Computer addicted  is a term used for people who use their computers so much that it interferes with their daily life. This means that they may have problems with interacting with others, mood, personality, their effectiveness in school or work, and may even make them sleep-deprived. But computer addiction doesn't just mean someone's addicted to the Internet, in fact, it originated long before the Internet was even made. Sometimes, people develop bad habits and this causes problems in their lives. The kind of bad habits developed are very similar to addictions to drugs and gambling.

Here's a little scenario:

A young adult of about 16 years old has developed an extremely strong addiction to your computer. Everyday he can't help but go on his computer and get the latest updates for every app, game, and all of his various softwares. Whenever he's bored he knows nothing but to go onto his computer and do... nothing or anything. His mother finds it hard to do get him to do his chores and knows he gets terrible grades in school but she does nothing about it.  He starts falling asleep in class and gets bullied for being "weird". He knows he's addicted but he just doesn't know how to help himself. He has also has muscle strain, has carpal tunnel syndrome because he spends too much time on his computer and has lost a drastic amount of weight due to neglecting food so he could stay on his computer longer. One day, his best friend noticed these changes in his behaviour, physical appearance and apetite and decided to approach him about it. They talked about it and both agreed that this was not just a phase, but a big problem. They decided that everyday he would only be allowed a small amount of time on the computer. Long story short, in a couple of months, he had learned the error of his ways and was fully relieved of the heavy burden of his addiction.

If you were put in the position of the best friend, what would you have done? If you think someone's going through the same thing, or something similar, don't just stand idly by, help them.

Sources:

Website Title: Computer Addiction

URL: http://www.computeraddiction.com/

Date retrieved: 17/09/2012