How You Can Deal With Your Internet Addiction
Here are some handy tips to help you deal wiht your internet addictions.
1. Use the Internet for the same amount of time each time you use it.
In other words, don't say "I'll only be on an hour today." and then be on 5 hours the next and think you did well. A good time for daily Internet usage is 1 hour, or 2 hours at the most. You can set a timer for this so you do not go off track.
2. If a timer doesn't keep you on track, consider downloading parental control software-- some programs include time locks.
Let someone else set the password to override so that you can get it in an emergency, but not at your whim. There is a Google Chrome browser extension called StayFocusd that can synchronize the list of blocked pages between multiple computers.
3. Delete accounts that you really don't need anymore.
How many websites are there that you have accounts on that you don't 100% need? YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, MySpace... sometimes people need their MySpace or Facebook for important things, like keeping in touch with people who don't live nearby, but YouTube and Twitter and Facebook are normally the accounts that MUST be deleted. Twitter/Facebook is such a waste of time, and it's quite addicting, while YouTube is also addicting, and people you don't know want to interact too much. If you don't want to delete your account, just block the pages.
4. Delete your favorites (Keep important pages you might need for homework, etc.)
YouTube videos, online friends' pages, all of it. If it's not essential for your work or for you to breathe, don't keep it.
5. Be sure to maintain lots of offline activities.
Have plenty of things to do that you enjoy. If you don't have other hobbies, start looking for some. And volunteering can be a great way to get you out and about doing something useful/helpful.
6. Monitor your feelings when you're online and offline.
Are you able to recognize when you've spent too long online? If not, you have a problem!
7. So stop wasting your life on the Internet.
Not that you can't use the Internet at all, but use the right amount of time you're supposed/you need to. Live your life more fully: go out; hang out with your friends; see a movie. Please remember what you've seen; this will change your life toward a great happy ordinary human being. Please stop using the Internet so much, for your own good.
8. Be active and free -- now, get off your computer:
Have fun and do your work/job away from the electronic task-maker!
Help
When in doubt read this one-pager about addiction and apply the principals of drug addiction to an internet addiction conundrum.
