be done by giving a big attention to all their activities, so parents will know if their teenage spend too much time in internet. Then, if there is an indication of internet addiction, parents have to give punishment to make the kids realize their mistake and make them promise not to do the same. The core part of prevention by parents is that it should be done from the very early age of the children. It is significant since human remember their childhood or early live the most. Consequently, it will not be difficult anymore to control them when they reach teenage.

Finally, parents can use a program called Covenant Eyes. This is a program which can control the internet use. The way its works is by tracts everywhere someone goes online and then count the content and it will automatically stop the connection whenever the content has reached the maximal rate that is allowed. By using this program, parents will be able to literally control their children online hours.

3. Government

Even though government’s part is not very significant, they can make a regulatory about internet. For example is what had been done by Chinese government; block all the porn site, so the attractive thing of internet will be decreased, It is hopefully will make teenagers not too tied up to internet.

Further more, government also can maximize the class of counseling in schools for the sake of the opinion that internet addiction also caused by psychological problem. Then, government have the power to make a regulatory that control the use of internet by maximizing the role of Departemen Teknologi dan Informasi.

Conclusion

Internet is a very popular thing that is believed as magic tool which can help people in a significant way. In every part of live, internet is being used widely. However, over use of internet have been proved can lead to a symptoms called internet addiction that will cause a mental disorder. This is a problem that is faced by some country like Korea and Chine. The worse thing about this addiction is that it attack teenagers who are very labile. That is why the prevention has to be done and all the part that included have to take a part in it.

Besides of many things that can cause internet addiction there also a lot of things which will work to prevent internet addiction. Those preventions can be done by all part of people that include: teenagers, parents and government. Teenagers, as the victims of this addiction have to be alert of internet dependency and control themselves because they are mature enough to classify what is wrong and right. Parents also have a significant role in this prevention since they are the ones who have the biggest influence in their teenage kid’s lives. At last, government with all power they have is hoped to be able to make a good regulatory about the healthy use of internet.

Internet addiction is a problem caused by human, that is why they are also have to be the ones to cure and prevent the wider problems. It is also something that develops very fast and we never know how much time we have to save our teenagers, to save our future. For that reason, the prevention has to be done as soon as possible since tomorrow is not promised to anybody.

Bibliography

Khan, Badrul. 2005. Managing E-learning Stategies. Oxford: Oxford University Press

Internet Addiction. Retrieved from World Wide Web: http.wikipedia.com/Internet addiction

Prevention of Internet Adiction. Retrieved from World Wide Web: http.about.com/Article/Preventioon of internet Addiction

Abnormal Internet Use. Retrieved from World Wide Web: http.sociology.org/content/vol 005.003/lorgen.html