10 Signs You Have Internet Addiction

Too much of anything is indeed bad for you. In the age of LOL, OMG, and #TBT, are we spending far too much time on the internet? Internet addiction, like any addiction, can cause many problems. Here’s how you know if you yourself have an internet addiction.

While the Internet is a very useful tool for gaining knowledge and establishing connections, too much can be harmful. Internet addiction can cause a number of problems, from poor performance at work, strained relationships, and family problems. For one, every minute you spend on the internet is time away from work, yourself, friends, and family. There’s also the issue of sitting for hours (or all day) and not having an active lifestyle.

Spending excessive time on social media is unhealthy and can do a lot of harm. Here’s how you know if you’ve been on the Internet too much.

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10 Signs You Have Internet Addiction

1. Always open. You always have your tablet and phone with you wherever you go. Even your desktop or laptop are also always open even when you don’t really need it. You even carry your gadget around from one room to another. Often, while you’re working on something on one gadget, another gadget is propped up or open just because you’re watching out if someone already “liked” your post, replied to your tweet, of if your Facebook newsfeed has already updated.

2. You think text-speak (or hashtag-speak). Your reaction to things are, “OMG” instead of “oh my god” and “LOL” instead of actually laughing out loud. All that happens to you on a daily basis, from something drab to awe-inspiring, results in you thinking up hashtags in your head for when you post something on social media.

3. You prefer porn over real sex. You’ve been watching a lot of porn that you have developed a different standard when it comes to sex. You start to believe that for sex to be satisfying, it should be similar to what you see in porn. You also prefer masturbating to internet porn over having sex with your partner.

4.  You always have an excuse to use the Internet. Whatever you’re doing, you always find a reason to use the Internet and find out what it has to say. Even in social settings or in deep conversations, you have this habit of taking out your smartphone to check on what people have said about certain things, such as movies or facts. It’s nice to be curious, but to exchange actual immersion in a conversation with real people just to fiddle with your phone for the Internet can pose a problem.

5. You’d rather chat with other people in your phone than talk with those you’re with in a social setting. You are huddled over your phone chatting with people from far away places–or even with strangers–instead of being in the moment with the actual ones you’re with. Your social interaction is now confined to more time spent online than to what’s in front of you.

6. You think about your next post– a lot. Even when you’re not on your computer, you think about what you’ll post in your social media account or how you’ll present it. You catalog the situations in your daily life into status updates and even save moments into your head so they can be tweets or status updates later.

7. Excessive photography. When you can’t keep your hands off your smartphone because you just have to take a picture of everything so you can upload it on social media. From your hang nail to the good you’re about to eat, to the man that needs help on the street, you would rather take a picture of them all first before actually doing something.

8. Heated online arguments. Like the troll that you are, you post comments in the blogosphere and everywhere else, and if someone comments, you can’t help but argue with them. You are also quick to comment on other people’s comments. And, even when you’re not online, you spend time thinking about what you’ll say to that other troll on social media.

9. You lose track of time with Internet content you barely even remember. Your forays into YouTube, Wikipedia, Reddit, Pinterest, and other sites stretch for hours to even the whole day. However, you end up not knowing how the day went by and you barely remember anything except the clicking and consuming of trivial information and banal content.

10. The Internet “calls” you. Even when you’re not online, you find yourself longing to check on your emails, notifications, IMs, or any other online newsfeed. It’s like you’re not yourself when you’re not online and you have this need to be connected, even for really no reason at all.

11. Internet agitation. You are easily agitated when the internet is slow and you’d even transfer to another location, say a cafe, just so you have better connection, even when all you’re going to do is to upload something on social media.

Everyone of us has some sort of addiction. Though some may not be as harmful and drastically mind-altering as drugs or alcohol, other forms of addiction are still unhealthy because it impacts your relationships, attitude, behavior, and productivity.

If you are struggling with more serious forms of addiction–alcohol, drugs, or behavioral– you might consider seeking help. Please call or text us at our confidential helpline at 09175098826.