Ever wonder...

[elaine130]

... if you're enjoying too much of a good thing?


i think that it's official. over the course of 7 short weeks i may have become "addicted" to the internet and online shopping and ebay and posting on blogs.

it may just be a compulsion, as some psych articles are making a distinction between compulsive behavior versus addiction (such as substance abuse).

anyhow, i went did a google search for this problem behavior and found some really eye-opening articles. does anyone else feel this way?

Internet Addict?

Is Internet addiction real?

Center for Internet Addiction Recovery

Signs of Compulsive Debting

The Twelve Steps of DA

What is eBay addiction, compulsive online gambling, and other types of Internet addiction?

What Is Spending Addiction - And How Do I Know If I Have It?

[angelthelson]

oh my!! all of us here are exhibiting the symptoms..... esp when it comes to spending!!! LOL!!

m..u..s..t s..t..o..p m..y..s..e..l..f

[kitsch_k]

well obviously im addicted to the internet..but ive always been cautious with buying on ebay so i guess that's the reason why i never got addicted to it

[elaine130]

As most of you probably figured from my posts, I was a psych major in college (with minors in English and Education) so I'm quite fascinated by human behavior, emotions, relationships, etc. Anyway, I actually found an article containing some GOOD news about how shopping can be therapeutic! I do agree with the author (psychotherapist) that so many of us were raised to feel that we weren't worthy of fine things, hence a lot of guilt. And that when done responsibly and in moderation, shopping can be good!
Read on...

Sometimes, Shopping Can Be Therapeutic - New York Times

[kitsch_k]

yes shopping has helped me recover many times..haha..although recovering from shopping is hard (like when u get ur credit card bill)

[sbarber77]

I would probably say that I am addicted to the internet but in a good way.

I belong to several email and yahoo groups that pertain to my interests (mostly rubber stamping and scrapbooking) and the community of people with whom I have become affiliated through this addiction of mine is absolutely amazing.

These people are like my family that I can choose to some degree because we are always there for one another.

When I was pregnant with my first child a couple of years ago....when the baby was born these ladies, most of whom I have never met in person, threw me an online baby shower and sent me handmade and store bought gifts for the baby. It was an amazing thing......

Now my addiction, along with my email groups, is my blog. I love it because it gives me a chance to share what I do....most of my friends around here are not into crafting so I might as well share it with a bunch of strangers and get feedback and also use the blogs others create for inspiration.

Could I give up my internet if I had to? I'm sure I could. However, given the choice, I'm going to keep my family and my friends!

[etali]

I'm not addicted to spending online - I probably would be if I could afford it though :-p

I am addicted to the internet, I virtually live online. My other addiction is travel. I get invited to all sorts of places as a part of my job, and I feel really down if I can't go to one of them - I always think I'm missing out on something really cool.

I'm scrambling to get some money to enjoy my next trip now (and about to head out to see where my blasted passport went to!).

When it comes to the internet, I think that it's natural to get really into it. It lets you talk to people you'd never otherwise meet, and there's a group for almost everything out there - how could anyone not think that's really cool?

[elaine130]

Originally Posted by etali

I'm not addicted to spending online - I probably would be if I could afford it though :-p

I am addicted to the internet, I virtually live online. My other addiction is travel. I get invited to all sorts of places as a part of my job, and I feel really down if I can't go to one of them - I always think I'm missing out on something really cool.

I'm scrambling to get some money to enjoy my next trip now (and about to head out to see where my blasted passport went to!).

When it comes to the internet, I think that it's natural to get really into it. It lets you talk to people you'd never otherwise meet, and there's a group for almost everything out there - how could anyone not think that's really cool?

Y'know, I love the internet, too. It's such a wonderful window to the world. But I guess the criticism is that you're not really getting off your butt to meet people face to face and so critics say that altho it fosters socialization, there's also some level of isolation, too, when you're glued to the screen all the time.

I think the internet is wonderful because you CAN find like-minded people out there from all corners of the earth. It's here to stay, just like other much-maligned technologies such as microwave ovens and cell phones!

[sbarber77]

Originally Posted by elaine130

Y'know, I love the internet, too. It's such a wonderful window to the world. But I guess the criticism is that you're not really getting off your butt to meet people face to face and so critics say that altho it fosters socialization, there's also some level of isolation, too, when you're glued to the screen all the time.

I think the internet is wonderful because you CAN find like-minded people out there from all corners of the earth. It's here to stay, just like other much-maligned technologies such as microwave ovens and cell phones!

Sometimes it is hard to find like minded peple though when you live in a very small community. I live in a small town with about 1500 people and there are not many here who like to scrapbook and make cards (though now that I am starting to meet more people I am finding a few).

That's why I love the connection I have with people on the internet as it is where I learn new techniques and hear about new products!

[elaine130]

Originally Posted by sbarber77

Sometimes it is hard to find like minded peple though when you live in a very small community. I live in a small town with about 1500 people and there are not many here who like to scrapbook and make cards (though now that I am starting to meet more people I am finding a few).

That's why I love the connection I have with people on the internet as it is where I learn new techniques and hear about new products!

I'm very happy for you, sbarber77!