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The New Problem of Internet Addiction

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With reference to relevant literature, identify and discuss a concern which has become a problem for users of the internet.

Miniwatts Marketing Group (2009) stated that more than two billion people use the internet. The internet is a world wide web of computer networks, all linked to one another. The internet enables people to communicate almost instantly, research and access data or information, and is most commonly used for email. The popularity of email has almost seen the demise of postal services (Harris, 2007). This essay will argue that one concern for users of the internet is addiction, as millions of users become consumed in the habit, with severe cases of internet addiction resulting in death and violence.
Internet addiction is a habit addiction, rather than a form of substance abuse. According to Kimberley Young it is “the world’s fastest growing addiction” (2009, p 2). Perhaps the reason for this is due to the many ways in which the internet can be used and how commonly accessible it has become in the home or office. For example, the internet can be used for online shopping, virtual gaming, social networking and aspects of the internet that are addictive. The concern with this is how the use of the internet is impacting on a person’s everyday living. Similarly to other forms of addiction, inappropriate use of the internet can result in lost employment, broken relationships, financial loss and even death. In an extreme case, a teenage addict killed his
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