Computer and Internet addiction « It & Net « Jonathan Spencer's Tales of Ordinary Wisdom

Computer and Internet addiction

Published on May 15, 2004 at IT & Net

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Computer Use and Using Your computer

In the throws of break up of my marriage, it seems that using the computer has alot to answer for, men love it, women seem not to especially when you put computer use before wife and family, but is it so bad and who is going to tell you.

Years ago I remember a Hacking/Pirate site which said some thing along the lines of : So you want to become an internet Pirate, don’t expect to have a social life, a partner/girlfriend/wife, and friends or understand reality. OK Iam no pirate but I do use the computer and surf the net and use P2P etc etc obviously more than it would seem was good for my relationship.
So why didn’t I listen. Am I an addict, if the computer was an artists canvas, a potters wheel or I was writing a book would it be OK? I dunno, but I certainly didn’t take on the advice given to me.
OK after all this I am surfing and I come across a tech forum where someone is saying his wife is complaining about his computer use, what do we think with lots of replies, so I added mine.
To me the computer is a “skinner box” (BF Skinner was a behavioural psychologist who more clearly developed the theories of stimulous and response) The computer rewards you when you get it right and lets you have another go if you get it wrong, its uncomplicated, it doesn’t answer back and if it does you can turn it off. Its great for emotional midgets, even ones like me and I trained as a Counsellor for 3 years. What do you think, is it OK to spend hours on the computer, whats the difference between that and sitting in front of a film on the TV for hours. Is it the same, so theres no excuse anyway. Oh what the heck I didn’t listen, I am addicted.
The other thing is there are hundreds of sites for which you have to use the computer to look at, that can help or describe solutions with your computer addiction…I think this is a kind of methadone attitude to IT addiction. Anyhow rightnow I am looking for a new job, yup you guessed it, in the world of IT. Now don’t say I didn’t warn you, and you have a mac and have trouble with it why not visit my mac support site at macmend.com .

Look if you are reading this and you have a family and partner, turn it off and go talk to them, I dare you, you will thank me in the long term!

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Jonathan has experience in both the nonprofit and business sectors, working in a consultative capacity and as a project manager with PCTs, charities, the arts, trade unions, businesses and individuals in the areas of Information, motivation, direction and communications development. He has helped organisations as diverse as carers charities and magazine publishers to develop strategy, policy and process to make a more efficient infrastructure. One where staff share in the gains of the organisation and the end user, whether client, patient or customer, receives the highest quality service possible. As well as being an expert in applied information technology and communication he is a qualified and experienced counsellor and motivator.