10 symptoms of computer addiction
By annjilena
@annjilena (5618)
United States
October 14, 2008 1:04pm CST
if five or more of these signs describe you,you may be seriously addicted to life on line,according to doctor young.if you find it difficult to limit the time you spend on your computer. 1.you cant control the time you spend on line to the point that you skip meals or rarely sleep. 2.you lie about the time you spend on the computer to close friends and family. 3.the computer gains an inflated status in your life. 4.you constantly daydream about chat rooms or emails when away from your computer. 5your credit cards are maxed out from purchasing items online,especially online auction web sites. 6.when you feel sad or depressed,you turn to your computer pals instead of friends or family members.7.you waver between feeling joyful and guilty when online.8.your computer time interferes with your job or home responsibilities.9.you take anonymous online persona that conflicts with your morals and values.10.you get angry or depressed when power failures or other glitches abruptly bounce you off-line.
6 people like this
20 responses
@hellcord (673)
• Romania
15 Oct 08
Holy smokes, the situation is truly out of control with me. If I didn't know better I'd panic RIGHT NOW!
Friends and family are reasonably OK, but what really worries me is the lack of sleep. 4-5 hours a night, and I feel really destroyed afterwards, and this has been going on for weeks/months already.
Ok, must get organized, must set some boundaries. Thank you for this post, it really brought the problem out in the open, health is not something to trade away for meaningless time online.
1 person likes this
@webeishere (36313)
• United States
15 Oct 08
Just hit the "ESC" button.
HAPPY POSTINGS FROM GRANDPA BOB !!~
HAPPY POSTINGS FROM GRANDPA BOB !!~@annjilena (5618)
• United States
15 Oct 08
just start doing small things to slow down the use of the computer it,s going to be ok don,t worry and please don,t panic you can always turn it off don,t get stressed out about it .thank you for sharing
@tikei18 (359)
• Philippines
15 Oct 08
The only symptoms I didn't get is number 5. Of course I don't have any credit cards. But that was before. Since I got pregnant and i feel always dizzy and vomits a lot. I don't use my computer that often compared before. I confess I've been addicted for 3 yrs. Good thing I stopped from my addiction. Though I still spend 5 to 8 hrs infront of my computer. Maybe after I give birth I will spend very little amount of time infront of the computer because I have a baby to take care and my husband always tell s me to stop using the computer. God Bless and be a blessing !
:D
1 person likes this
@annjilena (5618)
• United States
15 Oct 08
the doctor says if you are addicted you will need counsling.if need help get it.i understand you feel you have it under control after you have the baby see what happens do things change are stay the same.thank you for sharing
@annjilena (5618)
• United States
15 Oct 08
good for youso you do what you need to do and get off thats ok iam speaking od people who on and don,t even eat are bath are clean theit home because having to much time in the computer and don,t make time for other things going on in there life.thank you for sharing
@webeishere (36313)
• United States
15 Oct 08
Without taking this test I KNOW I am addicted.
Does naming your computer mean you're addicted as well?
HAPPY POSTINGS FROM GRANDPA BOB !!~@annjilena (5618)
• United States
16 Oct 08
wow that kool at least you admitted it can,t get no honest then thank you bob for sharing
@belk89 (1103)
• Philippines
15 Oct 08
So far i dont have those signs yet which is good lol. Thanks for sharing with us the symptoms of a computer addict. I am concern about that too coz i dont wanna go through that situation where i was already hook up to my pc. I am not bothered if theres power interruption or if i cant use my pc for a day or two. Neither do i share my sadness through my online friends. I usually share it with my family.
@annjilena (5618)
• United States
15 Oct 08
on the internet you can be what they want to be iam speaking of the misuse of the internet. a lot people use it for pleasure for there jobs and to make money and many other things.but when you on line you don,t brush your teeth are take a bath or change cloth eat there dinner online if they eat at all well this is another story most of us have family and friends we spend time with.so thank you for sharing your thoughts
@dustinnikki (301)
• United States
15 Oct 08
Well I spend a lot of time on my computer but none of these really fit. I do a lot of different things with my computer but it doesn't interupt my life. I stay at home and I still get my household chores done but sometimes I will forget something just because I don't want to do it. My family is never ignored either. I usually am on my computer when I don't have anything to do when my son is taking a nap. My daughter is in school during the week so that's when I use my time online.
I also don't sleep much at night but that's another problem. I had that problem even before I had the internet. So since I can't sleep, I have something to do. I have things I need to do online also so if my power goes out, I am a bit upset that I can't use it if I need to. But I don't like not being able to use anything that needs to use power when power failures happen. The time I spend online is my time and not my families time.
@annjilena (5618)
• United States
16 Oct 08
as long as it don,t stop you from caring for your children and other thing it,s kool you have your time well spread out thats a good way to get things done the way you have sounds like a good plan thank you for sharing.
@annjilena (5618)
• United States
15 Oct 08
of course you have to work but there are people on line to just be on line all day long you are not in this group you have to make a living and its ok when you have to be on line to earn money we use it because we need it.thank you so much for sharing
@annjilena (5618)
• United States
15 Oct 08
oh my you are addicted how do this make you feel to know you are what steps are you taking release yourself from this addiction take baby steps and work your way to less time on line so you can have more time to do something else.thank you for beening so honest.
@kylie_quistis (1220)
• Philippines
15 Oct 08
Oh, thanks for telling us the symptoms of computer addiction, Dr. Young, I quite learned that I'm only half addicted on the computer, got only 5 out of 10 symptoms. 
Symptoms number 1, 6, 7, 8 and 10 definitely, refers to me. Thanks for sharing this to us, it was quite fun to know these symptoms.
