Internet Addictive?

Renton

Im just posting this up here to get peoples oppinions of the whole 'thang' about the internet being addictive.

Having been a regular user of IRC for about 7 years (which isnt much in comparison to alot of people Ive come to know over the years). I decided one day about 10 months ago to stop using IRC, and try to go out and expand my social life a bit which seems to break me free of the routine of spending all day sitting infront of a PC until the wee hours chatting away in chatrooms. It seems to have worked, as now I quite rarely make an appearance in an IRC chat room, or even make a few posts on boards.

Recent research shows that some users of the Internet spend so much time logged on, that their personal and/or professional life suffers. This finding is corroborated by numerous anecdotal accounts of people becoming "hooked" on on-line interactivity, accounts that have circulated in on-line discussions as well as in real life settings. It is becoming common to know of someone, or have heard of someone, that has become enamored with on-line activity to the point that they ignore important personal responsibilities

An on-line community is one of the easiest ways to meet new people. Certainly it is very low-risk. I think this is mainly due to the essential informality of on-line conversation. Rather than being required to sustain a single conversation with one or more people, relationships usually form out of numerous, often short exchanges. In a way, it reminds me of commuters who take the bus or ferry. They see each other frequently but each encounter is of a fairly short duration. In situations like this the pressure is minimal. If you'd rather read the paper than chat then you just do it and don't worry about it. But, over time, many people form enduring relationships this way. In the on-line environment, just like any other social situation, the basic currency is human attention. In the public forums, you communicate with groups that may have as many as several hundred people involved - even if they don't all make comments. (Coate, 92)

Just a few things that got me thinking tonight.

What do you guys think ?

Renton

Quotes are from

http://webpages.charter.net/stormking/iad.html

meglome

And yet there you are at 2:46am in front of your PC

Shinji

Is talking to your friends addictive?

There are quite a few friends (people I know very well, often in "real life" as well - not just random online people) that I speak to loads online, because I live far away from them or whatever, or simply because we're all busy so we keep in contact on IRC during the week and only meet up to go to the pub or clubbing or whatever at weekends.

I'm not addicted to IRC, I'm addicted to communicating with people I like. I find the whole "I'm giving up IRC" thing a bit confusing to be honest - I guess it just means you consider the people you talk to there to be unimportant enough to be able to do that, which is kinda sad in ways but so be it.

Samba

There is no doubt in my mind that using the internet is as addictive as drinking Tea.

In many ways i wish i'd never discovered online games a few years back and had remained ignorant to all this internet activity for various reasons.

But in fairness Denis, you took it to another extreme 9am-6am day in day out, that can't be healthy.

Any time i go away i forget about it all, then i get back and find hmmm, what are all my m8's at? surprise surprise, they are in the pub on a Beautiful Saturday afternoon(that really annoys me, such a waste of a day). slowly you get back to your old ways.

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

*agrees*

that shinji, he's not just a pretty face eh?

Dun

Originally posted by Shinji
I'm not addicted to IRC

First syptom: Denial

Kidding. Nah, I do think it can be fairly addictive, which is why I'm glad I get fed up of it easily. Otherwise I'd be logged forever chatting.

po0k

screen -r quakenet Crack cocaine on demand

DeVore

What shinji says. (i feel dirty now).

I'm addicted.... I wasnt on last night as my machine is b0rked and I felt like I'd lost a limb. I just do SO much through the net. Mail, mates, boards, work, projects, coding, games, news and research and thats just a typical night.

DeV.

DiscoStu

In all fairness i would rather give my cash to a south american drug lord as opposed to eircom. at least there are no shareholders that way.

Victor

'lo Rentz

Recent research shows that some users of the Internet spend so much time logged on, that their personal and/or professional life suffers. This finding is corroborated by numerous anecdotal accounts of people becoming "hooked" on on-line interactivity, accounts that have circulated in on-line discussions as well as in real life settings. It is becoming common to know of someone, or have heard of someone, that has become enamored with on-line activity to the point that they ignore important personal responsibilities

Whereas socially responsible people go down the pub, get rat-faced and beat someone up on the way home :rolleyes:

Dr. Loon

Originally posted by Victor
'lo Rentz
Whereas socially responsible people go down the pub, get rat-faced and beat someone up on the way home :rolleyes:

Yeah, that's what I do EVERYtime I go to the pub. :rolleyes:

Kairo

Living in a somewhat isolated county, surrounded by muck savages..I find IRC fuppin' brilliant for keeping in touch with people I like to talk to.

