Development of the Internet began about 15 years ago. In 1973 the U.S. Defense Research Projects Agency initiated a program to research the techniques and technologies for inter-linking various types of networks. (Cerf, 1997) The objective was to develop communication protocols that would allow networked computers to communicate transparently across multiple, linked networks. This was called the internetting project and the system of networks that emerged from the research was known as the Internet. Since that time, various other research projects, to include those co

However, trying to cure on-line addiction by going on-line is probably not the best answer. Face to face counseling is probably the best method for dealing with this problem. The availability of this type of counseling is expanding rapidly. Over the past two years, two major clinics have also been established to treat this addiction. One that was mentioned earlier is at Harvard University’s McClean Hospital in Boston. The other is the Center for On-Line Addiction at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. Dr. Kimberly S. Young, whose research was also mentioned earlier, directs the latter. To this date, her clinic alone has reviewed more than 400 Internet Addiction cases. (Tate, 1997)

The chat rooms, whether they are used for sexual and romantic encounters or just to talk to other people around the world, seem to be the number one temptation. Others include fantasy games and the ability to create false identities of oneself. Although this ability to create a false identity is not one of the main lures, it does play a major role when looking at the psychological effects of the Internet. Identity is a key factor in everyone’s life. Without a sense of identity, or a confused identity, people have difficulty socializing with others. They also have a difficult time dealing with stress and the real world and therefore resort to other measures where there is no direct contact with other people. On the Internet, there is no direct communication. Therefore an insecure person or a person with low self-esteem does not have to worry about what the person on the other end of the link thinks about them. They may modify their identity, work position, marital status, or any (Intelli Quest, 1997) other of a number of characteristics that affect their role in life.

Dr. Kimberly S. Young of the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford conducted one of the most extensive studies on Internet Addiction to date. In her study, Dr. Young determined that non-dependents were able to control the amount they used the Internet and reported no adverse effects due to its use. However, dependents reported significant changes to their lives because they had simply lost control over there ability to limit the amount of time they used the Internet. (Young, 2001) She compared the use of the Internet to criteria traditionally utilized for other established addictions and found significant identical values. (Young, 2001) She did, however, state that the Internet itself is not addictive, but that specific areas such as the chat rooms, play a significant role in the (Smith, 1997) development of the addiction.

nducted by the U.S.

Some topics in this essay:
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