When most people think about computer addictions, they picture a hardcore gamer sitting in a dark room, drinking Red Bull until they’re wired to explode, all the while blasting their way through a wall of virtual enemies. Some people have become so addicted to computer games that their health suffers, just as does that of drug addicts and drunks. That seems an outlandish statement until one digs into the associated headlines. In Asia, several people have been found dead in front of computer terminals. The reason? They gamed to death, playing for 70+ hours straight, while depriving their bodies of the care required for health, such as proper food and hydration. With pulses pounding and adrenaline flowing freely, these people succumbed to a tragedy.
But that’s the most visible form of computer addiction, obvious to any who examine the details. But for every outlandish death that occurs in this fashion, there are hundreds of other people whose addiction to the digital world is far less apparent. They’re around you everywhere that you go – look at the person apparently glued to their smartphone, or the person who can’t leave their house without a laptop for fear they won’t be able to check their email account.
Even people who use a computer all day at work can begin to exhibit signs of confusion when separated from their computers. Although they are not addicts in the classic sense of seeking out pleasurable behavior, their selection of jobs that require constant computer use satiates their growing digital need. They may be hard to spot, but cyber addicts are a growing class.