While some of my IRL friends think the whole thing a bit too 'nerdy' , they just lack the skillz, or are envious. Although I manged to coax one other mate of mine in the irc ways (and fair play to him for getting into the whole thing..he's organising the Boards Beach Beer )

My only wish is that I could meet the people online a little more often in person. While IRC can be great for communication long distances and such..I see no need for it for all ye living close. Personal communication is a different kettle o' fish all together, that shouldn't be replaced with IRC.

Thats my two eurocents

WhiteWashMan

Originally posted by Kairo


Thats my two eurocents

i have a graphics card named after you.
just thought id mention it.

anyway.
i went off-line out of work hours about 7 months ago.
you know what.
is still playthe odd bit of warcraft3 or nwn, but i dont miss irc.
i no longer feel the pressing need to check my mail every 3 minutes at home. i no longer feel the need to play online games.

of course, i make up for it by posting rubbish on boards.ie during work hours
but hey, i have a social life like normal people and i still get to abuse, er, advice people here.
tbh, i can live without the internet, but i do find it is my first port of call for information gathering, which is probably its most useful function. fun sites like boards.ie i would miss too. and football scores. but thats it. oh and porn, but i guess im well over that at this stage, so i guess that doesnt count!

GOD! I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Typedef

Internet Addictive?

I'm not an addict.... I can quit any time I want.... I just don't want to...... can I get some more coffee?

Saruman

It can be but it gets very boring after a while. Same with boards.. i might go a few weeks of posting a load of crap.. some might even call it spam.. Then nothing and then maybe the odd post.

Kairo

Originally posted by WhiteWashMan
i have a graphics card named after you.
just thought id mention it.

Had A graphics card named after me. Hence to whole going from Kyro to Kairo.

Man..the trolling is nearly half of the addiction

I've been in college from 7am till 6pm today. I had 1 lecture the whole day..Other than going for Lunch..i've been arsing about online.

Try and tell me I'm an addict! G'wan I dare ya!

It gets boring fast..I must say...

po0k

Oh yeah!

I'm just after realising the whole wordplay-on-Cairo thing....
Nice

Mills

I've not been on IRC or boards as much lately because I don't have any internet access from the flat I live in. I've spent a bit of time online from Uni but not too much, and usually just time between lectures. I've had a break since 11 until 1 today and I'm already a little bit bored.

I used to spend ages on IRC and boards when I lived in Ireland, and when I go back to Ireland I sortof go back to that habbit, I think it's just because Monaghan sucks .

Renton

Originally posted by Victor
'lo Rentz
Whereas socially responsible people go down the pub, get rat-faced and beat someone up on the way home :rolleyes:

Yeah, I do that like every time i leave the pub, its just bang bang bang as I bait every last mutha on the way home.

but seriously,

in every walk of life there is bad people, there are bad people on IRC, people where it would seem as if their sole intention is to annoy the hell out of you, and then you have your H4X0R kids. However, thats not to say that everyone on IRC behaves like that.

Yes you get your arseh0les coming out of pubs locked and starting fights, but in fairness, ive _never_ been in a fight after leaving a pub. Im sure if you were to go looking for one, you could get one.

I dunno, I guess the internet is addictive by nature, and sometimes its good to unplug for a while.

Renton

theciscokid

yes, when i finally get my mortgage on the house that my lady and I want, a factor will be if the area has broadband :eek:

McGinty

I will admit I am addicted to the Net but then I am also addicted to reading. However my work involves using the net, and like DeVore, I use it for so many things.

I have to admit I like boards but chatrooms bore the sh*te out of me, although I have never used IRC, so I can;t really comment.

The reason why I know I am addicted is because when my system broke down I was going stir crazy.

oeNeo

Originally posted by Kairo
Had A graphics card named after me. Hence to whole going from Kyro to Kairo.

off-topic but i just thought id let you know that there's a company called Kiiro aswell, dunno what they make apart from mp3 players :cool:

oeNeo

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00006GNO2/qid=1038421587/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_3_1/026-8375679-8775647 tbh!

El Marco

Well the main reason I use the pc is because tv is just plain woeful lately (prime example being the Anna Nicole Show) and since my pc is in my sitting room I just switch between the pc and tv.

Kairo

Originally posted by [oeNeo]
off-topic but i just thought id let you know that there's a company called Kiiro aswell, dunno what they make apart from mp3 players :cool:

This bothers me not!

Away with thee

Wossack

Originally posted by Kairo
This bothers me not!

Away with thee

tbh