New Survey Shows Some Can_t Handle Net.

A significant percentage of Internet users get so involved in with chat rooms, e-mail and Web surfing that it seriously disrupts their work and home lives. Once online, however, some people progress quickly from mild flirtations with e-mail and chat rooms to making the Internet the neurotic nexus of their lives. Dr. David Greenfield, a West Hartford, Conn., psychologist has treated many patients whose lives are in disarray due to excessive computer and Internet use. "The Internet is like television on steroids," says Greenfield, "But the thing about TV is that shows end. On the Internet, the sense of "boundarylessness" can suck you in." Greenfield put together the Virtual Addiction Survey, a 36-item online questionnaire designed to gather data about how people spend - and misspend - their time online. The survey ran on ABCNEWS.com for two weeks last August; more than 18,000 people participated, making it the largest Internet-behavior survey ever done and possibly the largest psychological/behavioral survey ever conducted solely on the Net. Greenfield_s data, which squares well with previous Net addiction research, indicates that almost 6 percent of Internet users could be considered "addicted." Another 10 percent met the definition of abuse: their Internet use impinges on their lives, but hasn_t forced major changes in their circumstances.

How Internet "Addicts" Spend Time Online
Chatting 57 percent
Web surfing 78 percent
Playing games 62 percent
E-mailing 75 percent
Shopping 20 percent
Others might hesitate to use the term "addiction," but agree that Internet overuse raises serious psychological issues, like stress