Are You Addicted To The Internet? Evaluating Your Online Behavior
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Most of us spend hours online for work, to get information, or for fun.
But the amount of time some people are spending on the Internet is raising some concerns.
The Couch asked family therapist, Dr. Paul Hokemeyer, to join us and explain the line between healthy and unhealthy online behavior - and how to find a good balance.
"We know that the Internet has this incredible capacity to do great in our life, but it also has the capacity to create stress and conflicts, particularly in our relationships with other people," Dr. Hokemeyer said.
"When there's a conflict that arises in our life, we need to take a look at it."
To evaluate your Internet use, ask yourself these questions: Are you spending more and more time online? Are you making an effort to stop and not being successful? How is your Internet use impacting your life, is it creating stress?
To keep yourself in check, follow these tips from Dr. Hokemeyer:
- Keep a record of your use for one week - write it down
- Set time limits for your use (like not using your BlackBerry or checking your iPhone before 9 a.m. and turning it off at 10:00 p.m.)
- Reward yourself for your efforts.
- Talk to someone about your use and bring them in as a buddy to help you manage your time online.
Take up a social and physical activity that will get you out of the house and from behind the computer screen.
For the complete interview and more tips from Dr. Hokemeyer, check out the full video below.
