March 2, 2000 There once was a time when the only computers known to the averageperson were those the military possessed. Eventually, large corporations foundmany different uses for computers in the business world, and today, computersare as common in numerous households around the globe. People from all agegroups are learning to operate computers and anyone who has worked withcomputers for long periods of time knows that computers can be just as addictingas smoking. Computer addiction can have a number of physical, social, andpsychological effects on a person and it is to be taken as seriously as anyother addiction that a person is battling.
One common physical effect computeraddiction can have on a person are back problems. Sitting for so long can take atoll on a person’s muscles and can result in poor posture. Poor posture canresult in chronic back problems that require the services of a chiropractor. Dryeyes, carpal tunnel syndrome, and vision complications are some eye problemscaused by over use of a computer.
Migraine headaches are quite common incomputer addiction and are linked to the straining of the eyes. Because of thelong hours spent engrossed in a computer, addicts often have eatingirregularities, such as skipping meals and binge eating. Computer addictsexperience sleep disturbances, or changes in sleeping patterns, which are mostlikely due to late hours on the computer and low blood sugar from eatingirregularities. One last effect is the failure to attend to personal hygiene,such as bathing, combing hair and brushing teeth. All of these physical effectscan be linked to computer addiction. Social effects of computer addictioninclude reduced time spent socializing with others.
People may begin to feelthat their computer is the only relationship that they have the time to focuson. They lose the desire for human contact and communication and in a way theyare breaking away from reality. Lacking the desire to make contact with others,means lacking the desire to create new relationships or to build on alreadyexisting ones. After a certain amount of time, they lose their conversationskills completely.
Within the lives of computer addicts it is their friends andfamily that suffer the most from this form of alienation. They are often movedto the very bottom of the computer addict’s list of priorities. Computeraddiction has the power to cause serious social effects and cannot be leftuntreated. Along with the physical and social effects of computer addictionthere are also psychological effects. Some psychological symptoms experienced bycomputer addicts when they are not at the computer are feelings of depression,emptiness, irritability, distraction and withdrawal. Feelings that are commonwhen addicts are at the computer are a sense of euphoria or well-being.
Thesesenses of complete ecstasy and pleasure also causes and inability for people whoare addicted to computers to stop the activity. They end up having a constantcraving for more time at the computer, and this is where one can identify anaddiction. Along with addiction comes a need to cover up their secret andcomputer addicts often lie to those around them. For example lying to employers,and family members about their hours spent at the computer and also denying theyhave a problem. This lying a sneaking around eventually results in problemseither at school or at work. The psychological effects of computer addiction maynot only lead to distraction and emptiness but may also lead to criticaldepression.
When people think of addictions, no one ever thinks of computeraddiction to actually be common. In this age of computers, computer addictionwill only increase as time passes. More and more people will experience thephysical, social, and psychological effects of computer addiction but,thankfully, like other addictions, this condition is treatable.
