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mando السبت ديسمبر 06, 2008 2:11 pm

How to tell if you’re addicted to the Internet?

If you fear you Google yourself too often or can’t stop checking your e-mail, here are some questions to determine your level of Internet addiction, according to cyber-psychologist Kimberly Young, director of the Center for Online Addiction and author of “Caught in the Net” (John Wiley & Sons, $34.95), which addresses Internet addiction. Young likens excessive Internet use to pathological gambling.

Rate your responses to the following questions on a 5-point scale, ranging from 1 point for “rarely” to 5 points for “always.” The higher the score — more than 25 points is cause for concern — the greater the problem your Internet use causes. For the full 20-question quiz and scoring details, go to netaddiction.com.

How often do you:
1. Stay online longer than you intended?

A. rarely B. occasionally C. frequently D. often E. always

2. Neglect household chores to spend more time online?

A B C D E

3. Prefer the excitement of the Internet to intimacy with your partner?

A B C D E

4. Form new relationships with fellow online users?

A B C D E

5. Check your e-mail before something else that you need to do?

A B C D E

6. See your grades or schoolwork suffer because of the amount of time you spend online?

A B C D E

7. Hear others in your life complain about the amount of time you spend online?

A B C D E

8. Let your job performance or productivity suffer because of the Internet?

A B C D E

9. Become defensive or secretive when anyone asks you what you do online?

A B C D E

10. Lose sleep due to late-night log-ins?

A B C D E

Top 10 soft addictions

• Procrastination

• Watching too much television

• Overworking

• Acting moody, such as being grumpy, cranky or overly happy

• Overeating

• Drinking too much coffee

• Shopping impulsively

• Daydreaming excessively

• Complaining excessively

• Surfing the Internet excessively
Source: Harris Poll conducted for the Wright Institute.

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