Hi

I'm a mudcatter. I'm addicted. anyone else in this position? Strangely, I've always known the potential for me to be addicted, but this is the first time, in several decades of living, that something has taken over to the point where I miss food, sleep, other activities (like real music) and work. not that I'm bagging mudcat.

I've been looking, and have attached some information, for anyone else who might be doing the same thing.

Sleepless in Cyberspace..

psychcentral.com/netaddiction/ - provides links to a number of interesting articles and sites about internet addiction.


One link is to someone who has some interesting theories about brain use and alertness, at this site:

http://pages.prodigy.net/unohu/theories.htm

He says a person's arousal may be increased by participating in activities which involve vigilance. Apparently the sorting and classifying of information, and of others responses to your own responses, may do this. If the information is not familiar and is confusing, threatening, or overwhelming , a different brain process is engaged which includes arousal, frontal organization and vigilance (the information will be processed until it is understood)."

Another link talks about the effects:
webpages.charter.net/stormking/iad.html

.. the nature of addiction is to continue to pursue the initial excitement one received, at the risk of other social involvement's and responsibilities.   ... "If all computer-mediated communication systems can be said to have one single unifying effect upon human behavior it is that usage tends to cause the user to become less inhibited." . Judgments of others in this virtual social setting, made without the normal sensual clues, can consist of distorted, emotionally laden projections, and can be communicated without the normal constraints imposed by the need to maintain social order. This is a naturally exciting, stimulating and reinforcing aspect of Internet communications...

Well, what do you know. Happy reading!