For quite a few years we have been talking about addiction to the Internet.

For quite a few years we have been talking about addiction to the Internet. Now we are putting together a support group for those students who find themselves addicted to the Internet. By speaking of the group, I mean, what we offer as some of the treatments are group therapy sessions for these kids.
    The group itself becomes a therapeutic tool, because people are getting out of their rooms where they stay with the computer for many hours, getting out of the isolation they may find themselves in, and dealing with other people face-to-face. They are talking about the issues that are going on with them.
    They are getting support from other people. They realize that it is not just them, that there are other people who are engaged in the same behavior and facing the same problems, and also they can help each other strategize about what’s the best way for them to break the pattern, to figure out other things to do. And also we examine people’s life situations, for it’s important to figure out what’s going on in the person’s life that’s contributing to these particular behaviors. Why is the person spending so much time on the Net? Are they avoiding something? You know, what type of pain is going on in their life that they are looking to find some fulfillment in this way?
    You may ask if we have a full session, if we know that there are probably a lot of other kids on campus, or a lot of universities around the country, who could use some of these therapy sessions.
    Yeah. I definitely think so. As far as how many people are actually addicted to the Internet, there was one study by University of Minnesota which said about 2 or 3 percent. I would say probably about 5 percent of people who are seriously having problems. The thing is, though, it’s very easy to slip into and you don’t realize it, especially for college students who not only have free access to the Internet, for which many people have to pay, but who have labs on campus where people can just go in, they may be doing a paper or some other project on the computer, and then they just check the chat rooms and see what’s going on, and then before they know it, hours go by.