| When we hear the word addiction, our minds | | | | looking out for key signs and, more than anything, |
| usually go directly to the most infamous kinds - | | | | sentiments of extreme anxiety or jealousy can |
| addiction to alcohol, to drugs, to gambling, and | | | | go a long way. |
| even to food. We imagine Alcoholics Anonymous | | | | There are other types of technology addicts that |
| meetings, individuals standing and saying, "Hello, | | | | are perhaps easier to spot. These are those who |
| my name is John Doe, and I am an alcoholic." In | | | | are specifically obsessed with or hooked on a |
| our society, addicts are vilified to an extreme | | | | specific type of technology. We've all seen them - |
| extent. The world frowns upon those with | | | | the businessman constantly checking his |
| problems with addictions and obsessions, treating | | | | blackberry, the young woman texting incessantly, |
| them as menaces to society very different from | | | | the teenager who seems to never unplug from |
| the common citizen. | | | | his mp3 player and the little girl who spends hours |
| While such sentiments regarding addiction are | | | | a day in front of the computer. While these things |
| common, they are by no means correct. In fact, | | | | may seem harmless, this is not always the case. |
| many individuals face questions of addiction each | | | | Those addicted to technology, just like those |
| and every day and go entirely unnoticed. One of | | | | addicted to alcohol or gambling, miss out on other |
| the most common yet generally accepted forms | | | | aspects of life for the sake of their addictions. An |
| of addiction today? Addiction to technology. | | | | invitation to a party on a Saturday night may be |
| Though it is not necessarily as damaging as | | | | passed in order to spend a night in playing games |
| addiction to drugs or alcohol, addiction to | | | | on a laptop computer. An important business |
| technology is quite real. With new advances being | | | | meeting may be fuzzy after a professional has |
| made every day, the idea of always being on the | | | | spent the majority of the time browsing the |
| cutting edge can become so thrilling for some that | | | | internet with his or her wireless internet phone. |
| it becomes a serious problem. | | | | As technologies like 4G, WiMax, wireless internet |
| There are some technology-obsessed individuals | | | | and others continue to grow and advance, |
| who simply insist on always having the latest | | | | chances are that problems with addiction to them |
| advancements - whatever they may be. These | | | | will become more and more common. And though |
| people are the first to have WiMax internet and | | | | addiction to a computer game is not as harmful |
| are constantly reading up on what is the latest in | | | | as addiction to a serious drug like heroine, it is not |
| 4G technology. It is difficult to tell when such | | | | something to be taken lightly. No addictions are |
| affection for technology becomes a problem, but | | | | good, no matter how shiny or advanced they are. |