Position Paper For Online Addiction - EJ

“Too much of anything is bad, but too much good whiskey is barely enough.
” -
Mark Twain.
In today’s time it is common that most people are introduced to different

technologies- advanced and innovative. We are living in a world wherein we embark in
our journey alongside technology that constitutes our step to strive in our endeavors.
The surface of different technological inventions made the lives of the people
way easier, convenient, and exciting at some point. These technological inventions
include mobile phones, computers, laptops, and other media technologies, AR and VR
technologies, 3D technologies, etc. that are used for the purpose of entertainment,
production, work, and leisure.
With all these technologies occurring, people distract themselves online as these
technologies are used for its objective to let people go online as the internet is available.
If a person is given a phone or any device, one thing that he/she would do is to go
online because practically everything is there and it’s just one click away to get your job
done or for you to enjoy some thrill and fun through surfing.
Going online is the new trend and will always be the trend as it satisfies a user
may it be through getting his job done through the use of online worksheets apps and
suited apps necessary for one’s work, or may it be through online gaming and video
games, for study purposes, for communication, and many other reasons that occur in
line to this title- online.
But then, it sure does make the work done, allows them to communicate, and
helps people make things easier but some just cannot control themselves from using it.
Some people do not allow themselves to have restrictions on going through online.
Without restrictions, people are driven to spend most of their time surfing online which
leads to online addiction that only means that it should be given attention and one must
raise an awareness to it as too much of this is unhealthy.
In particular, internet addiction (IA) has become a major public health issue
worldwide and brought about a dramatic proliferation of research in this area. IA is
defined as a pathological pattern of internet use, which is also described as internet
dependence, compulsive internet use, problematic internet use, internet abuse, and
pathological internet use. The user cannot self-control the use of the internet, resulting
in significant impairments at school, home, work, health or interpersonal relationships.
They may find it difficult to stop using the internet due to its anonymity, convenience and
accessibility and may use it as a way to escape reality. The types of activity involved in
IA include online gaming, social networking, online gambling, online shopping, and
information overload (PLoS One, 2015).
According to Kwok-Kei Mak, PhD, et al. (2014), internet addiction is highest in
the Philippines, according to both the IAT (5%) and the CIAS-R (21%). Internet addictive
behavior is common among adolescents in Asian countries. Problematic Internet use is
prevalent and characterized by risky cyber-behaviors.
Another report by HootSuite and We Are Social finds that the Philippines tops
the global list of internet users in terms of how many hours people spend a day online.
The world internet usage index lists the Philippines’ average time spent on the internet
as 10 hours a day.
Thailand and Indonesia join the Philippines in the top 5 ranking, making
Southeast Asia “one of the most internet-addicted regions on the planet” according to
the Guardian. Interestingly, the top 5 internet users were dominated by developing
countries. Coming in second is Brazil, Thailand as third, Colombia as fourth, and
Indonesia as fifth (Mikaela Zulueta, 2019).
With this information given, one must not be ignorant of the consequences of
what he/she is doing. Online addiction has an equivalent answer which is a risk to
someone’s health at most. Unhealthy internet use can have troubling effects, similar to
those of substance abuse or a gambling addiction.
Research published in Current Psychiatry Reviews (2012), for instance, noted

that it “ruins lives by causing neurological complications, psychological disturbances,
and social problems.” And also, according to PsychGuides.com (2022), the short-term
effects of an online addiction include unfinished tasks, forgotten responsibilities and
weight gain. Long-term effects are seen more in the physical symptoms such as
backache, neck pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, and vision problems from staring at the
screen. It can also lead to bankruptcy, especially if the time spent online is focused on
shopping, gambling and gaming.
According to Oberlin College of Computer Science, aside from being dependent

on the Internet, addicts may develop technostress wherein they internalize how a
computer works, such as accelerated time and perfect results. It can also cause social
withdrawal, feeling more at ease interacting with people online rather than in person.
With this, I can say that online or internet addiction is something that should not
be neglected and should be discussed and be explained to people thoroughly for them
to be able to comprehend the situation they are in or they might be involved in the
future. Online addiction can somehow be prevented and we just need to provide
substantive, effective and efficient methods. These steps include expanding research
about online addiction and its effect on people to provide feasible information that can
be disseminated and increase awareness efforts to educate the public most likely the
people who are actively online; one must learn how to organize and manage his/her
time when going online; seek for an approach that’ll balance one’s online and offline life;
people must consider talking to their peers or someone they trust from time to time to
exhibit their intrapersonal development and skills; to have responsive and inclusive
holistic services and promote a positive culture wherein the pessimistic side of going
online cannot dominate nor foster.
In this life we must admit that we people get to live our lives being accompanied
with the internet and us being active online for we are living in a modern era, but then,
we should not allow ourselves to get tempted to spend every time we have in one sitting
without us noticing we have nothing left but empty, so as to Catherine Pulsifer quotes,
"Too much of one thing can end up creating stress; this is something that no one needs
in their life. But living a life in balance can provide harmony and peace." So let us take
everything in balance as much as possible and or moderate at most.

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“Too much of anything is bad, but too much good whiskey is barely enough.

In today’s time it is common that most people are introduced to different

Research published in Current Psychiatry Reviews (2012), for instance, noted

According to Oberlin College of Computer Science, aside from being dependent

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