Rae The latest addiction to trap thousands of people is the Internet, which has been blamed for broken relationships, job losses, financial ruin and even suicide Psychologists now recognize Internet Addiction Syndrome (IAS) as a new illness that could cause serious problems and ruin many lives IAS is similar to other problems like gambling, smoking and drinking: addicts have dreams about the Internet; they need to use it first thing in the morning; they lie to their parents and partners about how much time they spend online; they wish they could cut down, but are unable to so Many users spend up to 40 hours a week on the Internet Some of the addicts are teenagers who are already hooked on computer games and who find it very difficult to resist the games on the Internet M Be tested How often you find that you stay on-line longer than you intended? Rarely b Occasionally c frequently d often e always How often you neglect household chores to spend more time on-line? a Rarely b Occasionally c frequently d often e always How often you prefer the excitement of the Internet to intimacy with your partner? a Rarely b Occasionally c frequently d often e always How often you form new relationships with fellow on-line users? a Rarely b Occasionally c frequently d often e always How often others in your life complain to you about the amount of time you spend on-line? a Rarely b Occasionally c frequently d often e always How often your grades or school work suffer because of the amount of time you spend on-line? a Rarely b Occasionally c frequently d often e always How often you check your e-mail before something else that you need to do? a Rarely b Occasionally c frequently d often e always How often does your job performance or productivity suffer because of the Internet? a Rarely b Occasionally c frequently d often e always How often you become defensive or secretive when anyone asks you what you on-line? a Rarely b Occasionally c frequently d often e always 10 How often you block out disturbing thoughts about your life with soothing thoughts of the Internet? a Rarely b Occasionally c frequently d often e always 11 How often you find yourself anticipating when you will go on-line again? a Rarely b Occasionally c frequently d often e always 12 How often you fear that life without the Internet would be boring, empty, and joyless? a Rarely b Occasionally c frequently d often e always 13 How often you snap, yell, or act annoyed if someone bothers you while you are online? a Rarely b Occasionally c frequently d often e always 14 How often you lose sleep due to late-night log-ins? a Rarely b Occasionally c frequently d often e always 15 How often you feel preoccupied with the Internet when off-line, or fantasize about being on-line? a Rarely b Occasionally c frequently d often e always 16 How often you find yourself saying "just a few more minutes" when on-line? a Rarely b Occasionally c frequently d often e always 17 How often you try to cut down the amount of time you spend on-line and fail? a Rarely b Occasionally c frequently d often e always 18 How often you try to hide how long you've been on-line? a Rarely b Occasionally c frequently d often e always 19 How often you choose to spend more time on-line over going out with others? a Rarely b Occasionally c frequently d often e always 20 How often you feel depressed, moody, or nervous when you are off-line, which goes away once you are back on-line? a Rarely b Occasionally c frequently d often e always = Rarely = Occasionally = Frequently = Often = Always 20 - 49 points: You are an average on-line user You may surf the Web a bit too long at times, but you have control over your usage 50 -79 points: You are experiencing occasional or frequent problems because of the Internet You should consider their full impact on your life 80 - 100 points: Your Internet usage is causing significant problems in your life You should evaluate the impact of the Internet on your life and address the problems directly caused by your Internet usage Discuss your results and answer the questions: Have you got an Internet addiction? Have you realized this is a significant problem for you? What are you going to to overcome it?