Just Addictive

Just Addictive - 1

Internet social networking is the new communication choice of teenagers everywhere. MySpace, Facebooks, and Friendster are just a few of the very popular social sites that have surfaced on the internet in the past few years. Bringing people together is what all social- networking sites have in common.(Metz, 2006 p.1). This growing trend though has many health experts as well as parents concerned that teenagers are becoming addicted to these internet social networks. Does this type of social environment create an addiction for teenagers or is it just a place for them to feel accepted and to express their creative talents?

Some parents believe that this internet social networking consumes too many hours in their children’s day. One description by a parent, “It’s the sheer amount of screen-sucking time they consume in lives that are already overscheduled,” (Duffy, 2006 p.2). This parent also goes on to describe one site as’ “One giant time vortex-a black hole of chatter- and for many kids it’s hard to find an exit.” (Duffy, 2006 p.2). Yes, it may be for some, but parents are responsible for monitoring the time a child or teenager spends online. This time spent on line however, does not mean that a child or teenager is addicted to the internet. Think back over the years, the telephone, local mall, local restaurants, were some of the hang outs of choice. Did that create a generation of addicts? No, surely every parent today can remember the rush felt to get to those hang outs as quick as possible. Hours spent with friends laughing, playing cards, sharing secrets, ideas, drinking and doing things that their parents felt were a possible danger to them. Today is no different, other than the way information is shared. Granted, information shared today can be viewed by everyone unlike in prior generations, but again, parent involvement is the key to control.

Just Addictive - 2

IAD or Internet Addiction Disorder is the name health care experts have given this so called problem. The need to be on line constantly, shaky hands, irritability, loss of job, poor school grades, loss of interest in outside activities, etc can all be characteristics of what doctors call IAD. Truly IAD can exist, but it exists within the content that is desired to be viewed on the internet, pornography and gambling just to name a couple. These two examples are just a few of the growing addictions that many adults as well as teenagers face when online each day. For teenagers though exploring internet social networks is part of a normal day of communication and not