Yahoo: Internet withdrawal anguishing

Tobacco companies, drug cartels and Starbucks beware--the Internet may be giving you a run for the money in the addiction department.

According to a study sponsored by Yahoo and advertising company OMD, Internet detox makes people feel emotionally vacant and lost in life. Twenty-eight participants were asked to record their thoughts and feelings during a two-week period of no Net usage. From studying the subjects' video and written diaries, researchers noticed that two weeks of Internet deprivation affected social lives and left many feeling bored.

Not surprisingly, the study's sponsors said the results provide a good opportunity for marketers.

"It allows a rare glimpse into the reasons consumers make the choices they do and how they are emotionally impacted," said a statement from Wenda Harris Millard, Yahoo's chief sales officer. "We can then help marketers apply these insights to reach their target audiences."

Respondents expressed frustration in completing tasks or shopping without the Internet. Socially, people found they were unable to maintain relationships with people outside their immediate circle of close friends, since many of them used e-mail or instant messaging programs instead of phones to keep in touch.

In the workplace, the subjects noticed a sharp change in their behavior as well. Reading the paper and calling friends gave an impression of laziness among their co-workers, in contrast to staring at PCs while surfing news sites and zipping out e-mails.

In fact, many noticed that the Internet gives them cover for doing personal activities while creating the impression that they're working.

"I miss the private space the Internet creates for me at work," said "Kim V.," a participant cited in this study.

The study was released in conjunction with Advertising Week in New York City.

[mailbag]

bored without internet

Yes i do get bored without internet for a while...It even happends when my computer breaks down and i have to take it into the shop to get back up again.Boy how life has changed.And I wonder for how good.

[atariboy]

Bored / safe

I admin many systems at work and am online quite possibly too often; even so this can be more boring than 8 straight hours of Solitaire at times. At home I am furious if my ISP connection isn't functioning, but that is partly because other mediums such as television are intolerable. Curiously, I have two children who seem to display essentially zero interest in the internet so far, even though I've attempted to show them 'fun' and 'entertaining' things, so I assume net addiction is a learned response over time. Excuse me - I'm off to the next web page... (P.S. I would strongly caution almost anyone about feeling 'safe' or 'secure' in their privacy online at work. I don't even trust encrypted anonymous proxies much for privacy)

Evidently I'm in the Minority

I find it liberating and refreshing to frequently take breaks from the Internet.

I prefer talking to people in person over e-mail and instant messaging.

I also live without cable TV in an area of town that does not receive broadcast TV. When I go to a place that has TV and I watch it for a while I end up feeling grateful that I don't have it at home.

I suspect that one day I will feel the same about the Internet.