HowtoDealwithInternetAddiction?InternetaddictionamongminorshaslongbeenrecognizedasasocialprobleminChina.Butsomeadultsmayfindithardtocontroltheirnetsurfingdesirestoo.Doyouhaveafriendwhohangsoutatinternetcafeswaytoomuch?Howcanwepreventourselvesfromgoingonlinetoomuch?InternetAddictionDisorderhaslongbeenrecognizedasasocialproblem.ThefirstpersontocointhephraseisanAmericanpsychologist.AccordingtopsychologicalcounselorLiJianlingfromtheYangGuangHuaRenPsychologicalService,ifyouhavethefollowingsymptoms,itislikelythatinternetaddictionhasbeguntoinfiltrateyourlife.Internethypesloosetrackoftime,andspendlessandlesstimeonmealsathomeoratwork.Theyareusedtoeatinginfrontofacomputerscreen.Also,theydenyspendingtoomuchtimeonthenet.Theycan'thelploggingonlinewhenalreadybusyatwork,andtheysneakonlinewhenfamilymembersaren'tathome,withasenseofrelief.It'sacommonknownfactthatinternetaddictioncanhaveadevastatingeffectonpeoples'healthandsociallives.Adultsmaylosethemostimportantyearsfortheircareerdevelopmentandstudentsmaywastetoomuchoftheiryouthinfrontofacomputerscreen.ButwhyisinternetaddictionsoprominentinChina?LiJianlingexplains:Mostminorswhowereborninthelate1970'sor80'slackfatherfigures,becausethatisthetimeChinesesocietybeganmakingbigchanges.Economicdevelopmentresultedinmanysingleparenthouseholds.Actuallyafather'slovesymbolizessafetyandrespect.Lackingafatherfiguremakessomekidsindulgeincybergames.LiJianlingaddsthatmanyyoutharetheonlychildintheirfamilies.Theydon'thaveenoughchancetoassociatewithparentsandrelatives.Also,thelackofactivitiesforadultscanleadtointernetaddiction.Whenpeoplegrowup,iftheydon'tspendtimeonsportsorotherpositiveintereststheyoftenturntotheinternettokilltime.Howdowedealwiththisproblem?LiJianlingsaysassociatingmorewithfamily,friendsandnaturecanreallyhelpinternetaddictskickthehabit.Everyoneunderstandsthatparentsnowadaysarebusy,butiftheyjustspendmoretimecommunicatingwiththeirkids,theycanhelpavoidtheirchildrenfrombecomingaddictedtotheinternet.Butmorethanthis,allofsocietyshouldbecomeconcernedaboutthenegativesidesoftheinternet.Thoroughlyeradicatingtheproblemofinternetaddictioninvolvesmanybranchesofsociety.Weneedmorepositiveculturalproducts,weneedtocommunicatewithothersmoreintherealworld,andwealsoneedtothinkaboutbalancingeconomicprosperitywiththefuturesofourkids.