Computer addiction

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Jason’s problems started just five months ago when he asked his parents to buy him a computer. All his friends already had one. Like many teenagers, Jason did not want to be an outsider. His mom and dad agreed.

In the beginning, Jason’s parents were proud of him: “He spent a lot of time in front of his computer because he had to learn how it worked. We didn’t really worry because he still met his friends and hung out with them, too. The computer wasn’t the only thing in his life.”

But then everything changed. Jason found a website where he could play chess either against the computer or against other people from all over the world. That was when he began to withdraw from the real world and live in a virtual one. His parents told him that he was spending too much time with his computer. They talked about computer addiction but Jason refused to admit that he had a problem at all.

Then his computer broke down, and his parents decided not to buy him a new one. At first, Jason couldn’t believe it. He pleaded with his parents to buy him a new computer. He said that he needed it for school. He promised that he would not spend so much time on it and so on. But his parents said no. Finally, Jason became so desperate that he killed himself.

How is it possible that a machine can play such an important role in someone’s life? Robert Johnson, an expert on the subject, says, “Computer addiction is a serious illness that can affect anyone of us. More and more people are spending more and more time working with computers, either for business or private reasons. This isn’t a problem for most users. But some people, particularly teenage males, use the computer to escape from the real world. That’s when the problems start.”

Research shows that this is especially true of shy, introverted people. For them, meeting people online is a way of hiding their true selves. In cyberspace, they can be whoever they want to be and create their own virtual world. But what happens when they can no longer access their virtual world? Life as they know it ceases to exist.