Symptoms number 1, 6, 7, 8 and 10 definitely, refers to me. Thanks for sharing this to us, it was quite fun to know these symptoms. @annjilena (5618)
• United States
15 Oct 08
thast a good way to look at it because we all can change something to easy our time on line take more time for yourself and yours and see what happens its not that bad.thank you for sharing
@salonga (27775)
• Philippines
15 Oct 08
Ha!ha!ha! I'm happy my friend. I was wrong... I am not yet addicted to to computer because I only have the last but it is not even exactly what I feel. I only feel time is wasted and a little sad but not depressed when power failure bounce me offline. all the other signs are not found in me so I am happy. I am not a computer addict! Hurray! Ha!ha!ha! I thought I was addicted to myLot but addiction is still not the right term on the basis of what you've written.
@annjilena (5618)
• United States
15 Oct 08
iam happy for you because so many are addicted time seems to fly when you are on line you have to pull yourself away from this computer but time flys when you are on it we have to use our time wisely and get off thank salonga how are you thanks for sharing.
@tismesara (113)
• United States
15 Oct 08
its really sad that people are now more comfortable with computer buddies than they are with real people, or a book, or what have you. Just like when TV first came to the forefront there was those that just couldnt tear themselves away from the tv (still is that way for many) and now here we have the computer that has all these faceless people that you dont have to be yourself if you dont want to be, you can be who ever you want , look like what ever you want, not have to worry about what people are thinking about you, not worrying, am i to fat, to ugly, to pail, to dark, or so many more...
its just sad, thats all...
@annjilena (5618)
• United States
15 Oct 08
all we have to do is turn the computer or tv off and it,s over with. computer have saved lives. back in the 1930 when the stock market fell people was throwing themselves out the window in the last month are so with the stock market falling without the computer people would have been jumping out the window. as long as people have somoene to talk too and tell there problems their will be less sucides so you see the computer serve and help many.thank you for sharing
@sumiirajj (1983)
• India
15 Oct 08
Hi friend, 1 symptom is true out of 10 so am not an addict.I get depressed when power fails and I sit hours together but I would never skip my meals. 
.But I feel that in someway I am addicted to computer as its difficult for me to pass time without computer.Even when I go out I come home finish my household chores very soon to spend on my computer.thanks for sharing.happy mylotting.
.But I feel that in someway I am addicted to computer as its difficult for me to pass time without computer.Even when I go out I come home finish my household chores very soon to spend on my computer.thanks for sharing.happy mylotting.@annjilena (5618)
• United States
15 Oct 08
you are not alone we are all addicted in some way wether we realize it are not so when you go online do what you have to do and get off and do other things so you don,t become addicted.thanks for sharing.
@Margarit (3676)
• Philippines
15 Oct 08
hi annjilena,
I got the number 1 and 2 and i think i am still safe. Thanks for this info for will now limit my time here in my pc. I can say that i am not yet addicted to computer but i am addicted to mylot for when i turn on my computer i go to mylot side. I dont know why i am like this.
@annjilena (5618)
• United States
15 Oct 08
you are not alone we all are addicted at point are another we all have to limit our time online we have a life outside of beening online there is room for improvement for all of us.thank you
@annjilena (5618)
• United States
15 Oct 08
well good for you just keep focusing on what you need to do when you are online and get off.we don,t want to become addicted if we can it,s hard but kep trying to succeed.thank you for sharing
@annjilena (5618)
• United States
15 Oct 08
good for you because some people are online all day long because times gets away from you when you are online.you don,t mean to let time get a way some people make there living on line.
@greysfreak (1384)
• United States
14 Oct 08
LOL Nothing I didn't know, I am self-admittedly borderline computer addicted. I got 5 or 6 of those, out of 10. But it really doesn't affect my life all that much, considering I'm home most the time anyway, so it's either computer or tv. haha.. nevermind that, it's more like both--since I usually have the tv on while on the computer.
haha.. nevermind that, it's more like both--since I usually have the tv on while on the computer. @annjilena (5618)
• United States
15 Oct 08
well at least you know where your addiction starts and we can always change if we need too right.computer is just as bad as tv so you right there is no comparision to either.we need the computer as i see it for many reason when i didn,t have one i wanted one so bad so you see it getting more of need then a want.
@annjilena (5618)
• United States
15 Oct 08
is it good to know you are not addicted to something especially the computer.you have to monitor your time on the computer times seems to fly when you are on line.
@annjilena (5618)
• United States
15 Oct 08
but you are still not addicted thats the thing keep being modesty and watching yourself you will be ok thank you for sharing kathy.
@annjilena (5618)
• United States
15 Oct 08
yes it is good to know you are not addicted.that don,t mean you can,t get addicted watch your time you spend still so it don,t get out of control.
@jorjh_and1 (83)
• Romania
14 Oct 08
I wouldn`t necesarily call it computer addiction. It`s kind of hard nowadays to live without a computer once you`ve seen hoe much your life can be simplified by one. Of course there are some people who are .. socially challenged that isolate themselves and live their life in front of a pc...that`s a mental disorder not an addiction. But when you see how easy it is to organize your schedule, do your homework, your work projects, order some shoes why not use it as an extension of yourself. Computers shouldnt be seen as a crude tool but as a very refined and intelligent sidekick of humans. Think of it how much use many people have for mobile phones, it`s the exact same thing. We live in a modernized information era, and it`s jsut the way to go.
@annjilena (5618)
• United States
15 Oct 08
thats true to some extent a lot people abuse the computer people are on the computer for different reason other then what you mention.there are some who use the computer for theit jobs are home to simlify things in there life. but there are people that go on line just because they are lonely are want to chat or just so they have something to do.
